I think there are certain aspects of BT which I have found unhelpful and even unfriendly. I have ran an ALS/MND board in the UK for several years now and have never banned anyone. That means we've attracted quite a few banned members from BT and I have to say some of them are the most valuable members of our community!

I think having bannings really does shift the power dynamic in an unhealthy way. If there are sanctions like banning then some people are going to act out or push their boundaries. If there are no boundaries then the childish people will be ignored and burn out after a while, and with a full space in which to eke out arguments, resolutions can be brought.

If you leave two people having a fight enough time, they might resolve it and make up. If you ban one of them, that can never happen.

When I've contacted mods or JL I've never got a reply, which as a fellow professional I found a little discourteous. I certainly reply to all enquiries I get. Finally, I'm a bit miffed that I donated my own personal money at the last crash to prevent things like that happening again, and there's been no accountability for where the excess funds went.

Anyway I think this BT2 is an interesting and dynamic place with some of the energy that's been missing off of BT for a while. Granted it's not got the full membership but a core of 300 members (who we know are stll alive and interested) is not to be sneezed at. If BT cared about its users it would link here on their "out of order" message.

And to those who think BT2 should shut down when BT1 is back up: you have a vote, cast it. But your view is no more important or valid than anyone else's.

Paul Wicks

Nope but there were trolls there

needed to add this as I can't figure out how to edit.....

back to the bt members only idea....since we can come here with different names than our former BT names...which is what I have done...then that means that new members can join too....mmmm....so with all that said....this is not a former BT member exclusive only board.

DocJohn said to vote!


DocJohn, I don't know you but I like what I have seen so far here. I'm not into virtual bullies, or strong arm tactics by members or mods, so you really are a breath of fresh air. Most disabled people are facing far worse in their real lives, and the last thing we want is to be treated like children.

Thanks for the respect! Appreciate your efforts.

I have my own opinions on what has happened to braintalk but there seems to be a million differing ideas of what has happened over the years there.

Banning had to be instituted as there was no other recourse left open but to ban.

The site could be in the most neutral of areas and there would suddenly be a post of outrageous phornography appear by a simple click. There would be pictures that would even by todays standards shock us all again.

You had to start banning them and follow through to the people who were their servers. There was no other way. Me...I would have said to hell with this and let the site go but John stayed through it all and took the most hellish flak you could imagine.

As to being at MGH. Officially the site was not connected to the hospital but to the Neurology department thru his boss. They gave him a room and I think his first computer to use for the site. Some monies to be sure but never enough to suffice as the site grew and grew.

His former boss at MGH is on his board at Braintalk.org right now. His Doctor friend from MGH is as well who was a person that tried his hardest to raise the profile of the site with John to be recognized as more than just a chat room.

As for all those trying now to tell him how to change the site and being so vocal on their problems with it I suspect they would not be so vocal nor need to be if they had of just taken the opportunity he put out over and over requesting people to offer their help.

He needed moderators. Who came to his help. Not me. I too never volunteered and so he took what was there. Now I could tell you exactly who they were and who they are now but that is beside the point of my intention in writing this .

John I think, was desperate for help and the one masquerading as 'the four horsemen' came forward to offer his help. His operandi was a beauty to watch and see happening. He haunted all of the posts John put in and would have supported anything and everything John would say.

He complimented and graciated his every posting with sanctimonious flattery.

Soon he learned John was going to San Francisco and there was his opening. He called the hotel and invited John for dinner. I don't know if it came about but that tidbit told me he had his foot in the door.

Soon we had Mr Hosobuchi being pitched to one and all. No one was told he was a member but then all of the moderators were members as well so nothing unusual there. Except the hillarious postings of Moderator 4 and Firehorse talking to each other in chat and on the site was too funny for words. Around that time I was emailed and told to watch out for the action being played out. Seems the fourth horseman had joined the threesome as the chat moderator. Yep now it was 3 in 1 we had to deal with.

So I read a lot and time after time watched them all appear as if they were talking to strangers and not it being just one person talking to himself.

He complimented himself and thanked himself for the compliment and I laughed my head off.

But the problems then began to appear. It seemd none of the three in one could take any jokes or comments against one personality without all three bringing the one person to bear taking them all on.

Weird.....................you better believe it. And he fooled so many people the different forums and in particular the chats.

I tried to contact John and no answer. Till one day I watched a performance that had me amazed at the audacity or indeed the stupidity of the man.

He was in the chat room as one personality and telling a man there he was going to report him to the chat moderator [another of his own personalitys] as being rude and obnoxious.

Well low and behold the 'chat moderator' comes in and tells the man he is going to report him to moderator 4 and have him banned.

I go to the Als forum just in time to see moderator 4 ban the man.

He set him up as one..........reorted him to two and banned him by three

And all these personalitys were under the guise of David Hosobuchi

And there we have the four horsemen

That is why I say all of the problems that are really wrong with the Braintalk site fall on the shoulders of him.

He is a deceitfull, lying, human being who is using John Lester and if John knows it now or not he will if he ever reads these forums.

So should this forum remain..............................no

It is only a forum that reflects all of the hurts and humiliations the banned members have felt over being banned at braintalk or suffering from the mods incapacity to understand human emotions. But the medications for some of our ailments are reflected in our mental capacity to feel our own pain let alone the pain of others.

This can only be solved at Braintalk.

I hope I can see you there after this but I assure you I have said this all to John at least four times and to David Hosobuchi many times and I was still there at the closing last month as well as the chatroom today.

Braintalk was the best thing to happen for the communication of thousands in all of the time I have been involved with disabilities.

It can be again. I have an idea of what to do and I will look into and post back if it is feasable.

But we need to try because Braintalk was and is the best there is. All of these other sites have no way near the feelings of friendship and caring that John has brought forth in this myriad of differing and different human beings.

And you all still don;t care less you would not be here talking about it.

You have a good site Paul and you too 'doc' but they are nothing comparable to what we will have again once Braintalk is up and running.

There I said it and I can now have a coffee...........................

Sincerly Thelma

your right Thelma, this place rocks when people are allowed to speak their minds in a thoughtful, courteous manner without fear of being retaliated against by a stinkin prejudicial moderator. I think I like this place, alot~!

I honestly think John is aware now of what is going on as the first announcement that was put up about the site being down was put on my DH and he signed it John and David.

I thought to myself that's cuts it man and this will be gone fast and indeed it was.

The one that remained for so long was in it's place.

So if David could put up the first one why didn't he put up updates and why has he 'endorsed' a chat room other than the one at Braintalk.Again why is he not speaking on here himself.

Does he not endorse this site.

What would 'Doc' have to do to be 'endorsed' as a temporary site.

omg Thelma if all that is true (and I have no reason to doubt it - I remember the not so subtle **** kissing) that is one spooky dude!

I saw that David H guy in ZS's chat yesterday. He just lurked and then he split.

Hey come on guys use ZS's BT2 chat. It's nice a quiet in there ;)


http://www.thunder65.com/bt_temp_chat/chat/

whats the harm
 

if BT2 continues on with this type forums? there are many such sites on the web. BrainTalk is not the only one. I have read much here in the last few days. I am not a rude person and if I have a problem with someone I try to work it out without having to report someone.

Dorry, I think you can believe most of the things posted here. If it is true that John, the Mods and "the David" are taking time to read here it does give me reason to wonder exactly why. They miss BT too?:)

I am not banned, I haven't been banned from the forums and I am still a member, but had already started looking for another source of support as well as give support if I could help someone.

Thelma, my hat is off to you for saying what you did and I believe every word you said. I often wondered why John was so blind he could not see what David H was doing and what he had done over the years.

Thelma, we haven't always seen eye to eye, but you spoke your mind when you felt you were right. I could not have spoken what you posted here in the manner that you did, but you brought back even more bad memories of David.

If David were right here I would say the same thing. He has hurt more people, sick people, caused many to leave BT and created as much hate and discontent it was very sad to watch, knowing I could not do a thing about it.

I have noticed when these "FYI's" were posted I could tell if John or David wrote them. Sometimes very subtle, sometimes not. If I keep going I will get around to telling you how I really feel about him.:o

DocJohn, you have opened your arms so to speak to those that had no other way or means to find other sites to visit while BT was down . I thank you for that. I spent a little time on your own site yesterday and I intend to go back and visit it again.

I do not believe what I have said here is mud slinging. David knows who and what he has done. I could say more, but I won't. I do not know who the mods. are, but I feel many of them have been under Davids thumb and had their hands tied.

Many times you would see where a mod had spoken to a poster, pointed out what they had done and asked them to not do things in that manner again. Later I would see that David had posted after the Mod, and metted out a harsher sentence.. I saw this happen many many times.

One point that John or whoever had put into the TOS. He said we HAD to respect the Mods, no matter what. Well I was taught that respect was earned, not come on demand! I felt strongly the TOS was tampered with more than once, but I don't think John did this.

I'm not afraid somebody is watching, taking names. you know, like kids do. It is a sad day BT has come to this. Thelma, I know John worked very hard to keep things going and the members as a whole helped. We had good chat rooms, the forums were the tops, but I'm afraid BT has fallen off the top of the mountian.

Someday I am going to write what MGH/Chats did for a group of about a doz members. It would certainly do BT proud. We'll save that one until later. The end hasn't come yet.

Thank you DocJohn, I think there is room for you as well as many more and still have BT. take care, Abby