[K Hamilton]

I would like to see just one BT. One of the things that makes BT so helpful is the number of posters. Some forums I have checked out have only one or two posts a week, if even that many. Not enough people to share experiences or to advise. If there were to be two BT's, we might just end up with neither one having the critical mass to make things really move along.

If there were a split, perhaps it should be vertical: each of the two boards would focus on different classes of neurological conditions, and work in partnership?

I have not seen the moderators in action much at all, banning or otherwise. I have seen fights going on for far too long, until I wish that the moderators did take some action. But as others have said, the action should begin with a private admonition, not instant ban-for-life.

I agree with what a number of different posters have said:
Moose53: Absolutely, JL doesn't have the time. But I can sympathise with him, not wanting to let go of a project that he put so much voluntary time into, not to mention money. [Someone wanted an accounting of the leftover money after the new server was bought last year - let's not forget that the appeal for money came after his own resources were tapped out.]
[ ] (on another thread that I can't find right now). Your idea for a private thread for discussion and discipline of those being banned - private meaning that you are admitted only if you establish yourself as having a legitimate interest or are invited by one of the parties - is a good one, and worth a seriious look.
Thelma: I share your loyalty to BT1. And I remember some of those early spammers. With the changes to the moderators and their ability to ban, and provision of an appeal process, I think it would be a superb site.
jccglutenfree: I agree with much that you say, except the Ignore function doesn't work for someone that keeps changing their identity. Now if Ignore would also work by looking at features like type-face, and not just name, then we'd have a solution!

That's all for tonight, my wife wants the computer.

[anonymous_no_more]

The lack of a BT since July has actually been somewhat refreshing, as I was forced to "turn away" from the car wrecks that could be found throughout the forums. In a sense it forced me to actually get some work done on helping myself (what a concept).

What once was a place to find a wealth of information, experience, and the chance to help others, had become...well, with all due respect, a mere source of distraction.

After nearly seven years, BT was now a bit of soap opera of sorts: the fights, the tedious arguments, the bannings, the quiet PMs, back and forth amongst friends, enemies...friends quickly, quietly, surprisingly, becoming enemies, due in part, to the paranoia floating through the forums.

The "interest" of sharing support, friendship, experience, medical info, etc. with those with common fates [at BT1] blah, blah, blah, was gone.

Is it anyone's responsibility to return BT1 to a state that used to be valuable to me? Of course not. Perhaps it is a signal that BT1 [or any "support" forum] isn't for me.

Perhaps it is the nature of a site with such large numbers, that conflict is the inevitable outcome.

Perhaps, it is unreasonable to expect our members to behave honorably, kindly, with empathy and compassion, without the threat of banning. No need for mods if we behave...

Perhaps not...

This site [BT2] appears to be a new home for those that have moved on, for those that need to set the record straight (can't let go) and let's hope, for those that can behave and actually derive some medical benefit without injuring others...

Sometimes, letting go of past hurts, sets us free. Sometimes, perhaps, it is better to let go...

Me thinks voting for anything is an empty motion, as what once was, won't re-appear with a "checkmark". It takes comitted members who can flex and bend, and, at times, agree to disagree with grace and understanding to make anything of value live and grow.

"hope springs eternal"...

[LizaJane]

I'd want to go back to BT1, and not to split the users between two forums. (plus there seems to be a ongoing forum for people who felt rejected at BT1)

First, I found the moderators did an excellent job of banning people as soon as they did things/said things, which were unkind, ungracious, and/or possibly hurtful. I thought the pleasantness on the pn board was partly the wonderful members, but also the fact that disruptive, very difficult people, were erased quickly. This does not happen everywhere, and I approved of the benefit of the doubt tilting in the direction of maintaining decorum and forbidding the trashing of anyone.

I found myself briefly "stalked" there. There was a time when someone would clearly wait until I posted, and then post immediately after, provocative posts which shook me when I realized what was happening. That seemed to end rather quickly, through no action of my own. It was seen and labelled for what it was.

I think the forum which garnered the most complaints, ADHD, had its own issue. ADHD produces impulsiveness, and people acting quickly and without too much thought to consequences when something taps into their emotionality. That's just part of ADHD. Given that, you could expect that board to have the biggest problem with people posting things which could hurt. Perhaps thata explains the higher ban rate there.

My biggest concern is protection of the database. I'd like to see BT1 back up, but with the database protected, duplicated, and with more transparency about what is happening and how it is run. I'd love to see a board of directors/advisors and a legitimate grant funding some part-time staff and computer mavens.

LizaJane
www.lizajane.org

Yes, perhaps the entire archive (if there is one) could be placed on a couple of mirror sites and updated regularly. Does anyone know if the old Harvard MGH(?) database still exists?

But that way, at least if the actual site is down, people would be able to search on the mirror site; I've been with BT1 long enough to know that most times people can find answers to their queries or problems just by searching.

The main problem at present regarding the database is what's called in the Far East, "The man with the key isn't there" syndrome. I.E., everything depends on just one person who's never there - the phrase comes from visits to, predominantly, mainland China, where anytime you need to do something, (amost anything, actually) it's somehow locked up and the man with the key isn't there.

As far as I can see, the software/human resources setup at BT1 is: a Chief and several Indians, hardware setup is: one part-time wandering Chief.
And the database which, as you imply is priceless, resides in a hacker's garage. (I hope someone will tell me I'm wrong about that).

All a bit of a worry.
All the best

[ZombieSlayer]

First of, forgive me if I've stated this in this thread already (I know I've said it a few times at these forums).

The database that was used when the site was at MGH is gone. Corrupted or damaged beyond repair (to the best of my knowledge and memory).

The database that is used now that the forums are using vBulletin software is in fact intact. It HAS to be in order for the chats to be working as they are. HOWEVER this doesn't mean that it's in order still. There is a chance that the crash jumbled up the information, fixing that will take some time.

I can state with 98.6% certainy the database is intact and restorable to either the day before (maybe the week before) the crash. Since I don't have access to the database I can't say I'm 100% certain.

The mirror server idea is something I think should be implemented asap for 2 reasons.

#1 if the main server crashes the data won't be lost. There may be a day (or a week...it depends on a number of things) of missing posts...but not a complete loss

#2 the mirror server can be used to archive old posts which will help keep the main server quick and stable.

The problem arises as to wether or not Mr. Lester wants to trust the information to a "server farm" or to another person (or group of people) with a single dedicated server.

[reverett123]

...a question. Under JL's own TOS, did we give up copyright to our own posted works beyond fair use and if so to whom?

Originally Posted by moose53

This newest version of BrainTalk would be a wonderful time to get away from all our negative history -- all the bannings, the stalking, the fights, the typing-without-thinking, This can be a NEW BEGINNING.

I wish -- I truly wish -- that we could all see this and do this: take care of the fragile ones.

Barbara

A hearty amen to that barbara!

Originally Posted by anonymous_no_more

Me thinks voting for anything is an empty motion, as what once was, won't re-appear with a "checkmark". It takes comitted members who can flex and bend, and, at times, agree to disagree with grace and understanding to make anything of value live and grow.

"hope springs eternal"...

That's exactly what I find here at BT2, ANM. People are actually talking about what matters to them, without strife or fear of the mighty ban hammer or trolls. It is very refreshing.

I also agree, that pushing yourself away from the table when your hunger is satisfied, is the best way to live our lives. I find gleaning what interests me and moving on, is much more healthy than feeling obligated to partake in all the garbage of a bloated forum.

[clouds z]

edited

just kidding

Thank you, Mr. Slayer
So re:
"The problem arises as to whether or not Mr. Lester wants to trust the information to a "server farm" or to another person (or group of people) with a single dedicated server" - your post..

Hmmm. I begin to see your interesting position within this group.

I have a suspicion that JL sees this as his "PhD" thesis. He's not likely to give it up, is he?

Yet, if the MGH stuff is really gone, (tears hair out, foams at mouth, eats carpet!!!!) wouldn't you think he'd want to preserve what is there? Perhaps, for him, giving the database to someone else is just plain giving it all away..I begin to understand his terror at the idea of "giving it away".

I don't think he'll do it guys.

Well, a late night for me, a middle-of-theday for most of you. (But he must know SOMEONE he trusts...)

all the best