Posted by Rach on August 16, 2000, at 7:15:06
I see a lot of unrest through the previous posts about civility between people, and the returning of this board to pharmacutical discussions rather than social ones. Just giving my thoughts on these matters...
There is always going to be disagreements when so many people are involved in this board. Yes, the disagreements can be handled with a lot more tact than they sometimes have been. Sometimes, though, as we all know, people can have a bad reaction on a bad day. A lot of us here have depression - and so this makes us even more vulnerable to 'bad days'. Sometimes a person can take a harsh approach when they normally would not. I think the best way to deal with people who post an offensive letter is to firstly tell them that what they said was inappropriate and harsh. If they continue to be offensive, three warnings and they're banned. (By the way, I do not believe telling someone they were 'abusive' is offensive - unless it is absolutely clear that they were not abusive.)
Splitting the site into different categories of posts is a bad idea. I benefit (and I'm sure others do) from reading all types of posts - those giving info about meds, those with encouragement and support, those from people needing support and about all age groups. I know I will not be moving between boards. I feel comfortable here, and I do not want to have to 'uproot' myself. I also find one board enough to deal with! (time wise, energy wise, patience wise). It is the nature of human conversation to start in one place, and then evolve on to another topic. Even if you try to compartmentalise msgs, eventually there will be cross over due to people having conversations via posts here. Also, having all types of msgs in the one place brings everyone together - someone who may not be interested in medication, may see a subject about their medication that sparks their interest. The board evolving into a supporting, social, and still medical environment is not a terrible thing. It is the way of humans, and it is enriching to us all.
I personally feel like my support line here is being taken away from me, and then degraded, like replacing a long, warm hug with a pinch on my finger. Not very comforting, or encouraging.
I may leave soon if I continue to feel this way, and just continue with lotl. (That's not a threat or anything, just a statement of what I will do if I do not feel any more comfortable!)
poster:Rach
thread:43056
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000811/msgs/43056.html