TES Community

[Scumble]

Where the dickens has it gone? Is it gone gone? Has it been renamed and I just can't find it?

Wonder why they didn't mention that in their notice then - rather than ‘maintenance’.

And do they really not have an idea of how long it is likely to take?

@pastparticiple

Wonder why they didn't mention that in their notice then - rather than ‘maintenance’.

And do they really not have an idea of how long it is likely to take?

I'm just guessing, I've no more of a clue than anyone else, fair point a out timescale... perhaps not giving a timescale is a thing these days...

It is an awful time to remove TES Community, like others have said, many will have needed some chat and support over Christmas. I used to browse and chat on there a bit, and it was a complete lifeline when I started to struggle with my health. Lilyofthefields wasted no time or nonsense in telling me to take the phone off the hook when I mentioned that I was getting numerous calls from work every day while I was off sick. Perfect advice at a time I needed it.

I hear what others are saying about TheHeadteachersOffice - I think that's the name of the fake HT - I'm sure he's just a sad troll.

I'm retired now (my health never did improve - I was still in my 30's when my pension came through), but still like to browse the Community section. It does seem a little suspicious that the page has disappeared at a very political time. Perhaps I'm just a cynic! I just wonder if pressure has been applied to remove it, especially as people were voicing concerns on various safety aspects since the pandemic took hold.

I hope it hasn't gone for good - if for no other reason than a little nostalgia.

@mumJudeFawkey I also enjoy your posts but note that not all your predictions have come true. I don’t live in the UK but I’m sure if they army were shooting civilians dead in the streets for breaking lockdown restrictions it would have made the news.

I doubt that the disappearance of the TES Community is anything to do with the Online Harms White Paper - that's only at a very early stage of consultation and so nobody knows what the proposed legislation will look like.

As somebody here pointed out, if the TES was planning only a temporary disappearance of its forums, it wouldn't have removed the Community link from its front page - they could have just made it point to the fraudulent "down for maintenance" page.

I used to like the TES forums in years gone by, but left after some became endlessly negative and the other topics were quiet.

@LolaSmiles

I used to like the TES forums in years gone by, but left after some became endlessly negative and the other topics were quiet.

A definite issue with anonymous online posts.

I rather hope the DM picks this up. I would love to see someone try to investigate the reasons our TES Community just happened to disappear now, with all that is going on and all that was being reported there.

This is tragic. I loved the camaraderie and wisdom I found on the Community as a new teacher and the advice and insight when I was down. Later when I decided to try teaching overseas, the advice I found on that forum was invaluable. Why, TES, why?

I spent Christmas alone in my flat with Covid. I hadn't realised how much the TES Community meant to me until it was gone :( It would be such a comfort to have the Community these days.

I have a feeling it isn't coming back.

(OP on a name change here)

The staffroom board as linked on this thread is looking really promising. I hope that people find their way to it and that it can be used for things like Workplace Dilemmas (which I found invaluable over on TES). I relied on the experiences (and kindness) of lots of other teachers (and ex-teachers) to help me through some interesting times.

@GavsCloakOfInvisibility

(OP on a name change here)

The staffroom board as linked on this thread is looking really promising. I hope that people find their way to it and that it can be used for things like Workplace Dilemmas (which I found invaluable over on TES). I relied on the experiences (and kindness) of lots of other teachers (and ex-teachers) to help me through some interesting times.

172 members since yesterday!

That's fantastic @stamfordbridge !

Not sure if this has been posted by anyone else (I've only just found this thread) but this is the response I had from TES when I emailed them about my concerns about the forum closures right at the very time of year when many regular and possibly vulnerable posters would be needing them most.

Thank you for getting in touch with us regarding Community.

"We are aware that Community is not working right now. The platform that hosts Community is a separate platform that needed some critical work to ensure it was in line with the compliance levels elsewhere in Tes. This work is greater than expected, so we are currently trying to gauge the timescales involved.

We apologise for the inconvenience."

... hmmmm .... gauge the timescales involved ‘ AND ‘ anticipate that normal service will be resumed in x number of days / weeks ‘ .... that may have been been more useful / helpful/ honest ?

Morning TES people.

@Scintillant1

Morning TES people.

Yay!

Come and join us on the new board!

Hello, first post.

Just checking it worked. A big hello to many former tessers. Like many of you, I hope it returns. I looked forward in particular to reading and posting on the work place dilemmas forum, the cookery forum, the retirement forum and the Supply teaching forum. I hope Pepper is ok, and wonder if she will find us here? I do hope so.
I'm very disappointed in the way tes has behaved over this, just cutting us all off without any warning or explanation - very bad form, imo.

I've rung head office (red lion square) and been told that the maintenance is taking longer than predicted. I suggest other tessers do the same.

Not that I got any real information.

I have so many old friends on the site that are probably lost to me now. I'm not big on social media but tes kept me sane during lockdown.