I won't flame you. But I will respectfully disagree with a few of your points, if you don't mind.DHC wrote:. . . Clearly there are some generous and kind and caring people here - and there are some who are in dire need of their caring support. There are also some who are so protective of their 'position' within this community they allow their zeal to cloud their judgment and engage in behavior that will drive people away. . . . I am . . . somewhat concerned about some of you and the psychology of allowing someone on the internet to cause you real-life pain - but not so concerned/invested that I will let your predictable responses upset or "hurt" me.
Maintain your perspectives and there is little chance the electrons someone sends across the internet are going to result in your feeling "hurt".
Offered FWIW (and I mean it) [and now donning my flame-resistant shroud]
If you admit that people can be "generous and kind and caring" in a forum, then you also must admit, in my opinion, that people can be less than "generous and kind and caring" in a forum. If generosity, kindness, and caring can be helpful to others in a forum, then it follows that the lack of such qualities can be hurtful.
If you admit that "there are some who are in dire need of . . . caring support," then you must also admit, in my opinion, that being here to receive such support is completely understandable. It is the sole reason some are here. So if someone comes here to pass himself off as a professional and expresses information that is inaccurate and misleading, that can be hurtful on many, many levels.
If you admit that this is a "community" in which some hold "positions" based on reputation, then you must also admit, in my opinion, that any community must hold to some basic standards to maintain the productive existence of the "community," even online.
If you admit that there is "behavior that will drive people away," then you must also admit, in my opinion, that it is healthy to point out such behavior and label it, just as you attempted to do yourself in your statements about those who you feel "allow their zeal to cloud their judgment."
I understand the confusion about "the psychology of allowing someone on the internet to cause you real-life pain," but if you admit that a forum can be used to alleviate pain and suffering, you must admit it can be misused to inflict pain and suffering, it seems to me.
I understand your position that you are "not so concerned/invested that I will let your predictable responses upset or 'hurt' me." Even if that is true, choosing to remain emotionally uninvested is a choice that can cut both ways. Aloof works well for some. Invested works well for some. We each make our choice. But I would not judge the validity of either choice.
For some, forums are only about information. For others, forums are only about human contact and getting support in dealing with life's trials. For others, forums are only about entertainment. This forum contains all three approaches and various combinations of the three. Mostly, we coexist without too many major misunderstandings. Occasionally, Johnny is forced to make hard decisions for the good of patients and participants. I am glad I don't have the responsibility to make such decisions. I am glad he knows he does. I don't mind supporting whatever he decides in such matters, myself. Part of my reason is that I prefer to see this place, and ANY place, be more about fellow-feeling and helpfulness than about hurting people. Both possibilities exist whatever the medium used for such contact between humans.
