As loyal Hueligans all, we love hanging out here and talking about huel and the benefits as well as loads of other stuff relating to healthy living.
Just wondering if there could be the possibility of creating an “off topic” section for the community.
That way we can section out (probably literally section in my case) stuff where we can chat and be friendly and get to know one another and talk randomly without it necessarily being Huel related.
I appreciate this is a bit of a weird ask, just I was looking at the forum earlier and putting myself in the shoes of someone new… and well it didn’t come out well.
Honestly I’m probably far more guilty of this than most at running off in spurious tangents. But an off topic section would be perfect so someone new would be able to see that yes sure there’s loads of useful stuff about the products and benefits but there’s also a community of real people behind the words on the screen.
Just a thought @Tim_Huel I’d be curious to see what you make of it.
I’m Mr Tangent, and I’ve taken more topics off the rails than you’ve had cold, silty dinners, but at the end of the day this is a customer support forum for a food brand. They don’t want the conversation to get too heated, and this is the internet. If there was a way we could keep everything remotely controversial out of the “off topic” section, maybe it’d be fine, but it’d be a pretty insipid place and there are loads of other forums for talking about that stuff.
Or maybe that’s just me, and the rest of you don’t veer between anger and despondency multiple times per day.
“Introduce yourself” is a fine idea and good for people who aren’t up for making a topic dedicated to themselves.
There’s also a “lounge” thread somewhere, but nowt ever goes on.
Huel isn’t just a brand though, it’s a way of living for many of us (including you) and I believe that an off topic section would work well to foster that concept that huel absolutely isn’t just a brand.
Dumb example that won’t work properly but I think you’ll see my concept… off topic forum subject “Huel PS5 gamers who want to meet up and play together”.
Why not? Bunch of people who all buy into the Huel lifestyle, can get together and play cooperative games and chat and share thoughts about Huel I’m sure as they swat monsters in dungeons or whatever.
Computer games themselves are just brands trying to sell a single product, as are music groups, as are car communities, in fact any commercial product has such a thing.
As an incredibly strong anchor for a brand, having an active community that isn’t just about that product is invaluable.
Personally I’ve lost count of the number of friends of mine over the decades who have wanted to change jobs because they hated the work but they stayed because of the people.
Huel should tap into that, it is within their own enlightened self interest.
It is to me, I think. It’s currently the best tool for the job I need it to do. I’m gone if someone else does it better.
Although you may be right. I lurk around this place a lot, and seem to have an awful lot to say about a product I chose because it was the most simple, boring way to get healthy food down my neck I could find.
And you like to go off topic, as do I, and I really like that about you. We’ve chatted in message a bit and you seem really interesting, we can’t do that chit chat in normal forums though because it’s horribly off topic.
Wouldn’t it be cool to get to know one another without resorting to private messages? That way you don’t have to repeat what you say, you don’t have to derail existing threads on “proper” sections of the forum, you can just chill back and share a youtube funny or something… hence my concept of an off topic forum so it won’t look cliquey to a new user coming in.
They can intro themselves on the intro section. They can ask questions or provide feedback where appropriate and then, if they fancy jumping into the off topic section, they’d know what to expect.
I agree with this sentiment wholeheartedly. Not that I do not enjoying chatting up Huel, health and fitness related topics, but casual conversation is just as valuable. It makes all of us more engaged when you add the human element into the equation.
That being said, we live in a hyper-politicized world where almost anything you say can be grounds for passing judgement and/or manufactured argument. In 2020 it seems, I can hardly walk down the street minding my own business without offending someone. I post on Reddit frequently as well, and no matter the subject or the context I am posting about, the lowest common denominator always presents itself.
I would certainly not like to see the same type of dynamic here. While we are all adults of course, but as @David points out, this is the internet after-all.
But just as a sign of my willingness to play ball, here is a little bit about me: I am 33 and from the US state of Illinois. I run a commercial farm, just like my father, grandfather, and great grand father did before me. We grow corn and soybeans and keep a limited amount of livestock. I am married and we have a 5 year old and an almost 18 month old. Both girls. When I am not out on the property working I play lots of video games. The Xbox is my console of choice but I have a PS as well for some of their exclusives. I am addicted to true crime shows in terms of my TV viewing habits. Homicide Hunter with Lt Joe Kenda is my fav.
