Room Announcement
Hello everyone! I have an important update to make on group rooms.
Did you know that the first room opened at 7 Cups was a waiting room for members to wait for an available listener? Things have come a long way since then. Just as we did then we are always looking for ways to improve the support we provide. We have been investigating what parts of the group support model works and what does not through usage, moderation statistics, and general room health. What weve found is that having moderated discussions and open chats are the most supportive and safe opportunities, while unmoderated 24/7 chatting results in increased safety and experience issues.
As we move forward as a company with a free emotional support service we have decided on some big changes to elevate our group support experience for everyone who wants a safe and kind experience. Our intention is to do a few things well and focus on emotional support.
Member rooms:
We will have two adult member rooms and two teen member rooms open 24/7 for moderated support. One general support room and one community room. All other rooms will be pop-up discussion rooms. These rooms will all be badge locked to both listeners and members.
Listener badges: Tick Tock ( For reaching Ten 1-1 chats), Thankful Heart (For receiving 5 positive text reviews)
Member badges: Strong Bond 1 (5 chats with 5 Listeners, i.e. 1 chat per listener, 5 total chats), Helpful heart ( 50 Compassion Hearts)
Listener rooms:
In the adult listener community we will continue to have two rooms, Listener Support Room and Listener Community Room. Teens will have Teen Listener Room. The adult Listener Community Room will require the Verified Listener badge. The Listener Support Rooms will be open to all listeners, but will only be used for active chat support.
Timeline:
This change is anticipated to happen in the next couple of days. However if some rooms become unsafe and volatile we may choose to close them early or remove them all together.
Our goal is to focus on emotional support. We are aligning our community features to help us better achieve this. We realize this is a big change that may not suit your preferences. We know you may have questions, especially if you are on a volunteer support team (group support teams read more here). We understand if you decide our free services no longer fit your needs and we wish you the best. However you are feeling please keep our Community Guidelines in mind as you process and move forward with your day. While we always welcome feedback, we expect discussions to not only be civil but also on-topic.
I know dealing with change can be challenging. I appreciate the flexibility as we move things forward. As a quick aside, Im visiting my grandmother (she has been ill) so Ill respond, but might be a bit delayed. The community team will chime in and answer questions as well.
Thank you!
[MonBon added link]
[Jill replaced badge name for members- it is Strong Bond 1 and not 7 day streak)
[Lorraine added badge requirements]
[Tazzie replaced the second badge name for members. It is Helpful Heart]
[MonBon replaced badge name for Listeners. It is Thankful Heart]
[7CupsCommunity modified description of Strong Bond 1 for clarity]
Well since you got rid of Thinking Space, Im assuming no religion and political chat in the rooms right?? BUT what I want to know is.. Is bashing religion ( all of then and in my case Catholic) still going to be allowed? Because the mods NEVER told religion bashers to go to Thinking Space. Non religious people called us "idiot" and "delusuional".
As for politics.. Is bashing one political side (right) still allowed? Im independant but I see alot of bias.
@Figgy50
I want to add I respect anyone who is non believer but being called names is the support rooms is/was uncalled for. (Also, they could bash away in TS. as appropriate.) :)
@Figgy50
I want to add I respect anyone who is non believer but being called names in the support rooms is/was uncalled for. (Also, they could bash away in TS. as appropriate.) :)
@Figgy50
Its pathetic when those who go to the chatrooms for support find anything but! 🤬 I find it ironic that the TS stands for Thinking Space, but those trolls that make a 💩 mess out of it post mindless comments that bring down the quality of 7 Cups 👎. Same goes for those trolls posing as listeners who treat 7 Cups like a dating site ... thats laughably pathetic. 🤣
@Figgy50
should I become a mod just for you ?=)
@Figgy50 ''Non religious people called us "idiot" and "delusuional".'' There was a tendency in depression support where some trolls were ranting lots of religious stuff. I don't think it's unfair to say it was delusional. Depression suport and any other support room was not made for that. There are plenty of places to talk about religion, however a mental health site isn't for that. Go figure.
@GlenM
Sending lots of love to your family at this time. (It should feel like a soul hug if it got to you!)
These are some major changes but I trust this 7Cups community to do right by us with any decision that is made. I
@zaatarHoney
Thank you so much for your positive and supportive words! It's very nice of you to be thoughtful and considerate.
@Tazzie
Of course! This community has contributed in saving my life and giving us all a space to channel our compassion. ♡ The least I can do is continue to trust yall 💕🤗 lol!
@zaatarHoney
We are honored to have you with us!
I have no issue with the changing. 
@strawberry8815
Thank you for your kindness and support!
Cups is taking a better step I think.
@GlenM
I'm upset. I feel like I have just been made homeless. Put a lot of time and work into nothing.
@WeedyGarden I understand and appreciate you
@WeedyGarden
I am very sorry to hear that. We value everything you have done in our rooms to keep them welcoming, safe and supportive. Your time is valued by all of us leaders and especially, by the staff and we are beyond grateful. This is a big change and can be overwhelming. My PM's are open to you for peer support. Please send me a message. Thank you!
@WeedyGarden Thank you for all your support. You work has not gone unnoticed. I hope that with volunteers like you on our team we can have these rooms open and supporting people as much as possible.
@WeedyGarden As a chatroom moderator and support session leader your work has been valuable in supporting our members and it will be even more so now. Together we can ensure that the room opens as much as possible, and it be even more supportive community.
Everytime i see you in the room it makes me smile, you have grown so much from a room supporter. Thank you for devoting your time to disability and caring about our members that use this space.
@GlenM im bi and proud.... i think?
I realise that this has come as a huge shock to us all, and the thought of loosing spaces we have used to gain support is scary. While this may feel extreme, I feel positive about members getting support and being safe with these changes. Right now that isnt the case, this is a great chance for the group support team to come together and provide the support our members deserve. Our time can be dedicated to giving support in the room when we open it rather than having to battle the room before we start supporting. Please use my pms I am here for you all to support and listen to constructive feedback.
@GlenM Will only the pop-up discussion rooms be badge locked, or will the two main rooms be too?
Hi Safari,
With this change, all the rooms will be badge locked.
@GoingSafari
finding this decision a bit hard to bare with worry for disability community who rely on theirs being open 24/7 as other rooms dont suit them if too fast etc however i do also understand the reasons behind it hope you know what your doing glen putting my trust in you this site i really love being a listener here
@CaringBrit Exactly Brit...
@CaringBrit I hear you on this, but we have a strong disability team and I believe in you all to provide them with the room as much as possible. Thus improving their support as their room will always be safe with the teams guidance, not having to worry about when a mod responds to the emergency form.
@fluffyUnicorns84 will try our best but even the size we are cant keep it open 24/7 we dont have that many mods as far as im aware
@CaringBrit Very true <3 but we can only do our best
@CaringBrit its sure frustrating, but if disability would be the only room open left, people would go there for trolling, pushing the regulars away, pushing people seeking supportt related to disability, and people being off topic when no mod around.
@vivelespatates true