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In a message dated 97-03-12 02:47:11 EST, you write: > >Should a worldwide YOPWP listserv (young onset persons with Parkinson's) >be created? > > It seems to me that if we split this list into YOPWP and others - do we call them OOPWP or NOPWP? (O for "old" or N for "normal") - each group would miss out on valuable contributions by the other. The two groups still share many common questions, experiences, problems, and solutions. Our preference for a local support group meeting face-to-face is the opposite. In that case, because there are relatively few people compared to the numbers on the net, we found a young-onset support group to be a lifesaver. The issues are indeed very different when you're dealing with employment, young families, sex, sports and physical activities, planning for the future (when you're looking at supporting yourself or your family for many, many years yet know your working years will be cut short). We have found the PD net has enough YOPWP that it addresses the issues we've dealt with or are dealing with just as well as our young-onset support group did. Sheer numbers of participants seem to make the difference. I guess it would be interesting to hear from the older-onset people on the list (or their caregivers) about whether they mind just skipping over or deleting all the letters dealing with young-onset issues. As for us, the issues the older folks are dealing with are ones we may have to deal with someday ourselves. While we might not pay close attention now, we are at least getting some vague ideas about nursing homes and other things we may want to know about one day. Perhaps those of us who pay a flat rate for unlimited online time have a different perspective than those who pay by the minute. Is the time/cost factor the real issue here? If so, some of our resident computer gurus can probably offer some helpful suggestions. Margie Swindler cg for Dick, 52/15 [log in to unmask]