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This seems poorly thought out in a lot of respects, but I think specifying "unusual people" is emblematic. The kinds of people who describe them selves as 'unu
by Foomandoonian 7y ago
This seems poorly thought out in a lot of respects, but I think specifying "unusual people" is emblematic.
The kinds of people who describe them selves as 'unusual' brings to mind very conventional folks trying to project an image of 'wackiness', or otherwise people who have adopted a genuinely rare or controversial lifestyle... like freegans, nomads, cultists, furries or people with other strange kinks, etc etc. Not exactly communities with much in common!
On the other hand, those with mental health issues often don't want to be considered 'unusual'. People take great comfort in knowing, for example, that depression and anxiety are actually incredibly common.
After talking about the mental health features you're planning, you say "maybe you're a real geek", which again is conflating to wildly different types of 'unusual'. (Besides, in these days of superhero blockbusters is being a geek even unusual anymore?)
If you want to be a site for people with mental health issues, then you need to understand that:
1) Though there's an overlap between this and niche interest subjects; the two things are VERY different, and,
2) Language is INCREDIBLY important if you want to be accepting of everyone and project that you truly understand these diverse conditions and are properly committed to supporting them.
- Foomandoonian 7y agoOh, and the slogan 'We know' is incredibly sinister. :D
- Gik 7y agoDidn't mean to be sinister, just people with mental issues used to think that nobody understand them, that's why the slogan
- neogodless 7y agoSomething like "We get it" is a bit friendlier. "We understand."
- Gik 7y agoThanks, neogodless. I'll consider it. "We understand." is good I think
- coldtea 7y ago"We understand" is worse than "we get it". The latter implies more empathy and is less formal and patronising. Also "unusual" hints more at "eccentric". Bjork is unusual. Brian Wilson had a mental illness... You could go out and spell it out: people with mental issues, or disabled, or whoever you like to include.
- Gik 7y agoThanks, coldtea for your interest and help with the wording, I'll consider it absolutely.
- dzmien 7y agoTo me, "we get it" sounds friendlier than ”we understand."
- X6S1x6Okd1st 7y agoFor more context, "we know" seems to imply that there is something that you know about the person that you aren't going to spell out right now, but may use in the future.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- vmarshall23 7y agoIt's also the awesome slogan of the Dark Brotherhood in Skyrim, so in that regard, kind of awesome.
- Gik 7y agoThanks, Foomandoonian. A lot of things to be considered. I agree with you on every mentioned aspects. And yes the English language is still my problem ))
- _bxg1 7y agoYeah. I think beyond the basic grammatical errors, this topic requires a particularly high level of cultural awareness and nuance in vocabulary, which the OP may not have been prepared for.