I think the mods do an excellent job in sifting out any nasty abusive messages. What concerns me is sometimes people post inaccurate information - not out of nastiness or malice but because they have got it wrong. Questions about telling employers about having m.s. or telling car insurances companies about m.s. are sometimes inaccurately replied to and for someone newly diagnosed this can be confusing. Also conflicting advice is sometimes given about the efficacy or otherwise of certain drugs. Should these post also be more strictly moderated?
Dear Anon,
A bit of free advice… {content removed by Admin}
And if you wish to report me for being nasty to you, go right ahead. At least I don’t hide behind the Anon facility. You are giving everyone the pip with your endless carping and petty vendetta. Give it a rest.
B
I fully agree that the mods do a great (…often thankless) job here .
Your final point about the efficacy of drugs: May I just re-iterate that simply because a medication works for some …it doesn’t mean it’ll be effective for everyone - that’s merely a fact of life!! (…I’ve tried roughly 16 different medications to resolve pain - all suggested by medical professionals - that didn’t help me, yet many of these have worked for others.)
How would someone’s personal experience be moderated?
Regards,
Dom
Hi, I think the best way to impart information re drugs, insurance, whatever, is to say how it affects/works for you. We know nothing works for everyone…if it did, we wouldnt need choice.
I find it interesting to read how different folk do things.
pollx
[quote=liamsquash]
I fully agree that the mods do a great (…often thankless) job here .
Your final point about the efficacy of drugs: May I just re-iterate that simply because a medication works for some …it doesn’t mean it’ll be effective for everyone - that’s merely a fact of life!! (…I’ve tried roughly 16 different medications to resolve pain - all suggested by medical professionals - that didn’t help me, yet many of these have worked for others.)
How would someone’s personal experience be moderated?
Regards,
Dom
I agree, someone’s personal experience with drugs or indeed any regime can not be moderated. The important thing is that the person posting the message makes it clear that he/she is noting their personal experienc and adding the rider that what works for one person may not work for another and vice versa…
Hey,Anonymous at 5:52 PM, don’t forget the Mods can see who you are,but they are so Fair Minded and Professional that they won’t respond to your scurrilous attack on them.A pity that they won’t even pass your details onto some of our more Robust Members…BRAVO Mods.
Wb
Well said Wb!!
Shazzie xx
[quote=“woblyboy”]
Hey,Anonymous at 5:52 PM, don’t forget the Mods can see who you are,but they are so Fair Minded and Professional that they won’t respond to your scurrilous attack on them.A pity that they won’t even pass your details onto some of our more Robust Members…BRAVO Mods.
Wb
[/quote] Hear Hear !!!
Ditto the last 3 comments - if the mods do suspect trolls, I truly hope they kick them off!
This board was the first place I came when I was diagnosed and I’m thankful to all the people that have given support, advice, friendship, encouragement and shared their experiences… not to mention their humour (Woblyboy!)
I like the forum, it makes me feel that I’m not alone going through this and I cringe when people are thoughless and trample over others feelings - like have MS isn’t bad enough in the first place?!!!
Sonia x
If you think that they are doing such a terrible job, why don’t you put your money where your mouth is and volunteer yourself? Then we can judge how good or otherwise you are at doing a seemingly thankless task.
Personally, I have always found the moderators to be very fair and they allow free speech within the terms of the forum. So much so that they even allow you to continue having a swipe at them!
Tracey
Anon - why are you posting as anon to insult/upset ill people and carers on here?
Most of us know who you are anyway - so you may as well post with your user name.
I’ve been away from the forum for a while and have only been back a short time and easily worked out who you are!!!
I cant read your profile as its not working at the moment but i am wondering what has made you so angry as to feel the need to be so negative and uncompassionate to people who are sometimes so ill and desperate and are trying to reach out for help.
Perhaps you need to reach out yourself for some help maybe?
In the interest of fairness, it should be pointed out that the moderators have at NO point been ‘using the excuse of being volunteers for being rubbish.’
This is a personal opinion- and very wrong (and quite hurtful) one, by this anonymous poster.
It’s an interesting scenario- usually, if there’s been any comment on the work of moderators (and myself, as admin), it’s that we’re too ‘heavy handed’- that we are in fact, the ‘thought police’- and that comments (and especially jokes) are moderated too much.
This just goes to prove that we all have very different ideas about what’s offensive, amusing, abusive & insensitive. In a strange way, it’s refreshing to hear that there’s a highly vocal, tiny minority who believe we should moderate more, not less.
Most of the moderators’ work is invisible. What the forum users are blissfully unaware of are the lengthy discussions via e-mail regarding posts that are made in distress, or could be potentially destructive to the generally genial mood of the boards. These debates often involve other members of the digital team- in order that a broader perspective of the situation can be sought.
Decisions are not made in isolation- and are always carried out with great consideration.
The Moderators were here long before I took up this role- and I have great respect for their wisdom, hard work, kindness, impressive memories and generous humour in the face of occasionally trying circumstances. They are supportive and have a wealth of experience that is invaluable. I’d be lost without them.
It’s also true that the users of this forum are, as a ‘community’, faily consistent in being a fair ‘judge’ of what’s acceptable. Reporting ‘rogue’ posts may not always result in censure for those involved- but you can bet the circumstances will be discussed at length.
As for our volunteer firemen, police and territorial army- they command our respect, because they do a tough job- that few people appreciate- except, when they are needed. When they fail at that role, they have to face consequences like anybody else.
It is, however, a disingenuous comparison- as the Mods at no point used the voluntary nature of their roles to make any sort of point. And certainly not as an an ‘excuse’ for being ‘rubbish’.
Like the police, fire services or army, the moderators are liable and have rules to abide to and standards to maintain. That will continue. We hope the users of this forum can continue to be supportive, cheering, emotionally intelligent and experienced- most importantly, sympathetic to those experiencing distress.
We don’t like to lose any members, but if you feel that this forum lacks in moderation, perhaps it’s time to seek out a medium where there’s a policing that suits your nature. The MS Society is very happy and enormously proud of our moderators and look forward to them continuing to do a brilliant job for the forseeable future.
Kind regards
Stewart (admin)
Yes, yes and thrice yes. Respect to all of you. Catherine Xx
Well chosen words Stewart. I agree entirely with your views and hope anyone who disagrees will consider that they always have a choice whether or not they participate on the forum! Teresa xx
Mr/Ms Anonymous
In the past, I have been involved with Internet forums where he moderation has been non-existent and/or rubbish and I can honestly say that this forum is definitely NOT one of them!
I bet that some of the other posters on here will have had similar experiences too.
Being a moderator is a thankless task and trying to deal with multiple opinions and “styles” of posting must be like trying to herd cats! I certainly wouldn’t want to do it anbd I am very grateful for people who do volunteer and do it well.
Thanks guys
Boblatina
You guys perform an outstanding ! job… I own a forum, and have to say its very time consuming , and can be soul destroying at times…( Can’t please all the people all the time). Just keep up with software updates and glitches is bad enough, that’s before you have to deal with irate or picky members. Lynn
lt would do us all a favour if the wonderful ‘mods’ just pulled the plug on this ‘anon’ abuser. lts what l would do if l was a ‘mod’.
[Back in the 60’s - l was a Mod! Lambretta scooter/parka driving around Brighton - now its a Tramper - still a parka in cold weather - and miles away from the south coast.]
Well said Stewart
With regard to inaccurate answers to posts – yes there are some. I have a bee in my bonnet about one member who frequently gives incorrect advice. But it’s the nature of the beast. If you invite comments from the general public some of it will be good and some not so much.
It is absolutely unrealistic to expect the moderators to be able to evaluate these answers. They would need encyclopedic knowledge about all things and the arrogance to assume that they knew best. It is up to us as members to gently correct inaccuracies and put the other point of view.
If posters want definitive answers they need to go to the Citizens Advice Bureau where the advisors are trained, the data extensive and all advice checked by a team leader.
Advice in an open forum like this is a pointer not a definition. It is advice with a flavour of MS not the last word.
Jane
I wasn’t going to comment on this thread as posted on shazzies one the other day and it was kind of linked into this but thought I’d make a few quick comments. The moderators do a great job but they are only human and humans make errors and mistakes of judgement - as do forum members so we can’t all blame each other. This forum is a great place for newbies to come for advice and even oldies to come for advice (I don’t meant oldies as in age so please don’t take offence!!!) There have been things that have happened on here in the last couple of months that haven’t been picked up quickly enough but I can’t blame just the moderators it would be the forum users that didn’t report things quick enough too. Nobodies always got the right answers to every question and some things are so unique to each person that it would be impossible to answer correctly all the time. Jane (wendels) have you contacted this person about the fact that you feel they are giving the wrong advice as it may be useful to do that as maybe they aren’t aware. Anyway my point is that nobody is perfect and everyone makes mistakes- that’s life!