Wittesea, I hope you don't mind my pasting your post from the recent locked thread; here it is:

I noticed that several people are worried about the moderators in terms of having someone moderate a specific forum when the moderator doesn't have knowledge about that specific illness.

So I have a suggestion on how to help those concerns...

Why not start a post in the forums that you post to and explain the particular illness/disease to the moderator(s) that have been assigned to moderate that forum?

That way, all the members of the forum would have a chance to explain the illness itself and their experience with it to the moderator(s), and you could also include some informational links about the illness/disease that the moderator(s) could read.

That would help the members of the forum to know that their moderator(s) have knowledge about the illness, and it would probably help the moderator(s) as well to be able to understand and have knowledge about the illness/disease of the forum they are moderating.

I think this is such an intelligent, thoughtful idea that firstly, I don't want it locked away and secondly, I'd like to see it implemented immediately.

What do ppl think about it? If it could be a sticky, it would encourage posters to add their own views and experiences. A "collected works" of this kind would be fascinating, very helpful and therapeutic, but most of all educational for all of us.

In my own forum (RSD) we all experience different symptoms of a little-understood and rarely investigated disease; diagnosis is difficult and often wrong or too late. We have many posters who arrive unsure as to whether they really have it, simply because it doesn't quite match the medical literature - matching their own experience to a collected "forum user experience profile" will be of great help.

What's the feedback on that, guys?
all the best

[kimmydawn]

Awesome! I think that's a wonderful idea for those who want to contribute! It will help us ALL (members, mods, admins.) to get to know those (as well as their struggles and what they live with) who want to share.

Also, imagine an anonymous viewer clicking on a forum, reading that and thinking, "People here understand and can share what I live with!"

I can see this being a good thing on so many levels.

KD

[Idealist]

I'd love to see that, too. As someone who has been living with an undiagnosed condition for the past five years, this could be really helpful in my search for answers. Good idea!

[ZombieSlayer]

That is an outstanding idea.

[Chemar]

agreed!

[SallyC]

Does anyone have any ideas of how we implement this fine idea and where? In our respective sub-forums or here?

Thanks

Good question; I imagine the admin could create a sticky in each medical room, entitled "xxx", whatever seems best - Wittesea? what would you suggest? - and then people just contribute whenever they can.

Maybe. Possibly.

all the best

[kimmydawn]

Yep, if it's agreed upon...why don't ya'll come up with a title of this thread to sticky within the forums?

KD

[Wittesea]

How about.... "Educate your Moderator(s)"

With the first sentence of the psot being something like....

"Jane and Joe are your new moderators of the diet pepsi disease forum. If there is anything you would like Jane and Joe to know about you or about diet pepsi disease please share it here."

can you tell I'm drinking a diet pepsi

[moose53]

((((((Liz)))))),

That's a great idea!! The illustration is *PERFECT* too (glad you didn't use 'diet Cherry Coke' for illustration purposes -- The Moose would really be in trouble