Aspies Central Will Be Changing Names Soon

[Nitro]

I'm guessing with this change we'll have more people who do not have Asperger's on the site, people who are on other parts of the spectrum.

Yes,you are right to some extent,but we are at the present Aspies Central,Asperger's and Autism Community and we already have auties on here that fall out of that specific category.
I appreciate your sentiment here about this,but this admin is not an aspie either

I'm a very high functioning autie[/QUOTE]

 

[Nitro]

 

[Ambi]

Yes,you are right to some extent,but we are at the present Aspies Central,Asperger's and Autism Community and we already have auties on here that fall out of that specific category.
I appreciate your sentiment here about this,but this admin is not an aspie either

I'm a very high functioning autie

[/QUOTE]
I did realize there were already some auties on here, but I did not notice the "& Autism Community" part for some reason. Probably just because I just type the url to get to the website. In that case, I don't think the tone of the place would change except for possibly attracting more people who are just interested in ASD, coming from a wide background of perspectives, including those who want to cure it, parents using ABT - not saying that would definitely happen, I am just thinking out loud of what possible changes may come. I am not super vested in that though, as good moderators may be able to keep things even, or it may just be apparent form the forum itself that it's an ASD person centered place. BUT.....I do still really wish there were a separate section for the NTs wondering about their supposed ASD ex-boyfriends, friends, etc. But that is just me. That is the only change I would like on the forum, since that topic comes up every other day, then they could also talk to each other about each other's experiences and problems if they want.

 

[Brent]

I am listening to your feedback and we will make sure that we keep this forum what it is: A forum for support and education.

 

[Gracey]

It isn't just you Ambi, a section for curious or confused non-autie. ....or even having a little, quiet, old skool Aspie corner. Somewhere to hide, watch the changes happening and know all is well, or somewhere to retreat when there's nowhere left to chitty chat because the non-autie community dominate every thread?

 

[Jet Weiss]

There are already some issues with drama and hearsay on this site and I am concerned that it may become worse with the addition of many new members, particularly those who are not on the spectrum.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

There's some sort of irony involved a subset of people who often have a problem with change....

Who often also do not value popularity..

Yay,,lets change so we can become more popular

I realise there may be some benefit in a more general sense.. increasing awareness, providing a helpful forum to people with a huge variety of problems.
Of course - the main purpose - providing relationship advice!

I like ambis idea.

I also think brent and the mods and any rockers should be commended for what they have created and i hope the changes work out.

Any one of us could disappear at any second,that's the nature of the internet, so i guess new people are needed....

 

[Sabrina]

I totally agree with @Ambi , I don't like this change at all. Right now the focus is on Asperger's. Changing the focus to expand it, will change everything, and I think AspiesCentral cannot get any better, it's awesome as it is right now.
I feel at home here. It's going to be difficult to feel at home in a crowded house, with so many people with so many different interests.
But I guess you guys have to make it profitable. I wish I could be a VIP member or supporter, BTW, but for personal reasons I can't.

 

[Nitro]

Ok,as your other admin here,I have to say that our popularity gains ground daily as it is.

Most of the world is dropping Asperger's Syndrome as a diagnosis and has moved towards the direction of autism spectrum disorders in three distinct categories based on levels of impairment.

I feel it is an effort to place individuals in more direct line with struggles vs. a one size fits all method of lumping everyone into an AS diagnosis no matter what their impairment level is.

The neuropsych world is ever changing with one category replacing another as they move along in their understanding and discoveries. Another driving force is the fiscal aspect of it,where government support needs more definition (control) and insurance companies want to reduce costs based on where and how their money gets spent.

Is it fair? Possibly not,but therein lies a huge hurdle of who gets let in the club and who doesn't.

As it stands,AS or any other autism spectrum related disorder is not fully understood yet,but they are working on it. In fact,the whole psychological field can become a guessing game now and again.

The diagnostic procedure is one of the most subjective details I have ever encountered,which fully disturbs me as someone who has been fact driven since I was a child and went on to a lifetime of working in diagnostic fields where guessing at things got expensive and counterproductive.

Having access to the behind the scenes details here has enabled me to see the growth that we have as Aspies Central.
I feel it would astound most if they actually knew how fast we are gaining new members. Another detail you don't see is how many join here and never openly participate in the discussions.

Yes,I agree that we do need a place set aside for NT questioning their relationship failures with this community.
I'm sure we can assemble a sub-forum specifically for that and the staff can maintain any threads that need moved to it.

We need to keep in mind that AC has always had a policy of inclusiveness and I don't feel we should drop that policy in favor of keeping it cozy for a select few just because we are changing our name

 

[WereBear]

Change and growth can be awesome things. I like this move and I am fully supportive!

 

[Streetwise]

would it be possible to change the lower case a in autism .to upper case A as my retina is nearly completely destroyed so and reading lower case is hard to comprehend
thanks

Aspies Central is growing up and growing up fast. With that growth comes an opportunity to broaden our reach in the Autism spectrum.

We have managed to purchase a VERY nice domain name: autismforums.com

We are really excited as this will allow us to rank much higher in search engines and provide an easy to remember, to the point domain name.

As soon as the domain name is in our hands we will be switching over to the new name. A few points to make:

• All aspiescentral.com urls will work. No need to update any bookmarks
• The site will still look the same, except for a new logo.

We are considering allowing members the chance to offer input on the new logo so stay tuned for that.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them here!

 

[tree]

@Nitro
"...I agree that we do need a place set aside for NT questioning their relationship failures with this community.
I'm sure we can assemble a sub-forum specifically for that and the staff can maintain any threads that need moved to it."

Definitely.

NT's ask how to live with autistic people.

This includes romance difficulties as well as
dealing with family situations (children, parents, or other relatives.)
And the occasional boss or employee.

 

[Streetwise]

hello could you possibly tell me where i aspies central in itunes the app store section?! ive tried social networking ,medical there is no sign of it
im a technophobe

Aspies Central is growing up and growing up fast. With that growth comes an opportunity to broaden our reach in the Autism spectrum.

We have managed to purchase a VERY nice domain name: autismforums.com

We are really excited as this will allow us to rank much higher in search engines and provide an easy to remember, to the point domain name.

As soon as the domain name is in our hands we will be switching over to the new name. A few points to make:

• All aspiescentral.com urls will work. No need to update any bookmarks
• The site will still look the same, except for a new logo.

We are considering allowing members the chance to offer input on the new logo so stay tuned for that.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them here!

 

[Ambi]

I am listening to your feedback and we will make sure that we keep this forum what it is: A forum for support and education.

I'm very glad for this! This is the one place I can come and just totally be myself, and people get me. Sometimes when NTs do post here, I feel a bit disoriented, because they are on a different wavelength and not understanding my point, or questioning it, then I feel I need to explain (though I don't) - they have the right, of course, but it is so nice to have a forum where people understand you rather than judge you or misunderstand you and then you feel you need to explain or set the record straight. I'm imagining a thread where someone talks about their special interest, and normally we all just chime in, vs an NT peppering the whole thread with talk about how special interests seem wrong or unhealthy, etc. - basically just annoyingly interrupting the thread. I know that probably sounds awful/mean - I don't mean it that way - but it is nice to have a virtual planet that is our own, where we can be ourselves without disruption and self-justification of the aspects related to ASD.

 

[Katleya]

Could a tagline help? Something prominent that reminds any newcomer that the forum is a place to promote awareness and acceptance for Aspies & Auties, for example?
I'm saying that because I figure among the additional people who will come knock on the door, there will inevitably be a subset that will not read the rules before they join, and the tagline could be the one reminder of the forum's mission. I value the inclusiveness I've found here, and I'm all for maintaining that, but at the same time, like Ambi and many others, I cherish having a place where I can drop the NT mask and just be myself without fearing judgment or harm hurled at me for just being me, with all my bluntness, compartmentalization, systematization, rollercoasting emotions & all of those traits that people have used against me in the outside world. To put it simply, I don't have a problem with other people coming into the house (although I do have a tendency to run to the other side of the house and hide until the threat is gone), but I need to be sure that they know what this house is for, and how to treat the people in it. The last thing we need is to be evicted by NT gentrification.
Getting my diagnosis was never dramatic, my world never collapsed, and that's most likely due to the fact that I joined right around the time I was in the assessment process. Losing the world of support I found here, or even losing the feeling of belonging and logging in never being quite sure how safe I am from negativity? That would shake my world and destroy some of it.

I'll be totally honest, too, as far as our growth goes: the number lover in me has unintentionally been keeping an eye on the number of members, and yes, fantastic growth that the staff and admins need to be lauded for. I was active for a while, then had to be away due to medical reasons. Then I came back, all was well again, and I got scared away after a short while because of a particular wave of newcomers (most of whom I no longer see) who were bringing in a tone and spirit that made me very uncomfortable. I'm back now, and I hope I won't be going through another forced withdrawal. I just can't afford to lose that, it's the only thing that keeps me standing.

 

[Nitro]

Could a tagline help? Something prominent that reminds any newcomer that the forum is a place to promote awareness and acceptance for Aspies & Auties, for example?
I'm saying that because I figure among the additional people who will come knock on the door, there will inevitably be a subset that will not read the rules before they join, and the tagline could be the one reminder of the forum's mission. I value the inclusiveness I've found here, and I'm all for maintaining that, but at the same time, like Ambi and many others, I cherish having a place where I can drop the NT mask and just be myself without fearing judgment or harm hurled at me for just being me, with all my bluntness, compartmentalization, systematization, rollercoasting emotions & all of those traits that people have used against me in the outside world. To put it simply, I don't have a problem with other people coming into the house (although I do have a tendency to run to the other side of the house and hide until the threat is gone), but I need to be sure that they know what this house is for, and how to treat the people in it. The last thing we need is to be evicted by NT gentrification.
Getting my diagnosis was never dramatic, my world never collapsed, and that's most likely due to the fact that I joined right around the time I was in the assessment process. Losing the world of support I found here, or even losing the feeling of belonging and logging in never being quite sure how safe I am from negativity? That would shake my world and destroy some of it.

I'll be totally honest, too, as far as our growth goes: the number lover in me has unintentionally been keeping an eye on the number of members, and yes, fantastic growth that the staff and admins need to be lauded for. I was active for a while, then had to be away due to medical reasons. Then I came back, all was well again, and I got scared away after a short while because of a particular wave of newcomers (most of whom I no longer see) who were bringing in a tone and spirit that made me very uncomfortable. I'm back now, and I hope I won't be going through another forced withdrawal. I just can't afford to lose that, it's the only thing that keeps me standing.

The dynamics of an internet forum are always changing,and there is nothing anyone can do to stop that. Yes,some members are only here for a few fleeting moments,and then they disappear.

There are quite a few of us that have learned to ride it out and ignore those we don't agree with,while at the same time,some take leave of the place and never return. I wish that all of the members dedicated to AC would follow the lead of those of us who ride it out.

We are primarily a support forum where we try to help each other thru the bad spots and share the good parts of our lives.
Yes,there are going to be a few bad eggs or rotten apples,but that doesn't apply to this group as a whole,or I certainly wouldn't have made this my home.

I came here not so much for support,but for more education about my condition. Let me tell you,what a ride it has been!
When approached to do my present job here,I was thrilled to be asked to give back to a place that gave so much to me.
My only hope is that I am able to help uphold the standards that were offered to me on my first day here.

You as a member have every right to feel at home here and we as your staff will do everything possible to make that happen,no matter how many show up at the door to the place I call my home

I believe our staff has a pretty good handle on disruptive members and generally jump to correct our problem children as soon as possible. Once again,we value your input thru the reports you lodge with us and generally arrive at a consensus involving several staff members when it comes time to act on them.

At times,we make a few enemies by our decisions,but it is always the undesirables that get to feel our wrath with our great members who get to reap the benefits of it.

There are plenty of forum games,a music thread where we post music vids,off topic conversations and a miriad of support resources to occupy your time when you want to isolate yourself from the mayhem that sometimes occurs in the general thread areas.
I can see from your post count that you are a fairly active member with a karma count that could be envied by many.

Stick around,you have been heard and each opinion counts

 

[Katleya]

Thank you, Nitro, the advice was helpful and your perspective soothing!

 

[Warmheart]

With the name change, our online community will remain our home on the web. I'm looking forward to the improvements! I love that Brent is so welcoming of feedback. Seeing the site evolve feels safe, because adjustments come with Brent's thoughtful announcements, well in advance. Good things ahead!

 

[Maelstrom]

I hope it doesn't ruin my quick boot to this site?

 

[Bolletje]

I'm a little wary of the name change, and whether that will change the audience, but that's just because I dislike change altogether. I applaud you guys for thinking about the future as well.

hello could you possibly tell me where i aspies central in itunes the app store section?! ive tried social networking ,medical there is no sign of it
im a technophobe

afaik there isn't an app.