Anyone finding New Recommended For You feature useless?

While the team is talking, talk about a quote button and a like button.

A like button is just another method of tracking and profiling!!!

Have I missed something re: tracking and profiling? Who does BCO sell/share/make money from our information?

Hi All, You'll see we moved the recommendation module to the bottom of the Active Topics page based on your feedback. We're continuing to address other concerns and make improvements. Thanks, the BCO Team

Here's whats too bad about this whole issue.

I used to spend a fair amount of time every week trying to "pay it forward" on the active threads. At least I tried to identify issues that I might know something about and post a response. Now I really don't bother to even check the active threads. It's a shame, but I don't want to play games with issues that may or may not be relevant.

Funny you should say that Cowgirl. I’ve only been on for 3 1/2 years but have felt much the same way for the last few months. That’s why I thought they had reduced the length of time conversations are active. It seems weird having only three pages of conversations day after day.

Yes, the new placement of the recommendation module is much better. I still don't see how it will provide benefit, particularly for newbies who would be the most important target but who have no history of posting on which to base the recommendations (and often provide limited/erroneous information in their first few posts which could lead to inappropriate recommendations)... but that's not my business.

I agree that the board does feel very different these days. Certainly it's much less active.

I believe the reason why activity has been down over the past few months is Covid-19. Appointments and screenings and surgeries have been cancelled, so there are fewer call-backs and fewer diagnoses. For breast cancer and all major health concerns, I believe that a huge fall-out from the global Covid-19 quarantine will be delayed diagnoses of many treatable (or in some cases, formerly treatable) diseases. But for now, there are fewer people coming here asking questions.

That aside, over the past few years most of the long time posters that I know have left, sometimes because they just felt that it was time, but often as a result as changes to the board or disputes on the board. Others old-timers are still here but have been restricting their activity to the social threads and no longer offer advice to those concerned and those who are newly diagnosed. What I've noticed is that recently when someone posts a question that in the past would have generated a lot of response and discussion, these days there are one or two answers, little if any discussion, and then the thread fades away. That's the unfortunate result of so many people leaving or choosing to no longer post on the screening and diagnosis threads.

Mods: I'm seeing more & more posts in the active forum like this one below. It can only have come from your algorithm "recommends". This just points out what we have been trying to get across.

You are recommending topics to new members or people w/o much history here and they are posting. Sometimes desperately like this lady did. How was she to know that there's likely NO ONE TO ANSWER from 2018? I really think your recommendations are doing more harm than good. I for one sure don't want to have to keep 'mopping up' and answering people who are looking for answers from "dead" threads.

It was bad enough when you were recommending threads to seasoned members that were patently ridiculous. It's much worse for new members. And they don't know to TURN OFF the recommends. Once again - will you please consider making the recommends something people had to "opt in" instead of "opt out".

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/105/topic...

MinusTwo, thank you for your updates. Newbies aren't the only ones. If you scroll through the active topics lists before you log in, it always displays the same three irrelevant suggested threads. Totally worthless. Since BCO CEO and Board Chair have never bothered to answer our many questions, and the only thing they did was to move these unwanted suggestions to the bottom of the page, it must be some misplaced faith in their algorithms or promises to donors/commercial interests that drive them to continue. I can't imagine there have been too many clicks on irrelevant, old, misleading thread "suggestions." I avoid them, have removed most identifying information in my profile, and really limit who I respond to. If they want to continue to track and profile me, they are not going to get much new data! Many long-time members no longer stop by regularly, and the quantity of postings is way down. The way things are headed, I would be surprised how long BCO can keep alienating their members.

ceanna, since I often do a quick scan of the Active Topics without signing in, I too have noticed that the same 3 threads are recommended every time. I don't see them now that they are at the bottom of the page, so that's a big improvement for me, but if we are talking about the utility of the function for those who are new, these 3 topics don't give me much confidence. Since these 3 topics obviously have been pre-programmed in by someone, I wonder "What are they thinking?"

"So, what's for dinner?" Seriously?? How is this helpful for someone new and scared who comes here looking for information about breast cancer?

"CRAZY TOWN WAITING ROOM" This is a thread within the "Growing our Friendships After Treatment" forum. It's a thread for those who have been diagnosed and who have settled in for the long haul of follow-up tests and screenings. This is not where anyone would send a newbie who may just be concerned about a symptom, or even for someone who is newly diagnosed.

"Interpreting Your Report" Okay, this one is relevant to those who newly arrive here. But considering that this is djmammo's thread and he provides all the responses, has he agreed to have his thread pinned here?

The pinned threads within the "Can We Help Guide You?" box on the screen when a reader has not signed in is the simplest possible application of this function. Surely BCO can do better than this.

The ad for FindyourMBCvoice, sponsored by Pfizer is shown on this page to the left.

Nope - I have no ads and never see ads. Must be something my son set up on my computer for me.

Pfizer ad....This ad is on my favorites page. Are drug companies paid advertisers to BCO targeted demographic?

Magiclight, I always have at least one ad on the left side of threads and have often seen the one you display. Today I have a BCO podcast ad. They are another Google ads tracking device. If you hover over the ad you will see it's another way for Google to track.

Beesie, I have had the same three threads suggested for me ever since "recommendations" appeared (scrolling the active threads before logging in). I think I posted this before on the tech glitches thread, but they are the same as you saw. I questioned them then and, like you, question again how any of these would be helpful to someone visiting the site for the first time, who hasn't created an account, and who hasn't yet been tracked and profiled by BCO. To me, they would indicate to anyone visitor or newbie that the BCO threads were not dealing with BC issues but was just another Facebook page.

I still think BCO is providing a disservice to anyone with fears and concerns about possible or diagnosed issues by "greeting them" with these type of old and non-essential recommendations. No algorithm will train the system to make the right recommendations, no matter how well BCO says it will work after its tracked enough people, will ever serve a new arrival, and certainly is of no use to those of us who hang around to help newbies. BCO, it's past time to pull the plug on this ineffective intrusion like you ended up having to do with the Outbrain ads you tried and had to move off the threads a few years back. Still waiting to hear from Hope Wohl and Jane Hollingsworth from BCO!

Ceanna - I am aware that my posts are always available. I have stayed with BCO because I believe in "paying it forward". And because I have enjoyed meeting a number of people in person over the years. I try to remember that my posts are - or can be - public on the www at any time. I don't like that, but I tolerate it. On the other hand, I have never even looked at Facebook.

However, I am talking about the fact that I don't see "advertisements" for any product, or even BCO "ads" posted to the left. Or anywhere else on this site. Not on my favorites and not on the Active selection. If I had been bombarded by ads, I would have left this site a long time ago. So again, thanks to my son for setting up my computer to comply with my wishes.

And MODS - if you start targeting those of us who are blissfully free of advertisements - we will be most ungrateful and leave in droves.