By AppleVis
Since our launch in 2010, AppleVis has been the premier online community for
blind and low-vision users of Apple hardware, software, and services. Our
forums have hosted countless conversations around vision accessibility, with
members asking questions, exchanging knowledge and expertise, and generally
assisting each other with making the most of Apple technologies.
As our community has grown, so too have the interests and needs expressed by
our members. Many have voiced a desire for the opportunity to discuss topics
that fall outside of our traditional Apple-centric scope, but still revolve
around technology that enhances independence and quality of life for the
visually impaired.
After carefully weighing community feedback, we've decided to expand the
AppleVis forums by adding four new areas dedicated to:
* Assistive Technology Hardware
* Windows
* Android
* Smart Home Tech
The decision to broaden our boundaries was not taken lightly. We aimed to
balance the potential benefits with being thoughtful about avoiding
potential downsides that could detract from AppleVis's core Apple
accessibility mission.
Some of the key pros that motivated this move include:
1. Tapping Into Collective Expertise: Our community members possess a
vast wealth of knowledge and expertise that extends far beyond just Apple's
products and services. These new forum areas will allow that collective
wisdom around assistive technology, Windows, Android and more to be shared
and leveraged for the benefit of all.
2. Trusted Voices: Many AppleVis members have built reputations as
knowledgeable, trustworthy commentators. These new areas allow those voices
to be heard on relevant non-Apple topics.
3. Strengthening Our Community: For many, AppleVis represents more than
just Apple talk - it's a community. These areas present opportunities to
connect over additional shared technology interests and experiences.
4. One-Stop Discussions: Currently, conversations that stray from core
AppleVis focus get redirected to other platforms like email or social media.
Bringing a wide range of topics under one unified space could make it easier
to maintain conversations in a single location.
At the same time, we're aware of potential risks in overextending AppleVis's
focus. Some key concerns include:
1. Dilution of Focus: AppleVis's strength comes from its ultra-specific
mission around Apple's products and accessibility. Adding too many broader
topic areas risks muddying the waters and taking away from the core purpose
that draws people here.
2. Moderation Challenges: Currently, moderation can focus on keeping
conversations productive and centered around AppleVis's key topics.
Expanding the range of allowed subjects could make moderation more difficult
and time-consuming.
3. Noise and Discord: Even with the best of intentions, online
community spaces with an overly broad scope can sometimes devolve into
unproductive arguing, political ranting, and overall negativity that
detracts from the positive environment AppleVis strives to maintain.
To mitigate downsides, this broadening of scope will be limited to the forum
areas. Other core sections of AppleVis like guides, podcasts, and reviews
will remain Apple-specific. Additionally, recent posts from the new forums
will be listed separately from Apple-focused content on the home page. Our
existing community rules <https://www.applevis.com/help/guidelines> will
fully extend to these new areas, with some sensible adjustments made to
account for their non-Apple topics.
This forum expansion should be considered as a pilot initiative for now.
Keeping the number of new forum areas small allows us to gauge community
interest and work through any moderation challenges before potentially
expanding in the future if successful. It is unlikely we would ever add
forum areas for more general open discussions that could allow for topics
like politics, religion and other divisive social issues, as those can spark
negativity counter to the constructive environment AppleVis aims to foster.
Our goal is to thoughtfully broaden AppleVis's scope to meet more needs for
our community, while maintaining its foundation as a productive, trustworthy
space focused on Apple accessibility.
We're excited about the constructive potential of these new forum areas! But
their success will depend on active participation from members like
yourself. We hope you'll check them out, engage in the discussions, and let
us know what you think of this initiative.
As always, we're grateful to have such an engaged and passionate community.
Your support and feedback help shape the evolution of AppleVis into an ever
more empowering resource.
