How many of you have had friends leave Rallypoint? Do you know why?

LTC Stephen F. — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 08:47:33 -0400

I have only been on Rallypoint since March 2015 and have made many friend sup here and become reacquainted with old friends. Over the past few months a number of friends of mine have quit RallyPoint - some temporarily and others apparently permanently. I have personal emails for some who have left and have learned why they left and in some cases returned. How many of you have seen friends leave for a time or permanently? What can be done to encourage people to stay here?
FYI on October 19 I Started a related discussion:
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/does-anybody-still-need-to-be-vouched-for-on-rallypoint?urlhash=1052818

Does anybody still need to be vouched for on RallyPoint? | RallyPoint

Yesterday I received a request from an old friend from 35 years ago. He asked that I vouch for him on RallyPoint. To be honest I was surprised that you could be on RallyPoint for many months and not be vouched for. I was happy to vouch for my friend but wasn't sure how to go about it. I responded to his message and told him I would be happy to vouch for him. Then I sent a message to RallyPoint support and told them I wanted to vouch for my...

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Oct 21 at 2015 8:51 AM

LTC Stephen F. — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 08:51:30 -0400

Over the past six months I have seen many friends leave RallyPoint, some for work or health related reasons others who were frustrated because of the RallyPoint process or were worn down from negative postings. Many of my friend have returned but some of them are gone for good.
I hope and pray that we would be respectful for our fellow members and not personally attack each other or belittle anybody.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 21 at 2015 8:53 AM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 08:53:35 -0400

I have been told by a vast majority of active service members as well as veterans I work with that they are a little leery that you can remain unverified on this site and still have access to member's profiles and discussions. Even though I LOVE RallyPoint, until this is something that is fixed then we are missing out on a lot of potential members.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 21 at 2015 9:26 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 09:26:46 -0400

LTC Stephen F. I have another question I would like to add. Has anyone been asked to verify someone who is joining RP, that they didn't serve with? For example maybe someone you know from a FB veterans group.

Yes, I've known a couple who have left and came back, they have not shared with me their reasons. We should not have to encourage anyone to stay on RP. If someone is being singled out and harrassed, bullied, witnessing inappropriate threads, posts or behaviors among members or something of that nature they should report it to RP Admin. If something like this is happening RP Admins will take care of it. If you're having problems and you don't know who they are, here are some of their names/links feel free to contact them SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" COL Mikel J. Burroughs SFC Mark Merino LTC Yinon Weiss LTC Private RallyPoint Member BG David Fleming III 1LT Scott Doyle CPT Private RallyPoint Member MAJ Laurie H. SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA SSG Toryn Green CSM David Heidke GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad TSgt Private RallyPoint Member SFC James Sczymanski PV2 Private RallyPoint Member LTC Kevin B.

There are more, this is just to help get you to the right people and if you don't like this then there is a way to report under settings I think.

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Oct 21 at 2015 10:30 AM

SFC Mark Merino — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 10:30:37 -0400

That's a great question that has many different individual causes unfortunately, and there is no simple answer or solution. We all joined looking or expecting something that is a great fit for each of us and over time we either find our needs met or we throw in the towel and go elsewhere. Many people leave feedback at the help desk and I read most of it. We just lost a very active member last night. I always say my farewells and tell them to leave their account open. Some have closed their account yet returned and had their profile restored; others starting from scratch. The barn doors are always left open for us and I do beg people to stay in touch by some other means. I'm clingy to those I grow to love...(lol?). The common reasons for leaving are: Disrespect towards others, unprofessionalism, and members posting vast amounts of stories every day from (the media site that shall remain nameless).....aka: point hunting. This topic has been brought up in different ways (What do you love about RallyPoint?) and the theme was always camaraderie, members who know where I am coming from, Professionalism, access to great military experiences from high caliber people, and the fact that RallyPoint is not like the other the other media site that shall remain nameless!

So cue in those annoying member admins......ever vigilant, always tagging/retagging, and even spell checking. For 750,000 + members, this site is about as professional as I have ever seen for the content that is allowed to be discussed. The crustier members can easily tell who will be the problem children, baiters, and even zealots based on the topic alone. Newer members who just left (that media site that shall remain nameless) bring their bad habits into the mix, etc, etc. So we have admins get right back to business. Most problems stem from members losing their cool (meaning unprofessionalism on someone's part). This brings the drama, this brings in the frustration, this creates memories of behavior from the other media site that shall remain nameless. After so many months of this cycle we lose quality members; members who were the reason many of us got hooked on RallyPoint in the first place. It's no secret that I had to walk away for a couple weeks. The very reason I joined had all but disappeared in my opinion, so I had some serious soul searching to do. There are just too many awesome people on here to throw in the towel, but I continue to be vocal to the head shed to look into the best ways to maintain the goals they want for their community. It isn't easy to balance the wants/needs of 3/4 million people. So after 2 cups of coffee and my usual soapbox rantings, I say to those who left, or are considering leaving, to leave those bridges standing without burning them. Leave the troll slaying to the admins, so the head shed can focus on the bigger picture. This is their creation but every active member has a huge stake in the community. Your voices are heard, your complaints are valid, but change isn't always immediate. Stay thirsty, my friends......v/r, Uncle Mark.

Response by SSG Audwin Scott made Oct 21 at 2015 10:41 AM

SSG Audwin Scott — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 10:41:13 -0400

Haven't been on long enough to notice anyone leaving.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 21 at 2015 11:36 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 23:36:28 -0400

LTC Stephen F., I'll tell you why I have left and come back is because when I get frustrated and my PTSD kicks in, it's time for me to take a break. So I do and then I miss not being here and I get back on. Some of my frustration comes from what I consider BS questions just to get points. I don't respond to them, but if they are one of the click, they receive a lot of points. I understand there is a general question part, but some of the questions don't come near being military related. I've been blocked by five members. I think that is childish. I'm not one to stir the pot, but I am one to voice my opinion and if I get blocked for that, they don't need to be on RP. I think I have very valid responses and am usually very polite and if I get crosswise with someone, I'm not afraid to apologize. I like to have fun like anyone, but I generally am a very serious person and I like to "be involved". Thanks for posting this question.