.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.
[text]
Date: 2016-03-20 12:32 am (UTC)1. Name Jimmy Two-Shoes
2. Age 17
3. Do you have your own support network here? Oh, totally. Not anybody from home, really, but there's a lot of people here that I'm real close to now. I could prolly talk to them about anything.
4. What sorts of things are you cool talking about? I'm willing to talk about pretty much anything, to be honest. There's a lot of things I don't know as much about, but even if I can't give much advice about it, I can still offer somebody an ear.
5. What sorts of things are you NOT cool talking about? I can't think of anything right now, but if something comes up I'll make sure to let you know.
It's real cool of you to offer to do this kinda thing, by the way. I hope it takes off!
[perma-anon on York's end because reasons]
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Date: 2016-03-20 12:36 am (UTC)2. Age 18
3. Do you have your own support network here? Y
4. What sorts of things are you cool talking about? War, loss, hard decisions, abandonment, being alone, torture, PTSD
I'm okay with talking about anything, really. I guess I've been through a lot, but I'm at the point now where I can accept that all of it happened and move on.
5. What sorts of things are you NOT cool talking about? N/A
There are a lot of people my age or even younger with PTSD here, and I don't think any of them know how to cope with it. I don't know how I'm gonna do it, but I'd really want to set up a group with anybody like that who's willing.
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Date: 2016-03-20 12:46 am (UTC)It's a nice idea, but I'm not sure how well it will work.
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Date: 2016-03-20 12:52 am (UTC)anonymous text;
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Date: 2016-03-20 12:59 am (UTC)2. Age 17 (I think?)
3. Do you have your own support network here? Yes
4. What sorts of things are you cool talking about? War, change of species, death, aliens/monsters, torture
Pretty much anything, really.
5. What sorts of things are you NOT cool talking about? N/A I think?
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Date: 2016-03-20 02:46 am (UTC)1. Name Komasan
2. Age I don't remember, but it's over 300
3. Do you have your own support network here? I can't support any network I am not a computer!!!
4. What sorts of things are you cool talking about? If you have a bad day, or lost your sock, or overcooked your food I will cheer you up. If you are nearby, I will come over and give you a hug. If you're not nearby, I have a Dunsparce and I'll let you look at her
5. What sorts of things are you NOT cool talking about? If you stepped on a bug and it made you really sad, I'm sorry but I'll probably cry please don't tell me this
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Date: 2016-03-20 03:09 am (UTC)2. Age 24-ish. It's hard to say an exact age when I've never really known for sure.
3. Do you have your own support network here? I've got a friend and my Pokemon, if that's what you mean.
4. What sorts of things are you cool talking about? War, guilt, loneliness, stuff like that, I guess. Hell, if somebody just wants somebody to talk to for a bit, I'm okay with that.
5. What sorts of things are you NOT cool talking about? Romance problems. I am not the guy to come to for those.
Not that I'm really good at giving advice, but why not, I can listen.
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Date: 2016-03-20 05:40 am (UTC)2. Age 33
3. Do you have your own support network here? Yes.
4. What sorts of things are you cool talking about? (For example: war, change of species, coming back to life.) War, dying, loss or missing family
5. What sorts of things are you NOT cool talking about? N/A
"Christian" might be offputting to some, I'm afraid. I could use "Chris."
[Sup babe]
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Date: 2016-03-21 11:31 pm (UTC)2. Age
522223. Do you have your own support network here? Yes
4. What sorts of things are you cool talking about? War (between gods, humans, or a combination of both), change of species,
not being able to die, being cursed, revenge (failed or successful), and whatever else comes up. I'm good at listening.5. What sorts of things are you NOT cool talking about? Family death
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Date: 2016-03-23 07:48 am (UTC)Thank you.
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