Hi, I don’t understand the profile/about me settings. How do you make the ‘about me’ section publicly visible?
Many thanks
J
Hi @Jackson,
How are you? As far as I can see, the info you entered in your ‘About me’ section is publicly visible. If at any stage you want to change the text or don’t want it to be visible anymore, you could edit or delete it in your account profile.
I hope that helps, but do let us know if we can do anything else to help with your profile.
Best wishes,
Mara
(Moderation team)
Hi - many thanks for getting back to me; just a quick question, should I be able to see the 'about me ’ info? when I click on my image, I can only see basic details e.g. when I joined. I don’t know how to check what others can see. Thanks again. J
Hi again Jackson,
That’s a very good question. Your profile information is visible when we look at it, have you tried to look in the 'Preferences section? The ‘About me’ area, if filled out, should be visible to anyone who clicks on your profile. I’ll let the team know about your questions as well, as they may be able to offer a more detailed answer, but you can edit your information and see what other users can read if you look at your preferences.
I hope this helps, and best wishes to you.
Min
Moderation team.
Hi, it’s odd because I now generally just tend to get information about when people joined rather than the 'about me ’ information when I click on their profile pictures and that is all I see when I click on my own profile picture [unless I go into my settings]. There are only a very few people who have the ‘about me’ information showing and this didn’t used to be the case.
I’m probably on totally the wrong track but is it something to do with membership level? Some people are recorded as 'members ’ while others are recorded as ’ basic users '. I don’t really understand what this means but I’m wondering if this is limiting certain options?
Thank you
J
Hi, I’m just wondering if anybody can help me with the above queries?
Many thanks
J
Hi Jackson,
I will flag this to the Parkinson’s team to follow through on your queries about the About Me section of your profile.
Best wishes,
Edwina
Moderation Team
Hi @Jackson,
The reason why you’re able to to see the ‘about me’ information when you click on some people’s profile pictures and not others has to do with the size of the bio. Therefore, the longer the bio, the more likely people will be able to view this information when you click someone’a profile picture. I hope this answers your question. 
Best wishes,
Reah
Hi Reah, thank you for getting back to me but I’m still confused. Does this mean that there is a minimum length for the bio if you would like it to be visible? Can I find this in the settings somewhere? I’m also still unsure as to how can I tell if mine is visible or not and I’m still unclear about the different member levels (member, basic user). Sorry for the ‘20 questions’ but any additional info would be gratefully received.
Many thanks
J
Hi Jackson,
No need to apologise at all, I’m happy to help.
Regarding your bio, there is a maximum length for a bio if you want it to show in the popup. It’s not a specific number of characters per se, it also depends on whether there are links, how many lines there are. The best way to find out is to try it. You can see your own popup by searching for a post you’ve made and then clicking your own avatar / icon.
Trust levels on the other hand are determined by how active and engaged a user is on the forum. I’ve briefly explained the different trust levels below to give you a better idea of how it works.
-
Basic user ; If a user sticks around long enough to read a bit (e.g. entering at least 5 topics), we trust them as a basic user.
-
Members: These members that keep coming back, they’re the people you see around a lot. Put it this way, if basic users are part time users, then members are full time users. They come back often enough that you know you’ll see them again soon.
-
Regular : Regulars are some of the most active and prolific contributors. They set the tone for everyone else and set an example by what actions they take, and the posts and replies that they contribute.
I hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Reah
I think it is obvious that the forum is incredibly difficult to use/navige after the ’ improvements’.
For years it was a welcoming place for troubled PWP and Carers.
Now it is a place for the technically competent who can spend hours clicking and cursing trying to use a ridiculous, complicated forum.
I miss so many old friends who kept me alive through DA/OCD years of horror.
Hi Golden Girl, it is a tricky thing to navigate for sure :-S I’ve never quite got the hang of this forum though I periodically have ‘another go’ because I can find good support here when I venture in. It is what it is I suppose but it’s sad that people lost valuable support when it changed.
I’m currently on one of my periodic attempts to try and work it out :-/
I’ve now worked out that I can’t leave any significant spaces or line breaks in my bio if I want it to be public (who would’ve known!) and I was a basic user but now I’m a member :-), but do these terms actually equate to any difference in user experience or are they just a way of classifying and evaluating user profiles? Hmmmm.
I’ll work on the finer points of navigating topics later. Ah the things I can do to while away the hours between stupid o’clock and daylight :-s
Take care. Jx
FHi Jackson,
I am glad you are persevering with the forum…if anyone does manage to find, read and reply to posts, they can be a great source of help and information.
I read a weird postl from someone connected with the forum saying it was developing into a lovely place for people to offer support!
It WAS for years until they dismantled it and replaced it with this maze of horrors!
We are beyond help now, coping with another maze…CHC funding for nursing home care…advanced ParkinsoNs and dementia.
When you think life can’t get any worse…it does.
PDUK have little to offer in getting this funding or navigating the never-ending, twisted regulations in applying for the funding.
If anyone needs help, please contact me…I have become an expert over the last 2 years.
Be strong Jackson…don’t let them win.
Love
GG
Hi GG,
I’m sad to hear that things are so bad right now. Parkinson’s is Parkinson’s and it’s sh**ty whatever ‘spin’ is put on it but readily available, face to face, individualised support and advice to navigate the multitude of challenging situations we inevitably meet would be invaluable in helping us to manage the lifestyle changes it enforces as smoothly as possible and would also have a huge impact on both the physical health and emotional well-being of people with Parkinson’s and those close to them.
I’ve been trying to navigate the ill-health retirement route for most of last year and I’m still working on it. There is no practical, personalised help out there and generic help sheets and signposting 
have become words that I dread. I’ve had good support in terms of having people to talk to on the forum but I’ve made myself quite unwell stressing about and trying to navigate this process.
Sadly, I see a future of digital care which will ‘tick the box’ to say that support is available but for those of us who struggle to use it due to: dexterity issues or other Parkinson’s symptoms, lack of understanding of technology or the decline in faculties that age inevitably brings, it’s going to provide very little actual benefit (my 82 year old dad is a whizz with his iPad but he makes some pretty impressive errors because he can’t see it too well and isn’t always fast enough to realise he’s clicked 'buy’!) And with ( I think) over 90% of people living with Parkinson’s in the UK being in the 60 + age group, and a huge percentage being aged 70+, that is something to consider.
I’m afraid I have to agree with you, we are very, very much alone with Parkinson’s when it comes to navigating the significant challenges it periodically places in our lives.
With all my thoughts. Jx
I have to agree with the thoughts above on the technical workings of the forum. I’ve used many forums over the years and this is the most illogical I have come across. If the content wasn’t worth looking for and reading (and it very much is) I would have given up before my first post.
It doesn’t have to be like this. Forum systems like phpbb and countless others have a logical board, topic and reply layout which makes much more sense. I’m pleased to see such good technical support - it’s just a shame it’s needed when it could be so easy to use that no support would be needed.
I have not tried to access the Forum for some years.
I tried today and couldn’t make head nor tail of any of it!
I stumbled into this bit and managed to write this message.
I have absolutely no idea what else there is as it is like trying to get fog in a net
understanding any of it.
With great sadness for the loss of a site that offered me so much when I needed it 13 years ago.
With love,
GG
Hi @goldengirl, 
Welcome back to the forum. 
I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been experiencing issues with navigating the site. You’ve been one of our long standing members and I’d hate for you to lose the resources and support available on the forum.
If you need help with anything, please do not hesitate to let us and we’ll happily give you a helping hand. 
Best wishes,
Reah