What's going on that there is so little activity on this forum? Just curious. It didn't use to be like this.

I used to think the same thing, and it kind of worried me, but I have learned over the years that research announcements seem to be a bit seasonal...there will be several, then it will be quiet for awhile, then there will be another burst. I am guessing the announcements follow the convention schedule, and magazine publishing schedules (after the conclusion of the research project, of course). We post here about things we read, and if we haven't read anything we think will benefit others here, posts will decline.

Then, too, people are busy trying to hold their lives together. I don't mean to sound depressing, but PD is exhausting, progressively so, and what someone could do last year may not be as easy this year. After you have taken care of your necessities, there may not be a lot of time and/or energy left to research, much less post about what you've read, or respond to posts by others.

And of course there is the ever-present issue of whether the meds are working. If they aren't, most PWP cannot move well enough to navigate to the computer and type a post or response.

I have found over the years that the summer months are rather sparse in terms of PD news, and we are entering that time. Try not to worry, and instead enjoy the warmer weather headed our way

Hi
Just an FYI that forums tend to slow down as the weather improves in the US.

We also had the recent migration to a new domain which caused a temporary lull Forum maintenance and updates

for this, indeed I raised a thread in 2009 bemoaning the decline of the board, see:

The state of the board ...

For those who cannot get to it the thread started as follows:

"tough to verbalise my feelings but I will try.

Braintalk2 (imho) seems to have lost its way somewhat. I guess the root cause seems to be that the board has become a source for sharing information and activism rather than personal communication. For some reason the board seems to no longer reflect the big personalities of some contributors and is becoming a bit stagnant.

I miss the days when cs3 was telling everyone how it is, Howard's indefatigable optimism, Vicky arguing a lone corner, Paula (my hero) and many others too numerous to mention. God I even miss the Duck, you might not like what he said but at least you knew he was on the board.

I am glad MJFF are reading the board and contributing but I fear we are taking ourselves too seriously.

I throw this out to the comments and wisdom of the masses and I am happy to accept if I am talking bu@@sh@t. I am aware that I seem to be the last contributor to an increasing number of threads however I hope this one will generate some discussion.

Take care,
Neil. "

I don't think much has changed in the 7 years since then due to two main factors:

i) The pathetic state of research on PD. Gene therapy seems stuck down a cul de sac, (see Prosavin, enough said). Growth factors just don't seem to work, Heck I saw a thread on the board in the last few days discussing the potential of GDNF, my will to live walked out the door at that point. Cell replacement therapy is forever 5 years away and the initial optimism seems to have evaporated. Beyond the benefits of exercise it seems that the cupboard is bare.

ii) The board has lost some big personalities, (in no particular order and not exclusively confined to) contributors such as Howardh, Paula, (forever my hero), Ron Hutton, Reverritt, CS3, Chasmo, and even the Duck.

Who can forget Paula's dalliance with some mind altering narcotics, (some of the funniest posts on the board), or Reveritt's white rat experiments.

So I believe contributors are cyclical and we are in a period of transition looking for perceptive, eloquent, and self deprecating posters.

I also welcome the day a medical breakthrough floods the board with new vitality.

Remember this board is still the best place to go if you want any PD related information.

Take care,
Neil.

Thank you guys. I appreciate your response.

I would welcome others. If you haven't posted sign up, sign in and post! Your comments are greatly needed. Don't be afraid to make a fool of yourself. I haven't and it has served me... Well...?

The Duck was posting when I joined this forum a long time ago. While he irritated some people, I found him interesting and knowledgeable about Parkinson's. He certainly livened things up here. I don't know if he checks this forum or if he is around but I would like to see him back. Lift the ban?

The best way to keep a community alive and thriving is by sharing this resource with your friends, others who are struggling with PD, and caregivers. When they know such a resource exists, they tend to use it... but getting and keep getting word out is a constant battle.

Also, with the move to its own domain, we will be down in the search results for a few weeks, maybe even months. It was a necessary thing to do, but it means traffic will be a little slow here for awhile. And that's perfectly okay -- we can't expect it to not have the normal ebb and flow of any community.

Best,
DocJohn

PS - Banned members can always contact community support if they have an interest in returning to the community and following the community guidelines. But that's their choice and they'd have to contact us directly if so interested.