.006 Δ ["Anonymous" Text]
Mar. 19th, 2016 07:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ratherbelocky[Or, well, actually, this text isn't anonymous. It's simply that the ID number it displays doesn't match anything in anyone's previous contacts--as if someone's perhaps got his meddlesome paws on a brand new 'Gear.]
So there's a thing I've noticed, in the months I've been here. These anonymous posts, the ones asking for advice? They get a lot of answers. Seems we've got a lot of folks willing to help out around here, or at least to talk and commiserate, but it always seems to be a one-off deal; the person who's anonymous, most of us don't get to hear from them again, see how they're doing, and if we're anonymous ourselves, they can't contact us, either. It's like dancing some kind of intimate foxtrot and then never seeing your partner again.
But I found out something interesting. If you go to any Pokémon Center or PokéMart and tell them your Gear's broken or missing, they'll just hand you a new one free of charge. And if you happened to be lying, well. Then you've got an extra Gear unconnected to your main one.
What I'm saying is, there's an easy way to maintain privacy and anonymity on both ends while still checking in with someone you've spoken with before. Obviously, this is great to know for prank calls - and you're all welcome in advance for the April Fools idea - but I'd like to pose another option to those guys who want to help:
What if there were some kind of system in place for people to just talk about what's eating them multiple times with the same person, without ever having to know who's on the other line?
Now, I'm by no means a professional - not in this field, anyway. I'm not qualified to be a therapist and I haven't yet heard of anyone here who is. That's not what I'm suggesting we do here. But there are people willing to just listen, and to share their own experiences without judging, and that can be real useful to people who are working through tough things.
Here's how I'm imagining it'll work.
1. Folks who are interested in doing the listening contact me here by filling out the form at the bottom of this post. I vet them, and if it seems like it'll work out, then they grab an extra Gear, send me the number, and come up with their own codename.
2. I make a list of who's available and their numbers.
3. People looking to be listened to without exposing themselves, they contact me anonymously, and I'll redirect them to one of the folks on the list. After that first contact, they can just get to their listener directly without going through me as a middleman.
4. Conversation happens, everybody profits.
"But, mysterious and probably handsome anon," I hear you ask, "why do the people interested in helping have to out themselves to you? Who are YOU, even, to ask that and put yourself in charge of this whole thing?" And my answer is, there's got to be some accountability here when things this heavy and private are on the table, and I'm willing to be that guy. I'm also happy to reveal my identity privately to anyone who asks; I'm only maintaining anonymity here for those who don't want to know who they're talking to, for whom talking is easier like that.
Anyway. If listening to other people's problems sounds like your calling, I'd like you to fill out the following little survey:
If there's enough interest, I'll set something up within the week. In the meantime, let me know what you guys think.
And I guess you can call me Nathaniel.
So there's a thing I've noticed, in the months I've been here. These anonymous posts, the ones asking for advice? They get a lot of answers. Seems we've got a lot of folks willing to help out around here, or at least to talk and commiserate, but it always seems to be a one-off deal; the person who's anonymous, most of us don't get to hear from them again, see how they're doing, and if we're anonymous ourselves, they can't contact us, either. It's like dancing some kind of intimate foxtrot and then never seeing your partner again.
But I found out something interesting. If you go to any Pokémon Center or PokéMart and tell them your Gear's broken or missing, they'll just hand you a new one free of charge. And if you happened to be lying, well. Then you've got an extra Gear unconnected to your main one.
What I'm saying is, there's an easy way to maintain privacy and anonymity on both ends while still checking in with someone you've spoken with before. Obviously, this is great to know for prank calls - and you're all welcome in advance for the April Fools idea - but I'd like to pose another option to those guys who want to help:
What if there were some kind of system in place for people to just talk about what's eating them multiple times with the same person, without ever having to know who's on the other line?
Now, I'm by no means a professional - not in this field, anyway. I'm not qualified to be a therapist and I haven't yet heard of anyone here who is. That's not what I'm suggesting we do here. But there are people willing to just listen, and to share their own experiences without judging, and that can be real useful to people who are working through tough things.
Here's how I'm imagining it'll work.
1. Folks who are interested in doing the listening contact me here by filling out the form at the bottom of this post. I vet them, and if it seems like it'll work out, then they grab an extra Gear, send me the number, and come up with their own codename.
2. I make a list of who's available and their numbers.
3. People looking to be listened to without exposing themselves, they contact me anonymously, and I'll redirect them to one of the folks on the list. After that first contact, they can just get to their listener directly without going through me as a middleman.
4. Conversation happens, everybody profits.
"But, mysterious and probably handsome anon," I hear you ask, "why do the people interested in helping have to out themselves to you? Who are YOU, even, to ask that and put yourself in charge of this whole thing?" And my answer is, there's got to be some accountability here when things this heavy and private are on the table, and I'm willing to be that guy. I'm also happy to reveal my identity privately to anyone who asks; I'm only maintaining anonymity here for those who don't want to know who they're talking to, for whom talking is easier like that.
Anyway. If listening to other people's problems sounds like your calling, I'd like you to fill out the following little survey:
If there's enough interest, I'll set something up within the week. In the meantime, let me know what you guys think.
And I guess you can call me Nathaniel.
[Private and anon is just how we gon roll]
Date: 2016-03-26 01:20 am (UTC)I'll be honest. It sounds like you might get more of a benefit out of talking to someone about it than listening to others, but on the other hand, I don't know you, I can't make that choice for you. Is this really something you're sure you want to do?
no subject
Date: 2016-03-26 01:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-26 01:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-26 01:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-26 02:14 am (UTC)Listening to others, though... I wouldn't really know, I guess, but if it means a guy like me can help people out, I feel like maybe it's worth a shot. You know?
[sorry he's kind of a bit of a resigned mess]
[permanon etc]
Date: 2016-03-26 05:44 am (UTC)From an emotional standpoint
You'd make sure everyone's a good person to help the others, right? That no one would get someone not to be trusted?
no subject
Date: 2016-03-26 09:32 pm (UTC)2. Of course. I'm having a conversation with everyone who's signed up. I have their real names, so I can hold them accountable for their conduct in this. I'll be checking in with them regularly, too, to make sure they're all doing okay. And I myself don't mind letting people know who I am so there's transparency there as wanted.
Believe me, I've had enough problems myself with liars mishandling power to build as many checks against it into this system as I can.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-26 09:55 pm (UTC)This was hard enough as it is, I don't want anything impeding the process.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-26 10:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-26 10:03 pm (UTC)I think all of this sounds like it'll work well. At least I hope so.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-26 10:18 pm (UTC)Say, here's a question for you, though. As someone who might call in, would you feel better being matched with someone closer to your situation - I mean, age, or general world background, what have you - or not? I think my main matching criteria will be situation or topic, but there's a fair bit of overlap among us folks who've signed up to listen.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-26 10:44 pm (UTC)Well, okay. Maybe helping others out might change your mind about trying it yourself, too. You any good with kids?
no subject
Date: 2016-03-26 10:59 pm (UTC)I'm not sure? Possibly. Probably? My exact situation I think will be impossible to match but my age and perhaps world background outside of a few specific things but
Maybe world background. So I don't have to explain as much. I will have to explain the confusing bits of course but not everything. So it's more focused on talking about the events and the problems. If it doesn't work out then that's alright.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-27 12:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-27 01:13 am (UTC)You sure you haven't done something like this before? Like, organized a therapy group?
no subject
Date: 2016-03-27 01:33 am (UTC)Ah, nope, can't say I have. But my last job required a lot of this kind of thinking. Creative problem-solving and teamwork, and so on.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-27 01:46 am (UTC)So I suppose I'm wondering, for my own benefit, if you SHOULD remain a faceless, anonymous set of numbers on the strange internet. You're name. I don't know if it would be better to ask for it or not.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-27 01:48 am (UTC)[Private]
Date: 2016-03-27 02:05 am (UTC)[Private]
Date: 2016-03-27 02:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-27 03:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-27 03:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-27 03:36 am (UTC)[...yes, Ryner, go ahead and name yourself after your favorite spell. This won't backfire when you eventually get a canon update someday. (Though I suppose it's better than trying to get him to come up with something better.)]
no subject
Date: 2016-03-27 03:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-27 03:41 am (UTC)