The ban on research is specifically focused on outsiders coming on here and studying what people are doing on the forums themselves (e.g., using the forums as an in-vitro experimental environment and "studying it"). I don't feel one can be supportive and helpful if one is worried one's words might end up in a journal somewhere, out of context and non-anonymously.

So I will clarify that guideline to specify what I'm really trying to get at there. You, of course, can do all the "in house" research you want and have always done here. People helping people is what it's all about.

John