Dearest DJ. Do you think you'll have a BM? Or perhaps an NT? We're an open group. You can discuss those situations with us anytime; we'll understand. And that's no BS! :D

Brain vs. Neuro
 

Hi everybody!

A thought occurred to me this morning, that people who are searching for the kind of information here at BT2 are more likely to enter the word "neuro" in a Google or other search engine. The word "brain" would never have occurred to me as a keyword when I was first looking for help.

I think this has even more significance at this point in BT2's evolution, because requests for specific forums are still coming in. Which means people searching for a specific disorder that's not listed yet might not find BT2 right away. But "neuro" in the name might help them get here.

Just a thought for consideration.

I hope the weekend is going reasonably well for all.

TCC

:D :p :D :p :D :p :D

TCC's comment: "A thought occurred to me this morning, that people who are searching for the kind of information here at BT2 are more likely to enter the word "neuro" in a Google or other search engine. The word "brain" would never have occurred to me as a keyword when I was first looking for help" is true as far as it goes. But most people looking for help on a particular medical topic are going to enter whatever that topic is in the search box. For example, I entered myasthenia gravis forum, my own particular disease. The 16th site on the list turned out to be OBT. Then I tried myasthenia gravis welcome MGers, (I kind of cheated on that, since I knew we had such a thread of the MG forum) and lo and behold, there we were, number 4.
So really, our name is more for ourselves and our developing identity than it is to help people find us. And by the same token, the more things we can post, and the more cached information we can build up, the greater the chances of our little "home" being found by someone in need.
So vote for what you like, what you think we are!
Hugs,

I agree with Loisba.

Most everything I've found on the internet was because I was searching for particular items.

When I found OBT, I was just trying any kind of search for depression, migraine, whiplash, paxil, etc., etc., and whatever I used, led me to the link in the headache forum. That's how I discovered OBT.

I think the same will be true of here. People generally are typing in what they are looking for.

How Google Works
 

Okay, this is not going to be very expert, but rather a rough explanation, about how search engines in general work and how Google ranks sites.

Now to begin - search engines don't search for domain names. They search words on the pages AND they "look behind the page" to see what the website owner wants the website recognized for --- under "meta names".

So, if I owned this set of forums, I would have the entire site, the front page, so to speak, dominated by "neuro neurology neurologists research brain spinal cord nerve nerves discussion support talk chat facts advice" - up to 30 words (I think it is). AND many owners include (if applicable) the MISSPELLINGS people often use... think "nurology" <smiling> :p

Not all search engines will go as deep in recording meta words as other ones do. For that matter, not all search engines index more than a few sentences down on a page - Google does the entire page.

Now, for each forum pages, bipolar (for instance) would have these words - "bipolar bi-polar manic hypermania mania depression suicide talkative impulsive mood stabilizers lithium depakote" and so on .... You see, the meta words for each disease, syndrome and condition should have a full set of meta words so Google can let people know what is to be found in the bipolar forum. The more meta words (and the correct order those words are in) will definitely drive more traffic here.

Now, what's ON the page? Some search engines only search a finite number of words down the page, and if they don't find it, you don't get it. Google searches and caches the ENTIRE page. And if you look for something that you KNOW is on OBT, but you don't remember how to find it, you do this -- "bipolar OneMoreTime lamictal braintalk2.org" and you will get an EXACT hit. If the website is down, you can still call up the cached whole-page version.

When I want to track down the lyrics of a song, but I know neither title nor artist, I enter as many distinguishing phrases (for instance, use "these are words that go together well", "I need you" "what you mean to me")... and I will undoubtedly find Michelle first or second on the page. If I add the word lyrics to the search string, I will first get sites by music-lovers specifically for sharing lyrics.

Say you want to find a page that will be about certain things, then you create a Google search string. For instance, if I wanted to find the name
of the tiny town that is directly across the border from Abbotsford, I would put these in the search string - "abbotsford canada 'border crossing" washington" --- and I guarantee you that the first page on the list at Google will give you that town's name.

So the thing that DocJohn needs to do to drive more and more traffic to this site is to make the BEST meta name strings possible. What I suggest is that each forum's members create a list together and then send it to DocJohn so he can add them in.

The other thing DocJohn and all of us can do is to submit our favorite threads to search engines. All of them have ways to "submit" a website or webpage.

Now, one of the MOST important components of how Google "ranks" websites is by HOW MANY WEB LINKS POINT TO A PAGE.

So the things that WE as members need to do to drive more and more traffic to this site are 1) to ask OTHER websites to put up links to this place and 2) for us, as members, to leave links to this place up on other discussion boards, forums, lists and bulletin boards. Anyplace Google goes, when they see these links, it remembers them and that ups our search engine profile.

Another thing to do is to have all possible speciality search engines feature either the entire forum or any subforums by the topic represent. These are put together by PEOPLE who accumulate online sources that relate just to their are of expertise. The biggest of these include Ask.com and one whose web address or name I am still unable to remember after 6 years. TOTAL blank -- it is not catchy or easy to remember, so I hardly ever go there. So Ask.com (rather than the other place) gets my attention when I want a human being created directory.

Now there is a NEW search engine =ONLY for forums= called BoardTracker.com - it will search your forums and create a database, then when someone searches for bipolar and lithium, it will produce the address of the relevant threads and a short blurb from the beginning of that thread. They have no cache of the page -- to see the page, users must click on the link --- which brings them straight here.

Unlike Google, they search all thru the day and night, updating their database, but unlike Google, they never repeat a search on any indexed thread that they already have in their database. Because of the nature of how they search, it doesn't produce the drain on resources that might be feared. http://www.BoardTracker.com JL has taken advantage of this search engine from the very beginning and because of the huge database, figures heavily in returns. Here is what I brought up in a search for neurology - http://www.boardtracker.com/search/?...at=10&filter=1

Ah, I just found the Human-Created search directory I referred to ealier. The one I can never remember. It is the Open Directory Project (which doesn't give much indication of "what" and, to me, is TOTALLY unmemorable) and the address is dmoz.org - which always makes me about Demilitarized Zones -- but NEVER makes me think of "Open Directories" -or- human beings creating a database of recommended websites, either. Like I said, to have people remember your webname or your nickname", it has to be catchy and memorable. And since I can never remember them, I never use them.

so, just wanted people to know that, like has been said above, what counts most is what WE want to call ourselves. And a name for people to take "from one computer to another" (like from work to home, or school to home). Search engines have NOTHING to do with what we wish to call ourselves. So vote for BrainMatters!!! <smiling> :D

Theresa

I didn't read all the replies to this.. but I would like it to be more distinguishable from the old BT.
Doc Johns Neuro Board would be fine with me

Awesome description, Theresa!! I never really knew how it worked, beyond a basic "searching on Ebay" type of thing, where the one listing the item tries to get as many key words plus, yes, common misspellings, into their heading as possible. Thanks a bunch!
Hugs,

If NeuroTalk is the final answer, may I suggest Neurotalk Central or Neurotalk Communities?

((Sally)) I like the NeuroTalk Central as well, kind of keeping in the theme of Doc John's nice place. I think it's very pretty as well, uplifting.