Originally posted by Marco
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Over the years things have changed, a lot. The board used to be so active, it was almost impossible to keep up with. Things are at a much slower pace now, in fact I might check in
every few days, and things will have changed little. I know that much be discouraging to people,
especially new members, who are expecting a more robust activity.
I have noticed what you've said, and Marcus alludes to. I call them "stars" (not VIPs) and I haven't been on here much lately to know if there are any right now. But the ones I'm thinking of, in the past, had an answer for every thread. I'd assume they had much more info about MS than the "average bear" (hope everyone's a Yogi Bear fan to understand that ), and it almost felt like they were in the medical profession. They would correct other folks threads on technicalities, and would basically "take over" the board by posting an "answer" to every inquiry. Folks would even start threads asking specifically for that "star's" opinion.
These cycles would come and go. I don't think the "stars" would last for more than a few months then they would fade out, and not heard from anymore.
Then there are the multi post threads whose numbers rise because they answer every person who posts to them. This could be true gratefulness for a reply, a way to run the original thread up into double digit pages, or just need for attention. I can't be the judge of what is really going on, it's just what I think when I see that pattern.
Third type I've seen are just multi posting folks...I just see those posts as folks who truly want information in order to validate their type of symptom or the course their MS is taking. I see those posts from people who are new, and people that need reassurance or information, and I cut them a break because most of us have been in that situation at one time or another. I recently posted about an MS symptom I've acquired, I know it's MS related because the docs have told me so, but I was wondering if anyone else had dealt with it.
The names in the title must be something new, I really hadn't noticed. But there was a time when the reason you saw a name in a title it meant that the poster is posting in order to find if "name in the title" had been heard from by any other poster. There was a time when you could email through the site, so the thread starter would be wondering due to concern about someone's health. And sure enough, it would turn out that person was in the hospital or laid low by their MS for a few days.
But with all it's "idiosyncrasies" MSWord forums are the best place to go for information. If I were new and needed information, I'd use the search button first instead of wading through the recent pages of threads.
Well that my opus on the issue...Sorry to be so prolific.
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