Pleased to meet you Laura. John Grohol, 38, father diagnosed with PD 6 years ago. I'm an online publisher since 1995, was involved in self-help support groups online since 1991, have a doctorate in psychology. I have 6 cats, no children, but enjoy all animals (and my nephews and nieces).

I prefer both hambugers and hotdogs, silver or gold, and wear jeans and casual shirts 99% of the time. I really enjoy BBQ. My great grandparents emigrated to the U.S. from eastern Europe (Poland and Czech). My dad loves polkas and my parents are divorced.

I make mistakes, am human, and am far from perfect.

Pleased to make your acquaintance.

Doc John - you have found yourself in the middle of a conversation among several old friends (everyone who has posted in this thread) who have known and trusted each other for years.

Many of us who use the PD board are long timers; familiar with all of the old posters and their ways and woes. Harley posted her link in this spirit.

Harley (and all of the rest of us) - I think sometimes we forget that this is a public forum, read by hundreds or thousands of "strangers" on a daily basis. We feel it is our home - but, in fact, it is a home on view to everyone. (Hey - this really IS a reality show!)

I think it is cool that Doc John is willing to engage us in this conversation. I don't detect any sign of repression - just an honest attempt to understand what's going on here (the same, I think, with Kimmy Dawn's thread on creating a comfortable home).

Maybe the fear of "over moderation" is because we've been burned in the past with moderation gone wild in the absence of any kind of administration. I think we need to give Doc John a break and take him at his word that he is trying to build community and is open to suggestions. He doesn't have a clue as to who we are, yet he has provided a home base; we owe him consideration and explanation. We also should play by his rules - he sounds willing to make exceptions when satisfied of the reason to do so.

Not to start a fire storm, but you guys (she said affectionately to her old PD friends) are coming across hostile (or at least ruffled). Our history of troubled administration on other boards is an explanation, but not an excuse to snub an opportunity to make improvements here in an environment of cooperation and trust.

.. with ANYBODY linking ANYTHING to this site. WE are all grown ups and can make the decision to go to any site we please on the net, so what's the big deal?
Now i think it's time to define to our moderators exactly WHAT WE DON'T LIKE, and I think that I can speak definitively for most members on this one. WE don't like fraud, we don't like Bullcrud, we don't like false hope, and we don't like direct advertising of anything or anyone. If the "questionable links" contain any of the above, then we don't like that either (except maybe some advertising that keeps the site in business, we can choose to ignore it).
I thought that the moderators here were more "hands off" than what eventually ruined the "last" forum, but it appears that human nature being what it is, makes such "hands off" policies difficult to maintain, as some people tend to get a bit more involved than they should and then seek to impose their ideals on others. This may be completely non-intentional or completely ego-intentional. To give everybody a break here is what should be done.
Harley, we all know and love you , and know that you have never tried to be overbearing or say things of a proselatizing (sp?) manner (although you do fling the odd cookie )
So what's the big deal. Live and let live. Chill out moderators, you can "wreck havoc" here with us PWP. We often are a bit too sensitive about being censored, and we should be , because we're all subject to the right of free speach, and as I said, Dagnamit, we're all big boys and girls here

at the risk of being bold...

sites and their differences..

neurotalk parkinsons..

a good place for people to get much needed pd info and interactions with fellow pwp from both medical information and personal experiences. a text based chat with connections to other chats in other neuro areas.

parkinsonschitchat/parkiejam

a good place for people to get much needed pd info and interactions with fellow pwp from both medical information and personal experiences. an audio/video chat room with morning talk and evening music

parkinsonsprofile

a good place for people to get much needed pd info and interactions with fellow pwp from both medical information and personal experiences. an audio chatroom with evening music

yopa

a good place for people to get much needed pd info and interactions with fellow pwp from both medical information and personal experiences. a text chatroom with set evening hours

edgeoftheforest

a good place for people to get much needed pd info and interactions with fellow pwp from both medical information and personal experiences. a text chatroom with set hours

i am hoping we all find the support we need somewhere..

Sounds good to me and I want to thank you all for helping me to better understand and engage in a conversation about these issues... It is much appreciated, as is your support and participation in our shared community.

John

again at the risk of being bold.. john, may i post the links?

but i love the way you oldtimers stick together, watching each others back. it gives me a secure feeling i'm glad i missed the bt thing but even happier that this nt was here (with you guys in it) when i started searching out support and education for my newwly dxd pd.

the guidelines appear fair to me and i think the way the moderators and admins stay involved is vital. that said, i dont agree with all the locks and closings and wiping of posts. imho working through these "growing pains" is the path to a strong community.

kinda wishy-washy but i find myself rooting for each poster in this thread and saying "yeah, thats right, what about that?

Sure harley, and thanks for asking first... Now that I understand, you don't need to ask any permission from me regarding this issue in the future...

john.. if i knew how to make a gigantic smiley face here, i would! thank you!

parkinsonschitchat/parkiejam..

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group...nsonschitchat/

parkinsonsprofile..

http://parkinsonprofile.com/

yopa

http://www.yopa.org/page/page/1702945.htm'

edgeoftheforest

http://edgeoftheforest.com/

sorry if i am forgetting someone.. hope you guys find the support you need.

In somewhat of an immature way, not that I have done anything immature before this, I appreciate your interest in keeping us here. Thanks for caring. I would venture to say that you are stuck with many of us for quite some time, links aside.

Paula