Hi everyone,

Things don't really feel back to normal yet. I think it is great to be able to reconnect with each other again, but at least I am still waiting for the old forum to come up, which I understand shouldbe back by early September with our data intact close to where it was at when BT went down.

I hope when it does come back that there will be some continuation of forum feedback topics that began here for the health of the overall community.... The banning of Monica without any warning was unfair in my opinion, and that is probably my single biggest complaint on a personal level. And while I can understand not discussing / questioning moderator decisions publicly, there does need to be some mechanism for communication about and appeal of such decisions. Living under fear of banishment for wanting to offer support to another member is not ideal. I'd much prefer having a platform for reasonable discussion...maybe a special forum to discuss such matters...somewhat like the religion folder at Delphi...where access is controlled and sensitive subjects remain off the beaten path.

The absence of communication regarding this last downtime was a little disconcerting as well. Heck...an email sent out to the top twenty posters at Braintalk...would have gone a long way to let people know what was up. It wasn't just the downtime, but the not knowing if it would ever really come back. I guess we are still sort of waiting on that~

It looks like there is a possibility that a new forum may spring here through Pysch Central. I guess I have a certain loyalty to BT because I have been there since Fall of 1999 and where I found my answers to better health and have forged alliances, and I would like to return there and hope that some of the administrative glitches improve. For the most part, I think it was a fine place.

It needn't really be said that everyone is free to make their own choice on which way to turn, as that is obvious. What I want to make clear is that I won't personally feel abandoned by anyone who has stronger gripes against BrainTalk and opts to move on. That doesn't mean I wouldn't be sad about it. But, I truly do believe that the world is a big place, and if there is another split we will all continue to work together for our common goals of support and education, and everyone has to do what is in their own best interest.

And of course, I'm a little curious about whether BT will have any problem with me creating the new format of TGF. I've always thought BT ownership rights were about protecting us, and that since TGF was my concept and posted by me, that I have ownership rights, too. I don't mean to exclude all the fine contributions people have offered either, but IMO nobody really owns the information except for the copyright owners of the articles I include~ It is a completely new format, new creation, etc. I'd like to keep TGF as a website now that I have gone through the effort of putting it there, but link it back to BrainTalk for discussion. But, in any case, if I am banned or something...I guess my opinion might change and I'd be moving on too, lol!

So...anyway... I hope soon things will get back to normal...one way or another. I am heading off on vacation tonight, and won't be back until after Labor day~ OK, so my motel does have free wireless and my husband does travel with his laptop, and I will probably check in at least once...lol.

Cara

The one thing to consider is if the administration and support staff isn't real committed then there could be other long or perhaps even permanent periods offline. The performance of those forums was terrible for a long time. It is a shame to get collections of stuff on a server that might not be there down the road.

I agree that over a month down time stretched the limit. Previously the longest outage had been two weeks, usually just a day or two.

There has been some discussion on FF about this, with possible solutions of having a mirror (back up) server to take over if one crashed, or hosting BrainTalk at a third party hosting site...equipped to get things back up and running in a timely fashion. I guess (not having any expertise in technical matters) the third party hosting seems like a good solution. http://forums.braintalk2.org/showthread.php?t=94&page=3

I agree that the data on the forum needs to be protected. There already is a HUGE collection of stuff at BrainTalk, and that is part of what I would hate to give up and try to begin all over. In fact, if everything was lost...it might give me pause to reconsider. But, as I understand it, the data will be restored back to its status just before going down. Back ups are done regularly. I think it is worth trying to hang on to what we already have. Years of back posts contain a wealth of info, anecdotal stories, etc.

But, yes, I hope that these things continue to be discussed and that BT will look to fix some of these problems (technical, communication, moderator, etc).

Cara

This does not sound promising to me. It could be a CYA statement, or it's preparing us for the worst.

The question becomes...how recent were the backups? If JL has been gone traveling, maybe no one has been switching out the media. Also are the backups any good - did they finish properly? I just hope it [the data] ain't gone for good.

Time will tell, I guess. I read somewhere that somebody said a back up from July would be restored, but I know nothing about technical issues.

There's a confidence lost issue going on. I just don't, at this point, feel confident that Braintalk can and will stay up and running. The backup issue that Al brought up is big, too. I also have not, since Monica was banned, felt like BT really cares to have any input from the community which is just wrong, IMO, and just ends up alienating people. (I see Al is two timing us already! I had noticed he was conspicuously not around as much in the last few months. )

I don't have your altruistic instincts, Cara. I need support and community in my "GFness" LOL and I'm not so picky about where I get it--preferably with all of you who were with me from the beginning but BT's already alienated my loyalty so that I actually have a preference that it not be there. And worse yet the things that have happened make me afraid to speak openly like this and that is nearly unforgiveable, IMO.

I do, however, have a ton of respect and admiration for your altruistic leanings, Cara. And I do want to help people, but not to the extent of being trod on, etc. while I do it.

Rachel

I can totally understand your point of view Rachel, and, I guess, I remember the older BT. You are right that the conditions of recent have been a bit stifling, and honestly they have not always been that way...quite the contrary. It could well be that the 'old BT' has been lost forever. I don't know yet~ There are definately issues I hope will be openly addressed when (?) BT returns...including banning policy, communication, reliability.

Cara

Hi Rachel,

I feel very much like you do. How many times are we going to let BT1 do this to us? In my eyes there is little caring from the BT1 mgmnt. Ordinary members take their "responsibilities" here very seriously. If they didn't the CD/GS forum would not be what is is today [well...what it was before the crash]. That attitude doesn't exist in in the "powers that be". At least I can't see it. And if it does...they pick one hell of a way to show it!

I can understand loyalty. I live it everyday to Cara and the many that inhabit the CD/GS forum. I would not be the person I am today without y'all. I am grateful for the existence of BT1, but it's the people that live in it are the ones that have my loyalty. It's the people, not the place. In my heart & mind I question - do the actions of BT1 deserve loyalty [and respect] from us? Does the overwhelming display of apathy from BT1 deserve loyalty? I don't think I can answer yes.

Does BT1 deserve a chance to redeem themselves? Boy, I still wrestle with this. My head tells me Yes, they deserve the chance. My heart tells me No, they've known all along there have been issues and it's time to stop being used as a doormat!!

Yes Rachel, I have been "absent" from BT1 for awhile now. It has little to do with BT1 itself [although it does heavily grind my gears], but rather myself It's not anything anyone did or didn't do - it all comes from inside me. I struggled for a year or more over my involvement here. I just didn't feel I was pulling my own weight - plain and simple. I have bored Cara with several PM's about this - and this is my 1st public airing of this. I stumbled upon "the other board" , in Oct 2004. It was very very small and very very quiet - just barely off the ground [they started in Aug 2004]. I thought, this would be a good place to hang out. It has grown slowly over the years and is now pretty busy [not anywhere near BT]. I at least I feel I'm doing some good [instead of making wisecracks out here disrupting the learning]. Heck they even asked me to write a little article for GF Pantry's newsletter [it's now called www.glutenfree.com.

I have never totally left you guys, because it would hurt too much. So instead, I lurk and come back for visits. It is fun starting the Roll Call threads and posting research articles I come across .


So...there...I have now come clean to everyone. Please be gentle...

One reason that this forum may be a bit slow is that if it is a temporary forum, then won't all the info be lost? I It is nice reconnecting with some of the people from the BT1 forum but I don't have much entheusiasm for posting if it is all going to disappear in a few weeks.

My heart still wants BT1 to come back. That is where I got the help to get my health back. I was at the verge of giving up - thought I was going to die.

Yes, I agree, the banning of Monica was wrong. In fact, banning anyone without warning is wrong. I hope JL does read this forum and realizes that he needs to modify some of the rules.

If BT2 stays up and running and if BT1 comes back online, then I will have to make a decision as to where I want to be. Right now I am happy that I can talk to some of my friends. Wish there was a way to let all the people from our old forum know about this place.

Al, you could always make us laugh and we love you for that The roll call with links to the past years was a great idea. I am glad that you never completely left.
Anne

Hey Cara...I suspect you're already gone...but have a safe trip to CO!! Did you ever get ahold of Becky? If you see her - tell her Hi from us