 |
 |
To Parkinsn list: I joined the list a few months ago, stimulated by Bob Fink, who indicated that this was a very active list that he valued as a resource for PWP. As a physician and specialist in Parkinson's Disease, I felt that I could learn a lot about the concerns that PWP and caregivers have from a different perspective than I get at the office. At the same time, I thought that I could contribute some information and opinions that may be useful to the members of the list. The truth is that I have been lurking for the most part, finding it hard at times to find the threads which discuss Parkinson's and caregivers concerns, finding instead a lot of NON PD, humor, politics, gossip, and bickering, etc which have no immediate relevance to the stated topic of the list. There is a difference between deleting the occasional irrelevant posting which does not catch your fancy, from having to scroll past literally hundreds of postings which have nothing to do with Parkinson's. I would suggest that this is NOT meant to be a social list, but a list in which PWP and their caregivers discuss issues related to PWP and caregiving for PWP. Friendships are bound to arise and persist - but the social aspects should be kept to a minimum on the list. Go off list to tell jokes, make political commentaries, etc. This list is too large to allow social drivel because it overwhelms the actual intended business of the list. Start a new social list of "Friends with Parkinsons" for joke telling, etc. We can rationalize and say we need to allow social interactions - of course. But keep them to a minimum so that the list can do its business. I wondered why the discussion about suicide and Parkinson's was opposed by so many members, and yet this useless, sometimes offensive humor and chit-chat keeps going on and on. Why? This list started out as an exemplary resource for PWP. I would urge that we support any effort to return it to such function. Perhaps some members of the list might suggest that I have no right to be critical. I hope my comments can be accepted as constructive, not critical. Let's all contribute to the preservation of a valuable resource. I therefore would cast my vote as a member in support of Bob Fink's comments. And may no one request a recount!!! :-) Jorge Romero, MD ----- Original Message ----- From: "Simon Coles" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Saturday, December 09, 2000 3:23 PM Subject: Re: Direction of the List > Bob, and everyone. > > I haven't been following the discussion in detail, mainly because so > little on PARKINSN is interesting these days. > > As is probably well known I have been concerned about the tone of the > list for some time. Yes, the list has a sense of "community", but > that is at the expense of people who can't share that community's > values - be it in terms of mail volume, subject matter, or opinions > that are expressed. > > The list has stayed broadly static in numbers over the past few > years, despite a massive increase in the number of people on The > Internet. I strongly suspect a large number of people are being > driven off the list by a vocal minority who don't feel the need to > consider the impact of their actions. As a result, thousands of > people are failing to benefit from the wisdom and help that can come > from this list when it is at its best. > > If people want a community list, then let's have one - SPARKLE is one > example. Lets have more than one - I'll host as many as there are > volunteers to run them. > > I'm not judging the applicability of any subject matter, all I'm > asking for is for PARKINSN to focus on Parkinson's, which will make > it useful to more people. Take all the other stuff onto other lists, > which can be closely allied to PARKINSN, and part of the community. > > Its just as easy to subscribe to one more list as it was to subscribe > to PARKINSN in the first place (well, probably easier), and we can > regularly advertise the other lists on PARKINSN. This will give > people a choice of what they get in their inbox. > > In this way the community can grow, become stronger, and more healthy. > > The alternative is PARKINSN will wither and die, a victim of its own > success, and the selfishness of a minority. And we will *all* be the > poorer for it. > > > >I will > >remain here for the next few days, waiting for people to *publicly* > >post their true feelings about the points that I have been trying to > >make (about offensive postings under the guise of "jokes"). > > Count my vote. > > > > Unless I > >see a majority of this List standing in support of sensitivity, I will > >leave this List. > > > >Maybe my usefulness is gone, anyway. > > This, ladies and gentlemen, typifies the challenge facing PARKINSN. > Why should anyone who wants to contribute to Parkinson's Disease be > involved with a list that's long since got off track? What will > PARKINSN be when the experts that have stuck it out so far have left? > > What's the point of an archive of the list when 95% of the posts are > junk? Why should I put the effort into trying to find the useful > stuff in the archive if no one can be bothered to stick to the > subject matter? > > I repeat my offer to host any PD related mailing list - if you think > there's a niche not being served, and are willing to help run it, > drop me a mail. > > > > > Simon > -- > --------- My opinions are my own, NIP's opinions are theirs ---------- > Simon J. Coles Email: [log in to unmask] > New Information Paradigms Work Phone: +44 1344 753703 > http://www.nipltd.com/ Work Fax: +44 1344 753742 > =============== Life is too precious to take seriously ===============