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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Abby on March 26, 2001, at 0:23:23
This is the land which ye shall divide by lot,
And neither division nor unity matter.
This is the land. We have our inheritance.---T.S. Eliot, Ash Wednnesday
But of course the question of division and unity matters very much. I am trying to remember what the goals were in splitting up the original Psychobabble? How well do you think those goals have been achieved?I have to admit that I prefer a more ecumenical approach. I haven't been around for a while, because I didn't have my own computer and had to use public labs, but now that I'm returning, I realize how much I miss the integrity of the old board. Most people here are committed to pharmacologic intervention, and very few drug issues are completely free from psychosocial questions, as Kay Jamison noted in her memoir. So the distinction seems artificial.
I felt that I belonged to more of a community, when there was only one board, and I was more likely to answer posts on different kindss of topics.
I understand that sometimes the old system got to be a bit unwieldy. So here's a suggestion, and I don't know whether it's technologically feasible.
Perhaps we could return to one board, but set up a more hierarchical archiving system--a bit like the browsing component of Yahoo. Individuals could post a message, and before submitting they would be given a list of categories with instructions to click all that apply---say SAD, ADD, bipolar II, antipsychotics, work and family, disability issues.
Then you could open up the folder and browse or even search through the threads. It's just a thought.
Abby
Posted by Dr. Bob on March 26, 2001, at 23:56:08
In reply to And neither division nor unity matter.., posted by Abby on March 26, 2001, at 0:23:23
> I am trying to remember what the goals were in splitting up the original Psychobabble? How well do you think those goals have been achieved?
Good question! I can remember at least two issues: people needing to deal with so many posts, and in particular with so many posts they weren't interested in.
I think I like it better this way, but this isn't for me, so I'd be interested in what you all think...
> Individuals could post a message, and before submitting they would be given a list of categories...
>
> Then you could open up the folder and browse or even search through the threads. It's just a thought.How would those different folders be different from the different boards now? Messages could go in more than one?
Bob
Posted by Abby on March 27, 2001, at 1:12:02
In reply to Re: division or unity?, posted by Dr. Bob on March 26, 2001, at 23:56:08
>
> I think I like it better this way, but this isn't for me, so I'd be interested in what you all think...
>
> > Individuals could post a message, and before submitting they would be given a list of categories...
> >
> > Then you could open up the folder and browse or even search through the threads. It's just a thought.
>
> How would those different folders be different from the different boards now? Messages could go in more than one?
>
> Bob
Yes, messages could go in more than one. That's part of it, but messages wouldn't go into the different folders until they were archived.All current messages would be on the psychobabble board. I guess I liked the cross pollination. Sometimes, to help someone else, I answered a post I wasn't particularly interested in. I was glad to do it though, and I hoped that others would do the same for me.
I think that it's useful to have a lot of the information organized, particularly when someone is in a fairly analytical mindset and just wants to use psychobabble as a library. I kind of thought that Psychobabble was more human than that.
I'm reminded of when I wrote my undergaduate thesis. My advisor was a distinguished scholar, but he was genuinely interested in helping me to produce my own work. We discussed what my interests were, and he pointed me to good resources. This was particularly important, because I was doing comparative work.
For people seeking both support and psychopharmacologic advice, at least for me, it can be helpful to have one place to go where I can get help from lots of different types of people. Now some people hang out on one board, and I remember that those people had good psychosocial advice as well.
I just try to imagine us all getting together for coffee and keeping minutes. Some people, strangers mostly would be glad just to look over the records. And anyone joing up later would be wise to read the minutes to catch up to speed, but the value would still be in the group and in the present.
"Strategies for withdrawing from effexor" is something that is pretty easily researched. "Help. I just started taking effexor, and I have this side effect that my doctor never mentioned. I'm really scared. What are some tricks for handling the side effects? We went with effexor after a trial of this. .. and for this rationale. I'm really not feeling well, and I'm not sure how competent my shrink is. Can you give me some direction" may be a little harder to just send off to the archives, even though it may be a relatively common experience, that may have already been addressed.
Just my two cents.
Abby
Posted by Rach on March 31, 2001, at 5:54:46
In reply to Re: division or unity?, posted by Abby on March 27, 2001, at 1:12:02
I like the old system.
I don't visit PB anymore, only PSB on occasion, and rarely PBA.
I agree with Abbey's reasoning, and pls forgive my flu-ridden brain for not being able to voice those reasons & others again. But A did a good job!
The msg archiving is also an excellent idea.
R
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