Reading Requests - Seeking Feedback

[Vaughn Paul]

Dear Forum Members,
I've added a new point to the Guideline For Use regarding reading requests. Here it is:

READING REQUESTS:
1) Reading requests by email or PM to other members should be answered in the forum itself, not by private email or PM, so forum members can also benefit by the response (unless of course it's a private matter), and pull up the data using the search engine. No one should feel obligated to respond to reading requests - only respond if you want to.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions or feedback regarding this. I'm open to ideas about how to handle reading requests to members by email or PM.

Namaste,
Vaughn Paul Manley

[jyotishgeek]

Dear Vauhgnji,
I think members should be able to get a reading from a member if they want to by PM or email. They may like what someone has written and want to ask them about their chart. Why does it have posted on the forum? Jyotishgeek

[lovacrs]

Vaughnji,

While it may be difficult/impractical to prevent PMs and emails, I agree with you that it is good to place the posts on the forum to benefit learners and also to promote discussions. It also gives a chance to more learned members to intervene and correct any gross reading errors that may creep in readings by learners.

A key reason for the preference to PMs and emails is the risk of true identity getting revealed by way of birth data and past history. One other reason for seeking readings on PMs and emails may be that the seeker wants to limit it to the learned ones (at least whom he/she considers learned ). Also they may be worried that the opinions of later "readers" will be prejudiced by the views of the earlier ones. If there is a mechanism to hold the posts unpublished for x number of days till which time the seeker and reader's correspondence will be in PMs, I think more seekers will be encouraged to use it.

[Vaughn Paul]

Thanks lovacrs,
I agree with all you said. I don't know about the feasibility of holding a post unpublished, and I don't see the benefit of encouraging readings by PM or email. Vaughn Paul

[shilpa]

I do endorse the view of not providing readings in PM and email.

I get so many PMs and emails requesting for readings....and I redirect them all to post their query in the forum....many do and many don't.

The primary reason IMO...... for the reading section is for learning astrologers to practise and test their skills.
And also to learn from and discuss the techniques, interpretations methodologies posted by other budding or accomplished astrologers.

As a outocme for facilitating the learning process of astrologers...the poster of his queries and data gets a ( or many) free-readings.

If the posters are concious/ uncomfortable about posting their private data/ queries / questions in the public domain....then they should seek a paid reading which will respect their privacy...and there are hundreds of good paid services availbale online.

Regards

[Saindhavi]

I strongly feel that request for private readings through email and PM is not right. Members should post on forum and ask for reading.

I don't see how privacy is violated because of posting on forum. After one gets the reading, one can always delete the birth details and one doesn't have to give the real name as Id.

Someone searching through Google Cache where we may have got our chart read on the internet is a remote possibility.

If at all this is a concern, members can post their questions on the forum and send birth details in PM or email. The person reading the chart can discuss the features and combinations of the chart on the forum without revealing the birth details. I myself have done this several times and it works fine.

I personally have faced a lot of problems because of members sending reading requests through email or PM and am strongly against it.

I also feel we should have the privilege to block a member from sending PMs if s/he pursues even after getting a reading several times and is getting troublesome.

In all cases, members requesting reading should understand that the person reading charts is not God and can't change someone's destiny. S/he is reading the chart according to his/her understanding. S/he should not be expected to give a reading that one wants to hear. If one doesn't like the reading, s/he can always go to someone else rather than pursuing this person from different angles to get a reading that one wants to hear.

Sometimes they don't understand this.

PM and email messaging facilitates this possibility. Hence, I am against sending reading request by PM and email.

Of course, it can always be argued that we can ignore the PMs and emails. But everyone is not made that way. We can't expect people to change their intrinsic personality. Some people don't feel comfortable with the idea that they shouldn't respond to messages.

[kandhan]

Many a time, the nature of the problem is of delicate nature. If the purpose is for learning, there is the learner's section for this purpose. i agree with lovacrs. have seen some VERY VERY negative readings from people who forget the important niyama for an astrologer which is to instill confidence in the native. have also heard of some instances where the data has been misused.

but the option of refusing pm from a particular member is a welcome feature:
http://lightonvedicastrology.com/phpBB3 ... 836#p90959

[Saindhavi]

Kandhan,

In all cases I'd like to have the option of blocking the troublesome members. I have very badly suffered because of this.

Till I get this option, my email and message contacts remain disabled to all.

I am sorry for this and sympathise with the genuine and sensible members, but I can't help it.

[kandhan]

Saindhavi

i was only arguing the case for retaining the email/pm feature in the forum. my post was not about any specific member. and i feel that this issue of unwanted pms can be addressed adquately with the block feature instead of completely doing away with email/pm.

regards.

[Saindhavi]

Yes, Kandhan

I understand your point.

Messaging system of the Forum should not be misused, as it is being misused by a few members. They are in small number, but they make life difficult for those who can read charts.

[Humannature]

Dear Vaughn,
Many good and learned members really use the platform for a good cause and I am in no way not acknowledging them..I respect them..and in my opinion people who really care about helping don't really mind answering via PM or on the forum..

But, it is up to the person receiving the PM/E-mail if they want to respond or not..If they have a problem with it, they can always disable their PM/E-Mail or if they want it open to be able to communicate with others, they can just block the person "bothering" them!!

I agree with Shilpa ji and her approach... that whenever someone sends a PM if u r not interested in answering via PM just decline to answer via PM and ignore or direct them to the forum if u r really concerned...

BTW one thing that i noticed on this forum is some new members, when they need practice, actually contact u via PM, looking at ur query(without birth details, but just placements etc) in the forum and ask for details saying they want to read the chart for their learning...This happened to me thrice personally!!

So, It's a two way road..

have seen some VERY VERY negative readings from people who forget the important niyama for an astrologer which is to instill confidence in the native. have also heard of some instances where the data has been misused.

Agree with Kandhan 100%.. Such people are better off as advocates who humiliate you and suck the life out of u till u give up and go back into ur shell crying.. lol