About The Ignored Board

The Ignored Board is the world's FIRST and ONLY online community for people who feel ignored, outcast, isolated or abused by society. We provide an open forum for questions, discussion and free expression without fear of abuse or ridicule. Our goal is to make "invisible" people visible.

 

The Beginning

Imagine you're trapped in a strange country with nowhere to go, nobody to call or meet, and with only the Internet (and maybe some boring TV programmes) for company.

This was the position I found myself in, back in November 2006.

I was in Tampere, Finland, with no knowledge whatsoever of the language. A girl I'd travelled there to meet had been very dishonest, which resulted in me spending most of my time alone. With nowhere to go, I needed access to an online community where people could discuss their nagging issues and problems, with people who would listen without judgment.

After searching frantically and finding nothing, I decided it was up to me to build one.

The name "The Ignored Board" came immediately from inspiration, and has stuck ever since.

 

Motives

There were many motivators for starting The Ignored Board, but they can be summed up as the following:

• A desire to bring people together
• Allowing people to express themselves without fear
• Providing a safe forum for like-minded people
• Encouraging people of all levels and classes to interact
• In response to a featured article in the Metro newspaper.

As a member and ex-member of several online communities, I've witnessed one or two disturbing trends that seem to be enforced and condoned by the respective staff and admin. As a result of these trends, people are either driven away from the communities, ignored completely or forced to stay silent.

Gang or clique mentality, and judging others solely by appearance, are the main issues I wanted to combat in starting The Ignored Board. This is why one of the fundamental House Rules states that photos (of any form) are discouraged.

 

Progress, Goals and Challenges

The Ignored Board was launched on the 9th February 2007, intentionally in time for Valentine's Day and its inevitable casualties.

Even before its launch, the biggest challenge I've faced has been in reaching the target audience. Some of these people may not be out and about like ordinary folks, and there had been no money to throw at advertising. (You'd just be surprised at just how competitive other message boards are!)

With the site redesign and an advertising campaign, my immediate goal is to have 200 active members by the end of 2007.

My long term goal is to establish The Ignored Board as a household name: the first port of call for people who don't feel comfortable or significant elsewhere.

 

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