Posted by Margi on November 08, 2001 at 11:44:31:
In Reply to: tim, jim et al... posted by hedferst on November 08, 2001 at 11:00:45:
and Geoff nailed most of mine. The biggest being folks not bothering to use the search button or to do the research that most of the rest of us have already done.
Now, that's also a double edged sword. Combined here, we probably have over 1000 years of cluster headache suffering and supporting experience. That's a pretty big knowledge bank to draw from. And, those of us that have been here for a while have contributed to a lot of the research that is here for newbies. So, do we bitch at the newbies to stop being lazy and look it up themselves? Or do we patiently repeat and re-explain the journey we've already taken? This is kind of a wake up call for me, I think, because I think us oldies SHOULD assume the roles of teachers and help out where we can. I'm at fault for brusquely dismissing some newbies and growling at them to use the search button, I admit it. And I'll try harder not to do that in the future.
As to the 'poor me' posts....well, another double edged sword. Take young Charles. Yes, he's hurting. Yes, he's a good writer. (I think he may be CarlD's lovechild?) But, gang, the kid is going through hell and he is SO excited to find folks who are like him - I think we need to let him rant and rave all he wants. We've all done it. Those aren't the 'poor me' posts that get under my skin. It's the ones that turn us into a lonely hearts club that really piss me off. I know we're a family and I enjoy the off-topic posts just as much as the next guy, and Lord knows I love to joke and make an ass of myself here. But when we become a place where joke after joke is posted, simply for the purpose of gaining attention, or we start becoming a dating service, that's when we will lose our focus. I just think of the newbie who arrives here, excited to find us, tells their doc to check us out and that doc comes here and sees us airing dirty laundry and fighting amongst ourselves, how is that going to help OUCH grow and get the proper attention we NEED from the medical community?
K, climbing down off the soapbox now.