To MedHelp

We're not afraid of constructive debate......why are you?  The moderating is particularly heavy-handed lately.  By the time you remove a  post and it's response, other people have already read that post but aren't able to see any kind of rebuttal or discussion on it and any issues remain unaddressed. People don't come in here to be patted on the head and sent on their way with a lollipop.  These are very real gritty issues that get discussed in here by adults.  It's time the moderating got in line with that instead of this environment of stars and "Best Answers" that are virtually meaningless.   If you continue with the stripping of humanity out of our posts and insist we answer with the most robotic of responses, you might as well come up with a series of FAQ's and have your moderators post those in response to questions on here.

Trish

[Proactive]

________________________________________________

                ** CLOSED DISCUSSION**
               NO MORE COMMENTS PLEASE
________________________________________________

Pro

[eureka254]

"patted on the head and sent on their way with a lollipop"
-----------------------
Explains why I have these headaches and my teeth are falling out of head.

LOL @ Pro

[blondie717]

     LMAO  (no such thing as freedom of speech)

[orphanedhawk]

Medhelp has always been afflicted by Pollyanna syndrome.
Supposedly the Social side is so we can be social.

They conceded to political comments by starting a "current events" group.
But I don't like going there, its not the same as discussing stuff with my buddies here on the hep C side.
Most on the CE group don't  understand what happens when you mix riba into heated debate.

[dointime]

I agree with you Trish.  I've been told that they don't want anybody to leave because of an 'offensive' post, but the other side of that is people leaving because they are bored to death.

The sport for me now has become reading between the lines of posts where people are contorting themselves upside down trying to say what they want to say but at the same time not write a post that gets removed.  

dointime  

[Trish77]

When people are treated badly here (it does happen) I do appreciate the efforts made by mods to address that and I'm not meaning to sound ungrateful.  

However lately it seems there's some extreme focus on sanitizing the forum and what MedHelp deems as offensive is any post that isn't strictly "Just the facts, Ma'am".  So what's the point then?  Might as well be a series of FAQ's.  We're real people talking to real people.  I had a post removed because I responded to someone who was not only seriously misguided about HCV and promoting incorrect information but abusing alcohol too and came right out and said so.  Am I supposed to mollycoddle that person?  I asked her directly - "Why are you abusing alcohol if you have HCV?" and the reason I asked her that was because she was so casual about it so therefore I was direct.  Then proceeded to explain...not tear into her...but explain why her information was incorrect so that other people reading her information would, at the least, question what she was saying and think twice.  I suppose I could have said..."there, there....life is hard...if it takes a drink to get you by..."  but I don't want her to *die*.  Perhaps my approach was too blunt, I don't know.  But we are real people talking to real people about serious and gritty issues and those kinds of conversations are bound to occur here.

I read online newspapers and participate in the commentaries/debates that follow after those articles.  It's the most informative part many times, taking all the knowledge and points of view shared and it helps broaden a perspective and we learn from each other.  I would hate to see that lost here.

I don't know what the push is to sanitize but there's no point in being here if we're simply to be FAQ's.   People come here to talk with other people, not only just to regurgitate facts.

Anyway...sorry...off the soapbox for now.   Appreciate the input.

Trish

[flcyclist]

From my perspective there is a very high degree of self moderation in this forum and the mods should rarely need to step in.  They have it easy in this forum compared to some others I visit.  I've seen a few threads get heated, some go off topic, but that's not always a bad thing if the question was addressed and the thread wanders on.  

As dointime said, some days I'm bored to tears and seeing the same old questions, the same cut and paste replies or links gets very old.  Allowing some levity is critical, even if it does go off topic.  As long as it doesn't directly attack or poke fun at the OP.  And please, get rid of the stars and top answerers - it serves no purpose.

If anything, I wish the moderators would pay more attention to the OCD posts rather than wait for us to report it to them.  Or the ones the come back under the same or different names to ask the same questions - like this one http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-C/HR-Refuse-to-Give-Vaccination-/show/1633961  ;

[Emily_MHModerator]

Hi everyone -

We don't delete constructive debate.  We only delete posts that are in violation of the Terms of Use that you all agreed to adhere to when you joined.  This forum gets a lot of abuse reports, and some posts are removed, others aren't.  We aren't seeking to remove humanity, but we do have to remove posts that are in violation of the Terms of Use.  

Unfortunately, the moderators can't be in all forums at the same time, so often, you will find the OCD posts before we will.  All we ask is that you just hit Report and we will check it out if you get to it before we do.  We aren't asking you to repeat the same answers again and again, or to be anyone's therapist.  

MedHelp is equal parts information and support, and if the levity comes at the expense of a member, the support is lost.  We don't see why levity is needed with OCD questions when you can take less time to hit report than it takes to post something that pokes fun at the members.  We check out all reports.

The stars and Top Answerers may not help you, but they do help others.  Many times, they help members make connections when they first come to MedHelp and are overwhelmed with a new diagnosis.  A new member can see who has experience with a topic and reach out for help, support, whatever.  Some people like the stars, others don't.  If you don't like them, just ignore them.

If anyone has a specific question about a post that was removed, please feel free to shoot me a PM.  I can't address specifics in the forums without breaking member confidentiality.

For those in the US, Happy Thanksgiving.

Emily

[willbb]

A new member can see who has experience with a topic and reach out for help, support,
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your post seemed to make some sense till you got to that part

These stars are nothing but dedicated to quantity of posts and have nothing whatsoever to do with quality of answers.
So in fact....if a member continuously gives wrong info. and gets all these silly stars then a new member comes aboard and thinks that because of stars they will seek the answer from that person ??

It"s ok to ignore the stars ,however in  that instance it could be dangerous to a new member following advice of someone who has no idea what they are advising....

Will

[EyesofBlue55]

Good point will and I totally agree with you on that.Maybe the so called stars should represent the time that the member has been on the forum.A new member could then make the decision if they want advice from a New member or one that has been around for awhile I know who Id take the advice from-just my $$ worth   cindy

[curiouslady1]

I think it is up to an individual member to separate the wheat from the shaft.  This forum and website is not a degree-granting institution and cannot give its imprimatur to anyone individual who provides support or information.  It is up to the membership to decide what meets their own needs.  

But there needs to be continual acknowledgement that no one here speaks as a medical professional and only offers info because they have been "around the block" in terms of experience and reading public access documents.  Sometimes members do get a bit taken with their own knowledge on a subject, refusing to entertain or tolerate other opinion.  Yet I have seen no opinion expressed at this site which matches what a good physician or researcher will convey.

A violation which appears to occur with impunity is a tendency to condemn or severely criticize the medical community and individual physicians I have noticed.   I have not seen lately what I first noticed on the forum and that was people recommended that posters dump their physician and get another.  I was appalled when I read some of these texts advised without really knowing either the doctor or the poster.   Yet these posts which do violate terms of use I believe, were getting overlooked by the mods.

[eureka254]

"We don't delete constructive debate.  We only delete posts that are in violation of the Terms of Use"
------------------
"Constructive" is very relative.  There are innumerable instances when posts are deleted not because of violation of terms, but because *moderation* deemed them non-sequiter after deletion. Too often here the baby gets thrown out with the bath water.

"at the expense of a member"
-------------------
With all due respect, we also know many members who invested their time and caring only to be declared expendable by MH... the cost of losing one member over another is not always an equitable expense in my eyes.

"people recommended that posters dump their physician and get another... I was appalled"
-----------
To me it's more appalling when posters come here recounting inaccurate or incorrect information by their physician or health provider. Personally, I encourage people to get second and third opinions especially in the setting of medical consultation -- the objective here is for folks to understand what good health care is and enable them to recognize it and achieve it for themselves.  

[willbb]

people recommended that posters dump their physician and get another... I was appalled"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unfortunately some folks  were     and still are at times getting advice from their doctors  that have seemed outright dangerous and thankfully they have been steered to get other medical opinions because of the excellent advice they have received here. And many ,many times after those members did just that they have posted  . "their thanks for others suggesting this "

[curiouslady1]

It is one thing to recommend someone consult other physicians, it is quite another to recommend they get rid of the one they have.  Again, without knowing either the doctor and what they actually said and the poster and how the person interprets what is said, Medhelp is skating on thin ice to let this type of advice pass without comment or deterrent.

[eureka254]

"Opposition is true friendship." William Blake

[mikesimon]

It's up to the member to police this stuff. MH doesn't have the staff or the expertise "to separate the wheat from the chaff".
You said:

"...I think it is up to an individual member to separate the wheat from the shaft.  This forum and website is not a degree-granting institution and cannot give its imprimatur to anyone individual who provides support or information.  It is up to the membership to decide what meets their own needs...."  

But now you're saying:

"Again, without knowing either the doctor and what they actually said and the poster and how the person interprets what is said, Medhelp is skating on thin ice to let this type of advice pass without comment or deterrent. "

Now which way do you want it because you can't have it both ways?

We members are better able to moderate the board because some members really do know something about HCV and treatment.

Mike

[willbb]

MH ..has covered that thin ice with a "legal "cement floor of  legality's


The contents of MedHelp's website (the "MedHelp Site"), such as text, graphics, images, information obtained from MedHelp's medical partners, sponsors, advertisers, licensors, and other material (collectively the "Content") are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

[willbb]

Opposition is true friendship."
---------------------------------------------------------------

and 4 out of 3 of us  still struggle with fractions  :0)

[eureka254]

"and 4 out of 3 of us  still struggle with fractions  :0)"
--------
Gives a whole new meaning to being reduced to the lowest common denominator...

[orphanedhawk]

Curiouslady:
When I first started coming here, there were some horrible things people were being told by their physicians.
Luckily, that seems to have lessened over time.
The obvious thing is, no matter what anyone tells someone online, it is their responsibility to decide what to do.
These are just type written words!!

I don't envy you guys at medhelp.Maybe your job would be easier if you did just look in when someone hits the abuse button.
I've also been on forums that don't delete curse words and people seem to get along just fine.

Personally, I'm very glad the forum is here.
Its been a huge help for me and many others.
OH

[curiouslady1]

Mike:  These are two different issues.  

One is about providing information to a poster about the disease and infection.  And yes, the member needs to decide for themselves whether the information is useful for them, the forum managers cannot be responsible for that.  As you say, much information is very helpful.  It certainly has been for me.  

The other issue is an instruction to get rid of the doctor and find another.  This directive I find to be very problematic.  We do not know what the doctor actually said or did or what the poster's condition actually is.  The problem comes in when forum members interfere with someone else doing a legitimate business (medicine) bordering on libel.  Actually, a critical opinion is not libelous but misrepresentation of fact is libel and making pronouncements about a physician's competence based on hearsay could, I say could, be problematic legally.  In any case, we really don't know for sure what is transpiring in these professional relationships and I believe strongly that it should be left alone.  I also think there are times when the mods should intervene.  

[curiouslady1]

We don't really know what physicians are actually saying or doing with their patients.  That is why people need to be particularly careful.   I think we are all aware that some people who come here do experience significant distortion of reality, sometimes from their disease status and sometimes based on some pre-existing condition.   I have no problem with advising someone to seek out a second opinion and stating what is believed to be correct information.  I am also abundantly aware that there are good docs and incompetent ones.  I don't know that members of this forum should be so ready to know, based on the sometimes piecemeal information that a post and poster provides, which is which.

[mikesimon]

I don't see much risk of liability but I haven't practiced law in years. I'll defer to your expertise on that issue.

I had an employee who got a routine exam with blood work. His fasting glucose was 147 and everything else was within range. He was overweight.
At my(?) insistence he scheduled a follow up appointment.  
When he returned from his appointment I asked him how it went.
He said his doctor told him to see a nutritionist and schedule another appointment in 3 to 6 months. I asked him if his doctor examined his feet. He said "no, but there were signs saying that diabetics should take off their shoes'.

With only that knowledge I felt comfortable telling my employee to see another doctor. Sometimes it's absolutely clear that the doctor is an idiot and this guy was one of those. I have seen them here here too. While we cannot know with 100% certainty that anything said here is true we have to assume that some of it is or otherwise they'd be no reason to say anything at all.

Mike

[curiouslady1]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I know I have a lot to be thankful for this year.  Wow.  This time last year  I was full of virus.  Now I am not.

[Trish77]

Emily_MHModerator:  A new member can see who has experience with a topic and reach out for help, support,
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your post seemed to make some sense till you got to that part

These stars are nothing but dedicated to quantity of posts and have nothing whatsoever to do with quality of answers.
So in fact....if a member continuously gives wrong info. and gets all these silly stars then a new member comes aboard and thinks that because of stars they will seek the answer from that person ??

It"s ok to ignore the stars ,however in  that instance it could be dangerous to a new member following advice of someone who has no idea what they are advising....

Will

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bang on, Will.  My main reason for opposing stars.  They don't say anything at all about the trustworthiness of someone's information, it's all about how much someone participates on the forum.  If someone goes on stars alone, that could be downright dangerous.

I'm surprised to see it suggested that stars are a reliable indicator of reliable knowledge when it's never been about that.  The "Top Hepatitis Answerers" used to be called "Hepatitis Experts" (something like that) until MedHelp actually listened to concerns about that and changed the name.  

Trish

[Emily_MHModerator]

Hi everyone -

I didn't actually say that the person with the most stars was the smartest, had the most knowledge, etc.  I said "had experience".  And let's be honest here, there are a lot of really knowledgeable people in all of our communities, including (especially) this one, and from what I've seen in this community, if someone reaches out to a member, and that member doesn't have the info, they will direct to someone else.  If there is misinformation, it is usually corrected by someone else.

I wish I had magical words to say that would help with this dissatisfaction.  I don't.  We don't babysit in here, and we do read each post/thread that's been reported as abuse before deleting anything.  There are many things we don't delete, too.  Actually, we leave more than we delete.  

Again, if anyone has any specific concerns, feel free to PM me.

Emily

[eureka254]

"had experience."
-----------
Sounds kinky... you mean sort of like rating adult entertainment?  You know, the more stars the more 'experience'? Personally I have absolutely no experience with having hcv, so it brings into question exactly what kind of "experience" my badge is supposed to convey.

"leave more than we delete"
-----------
Sort of like saying you imprisoned more survivors than you killed.

[Trish77]

All I know is that posts have been disappearing faster than Southern Baptists in the Rapture lately.  Somebody expresses a dissenting point of view...and somebody responds and *whoof*......there it goes.  So discussing an issue becomes impossible.  It's happened a lot lately....to the point where it feels what IS the point.  If we can't come here and discuss issues about HCV then what IS the point.  

As for the stars indicating the most "experience" ..... the only experience those stars are an accurate reflection of is how much experience someone has with posting on the forum.  When the stars first came out, there was a poster here who was out of control completely with what he would post and he filled the forum with all kinds of stuff.  He ended up being the Top Answerer and had the most stars from the get-go.   He meant well but I cringe to think what kind of advice people would get going on stars and rankings based on posts.  I've had issue with it from the very beginning and had the same opinion when it was introduced and I wasn't alone in that and I'm still not so this comment isn't anything new to anyone at MedHelp, surely.  We know we're stuck with it so we joke about it but the disappearing posts rubs salt in old wounds and it gets brought up again.

I agree with flcyclist that we self-moderate and for every person who might go over the top with their humour on "Can I catch Hep C from the toilet water splashing on my face" there is usually someone else who has more patience and provides the info.  NOT everyone is OCD who posts those questions.   And a sense of humour is sorely needed here.  I don't think these people want to come here only to be handed an FAQ.  They may have already searched on the internet and when they land here, they want to talk to a PERSON...and they picked us...and we're real. Maybe how we cope with all the ridiculous questions that remind us of the stigma is humour.   Please try to understand that before pulling posts.

The key issue I posted about was disappearing posts.  Please do not remove posts simply because people disagree with each other or post a strongly worded opinion - it HAS been heavy lately.  If we're not engaging in personal attacks, let us be adults and debate an issue.  And please to MedHelp mods in general.....don't plead ignorance.  This subject has been brought up again and again so clearly it's an unresolved issue.   I'm asking that you *listen*.  

Thanks Emily.

Trish

[desrt]

"..should not be interpreted as medical advice ...... or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action"

"(The stars and Top Answerers).....help members make connections when they first come to MedHelp and are overwhelmed with a new diagnosis.  A new member can see who has experience with a topic and reach out for help, support, whatever."

Careful Emily. You're skating perilously close to the truth, which is that MedHelp endorses the answers of some members over others. Especially since the stars (or lack of same) appear prominently on every posting and the disclaimer is nearly unreadable at the bottom of the page.
Personally, if I were scared and newly diagnosed, I would hope it was a 2 or 3 star poster like some who have posted to this thread who answered me, rather than some of our more cringeworthy Top Answerers. It's a shame that HCV is broken up into 'Medical' and 'Social' rather than 'Information' and 'Support'. It's great that there are people who post their viral load results every 4 weeks and that there are others willing to congratulate or console them - but sort of more of a 'support' thing rather than 'medical'. Also great that those of us who come here primarily to learn and discuss have a place to do so, but unfortunately economics and politics too often overlap into it and the 'Hot Topics' forum never seems to have taken off. (And I've never seen a 'discussing' type member hesitate to step up to offer support - especially when a question gets pushed down the page because the OP's english is poor or they hail from a politically unpopular part of the world like South Asia.)
Wish there was a way to opt out of the star system and I could give my stars to members like DoubleDose, dointime, and Proactive who know way more about this subject than I.

[Susan_1a_CC]

Excellent points!

[Emily_MHModerator]

"Have/had experience" - you don't have to have hcv yourself to have experience with it.  If a loved one has it, I'd say that's experience, and you can offer support to other loved ones, and a perspective that those who have hcv don't have (and vice versa).

"Making a connection" doesn't always mean "getting advice".  It also doesn't mean that MedHelp endorses any member over another. It could just mean reaching out and knowing someone else gets it.  We have forums where this happens a lot. When considering these things, keep in mind that the hep C community, while very important to you all, isn't the only community, and some of these things really work on others, and other members actually like them.

I like the idea of "info" and "support".  I'll pass that on.

Emily  

[Willy50]

Visualize......

Terrified OCD/ foreign/ juvenile/ignorant posters with arms linked while Powerful medhelp members with *many many stars* expert power posters spray them with pepper gas......

Visualize......

Helpless Medhelp members with arms linked struggling to keep free speech alive while under the iron heel of MedHelp moderation, while being sprayed with pepper spray......

Visualize...... Emily.....arms linked with...... oh no.....  she is by herself.....alone....exposed....  being pepper sprayed the the members as they walk by one by one.....each giving here a little shot of pepper spray in the face.  ....and the increase the hurt.....telling her that the **stars and best answers*** mean /nothing/ to them.

Oh..... the inhumanity.....

It's all a matter of perspective.   Who would break a butterfly upon a wheel?

Have a good Thanksgiving, all.  : )

willy

[Proactive]

Ahh the stars,---GIGO or a new spin
"Garbage In, Gospel Out is a more recent expansion of the acronym. It is a sardonic comment on the tendency to put excessive trust in "computerized" data, and on the propensity for individuals to blindly accept what the computer says. Because the data goes through the computer, people tend to believe it."

[eureka254]

So you present the postulate:  stars = experience
and the comment "and some of these things really work on other[forums]"
---------------------
I'm a member of several forums on MH, and several months ago I had responded to a poster on another forum.  Because of the lack of activity in that particular forum, there isn't much opportunity to share 'experience' there.  However, lo and behold, one day my three stars as a member of that forum jumped to five stars, though I hadn't posted there in weeks and weeks.  The only thing that had happened was a post from months ago got clicked Best Answer.

No offense Emily, but what I gather from my own experience here at MH is that the above postulation is an inaccurate representation of whatever algorithm is being used to add or subtract stars.  

To be perfectly honest I don't really care about the stars one way or another; however, I do care that when MH take the time to explain their methods to us,  it should at least reflect something close to truth and fact.

[Emily_MHModerator]

Eureka -

I'm sorry you think I'd lie, but I don't.  You can choose to believe what you'd like about the stars, but there really is no hidden meaning behind them. I don't know the algorithm, but I do know the intent.

In any case, I hope everyone in the US has a Happy Thanksgiving, and if you aren't, have a great day.

Emily

[eureka254]

Emily,

I did not presume you lied.  My example was presented not as an accusation but as a demonstration of why the method remains obscure to me; what I see here isn't consistent with what was presented, and oftentimes intent fails when the method isn't understood.  

My intent was not to accuse or offend you, Emily, nor suggest any hidden meaning, but to provoke some thought and honest discussion.  It's just my observation that there IS a method here -- some are angry about it, and some aren't -- but the bottom line is no one understands it. I believe people are just seeking clarity.

I truly am thankful for this forum and all the people like you who work hard in trying to improve it.  Please accept my gratefulness for your time and patience; I never meant to my words to offend, only to make impact.

Happy Thanksgiving likewise to you and yours, and to all those who celebrate.  

Respectfully,
~eureka

[dontworry_behappy1]

I like the idea of info and support too.  Puts it on a positive
note.  

[flcyclist]

I hope this post doesn't get deleted again without explanation, since it's just presenting a few simple facts, not opinion.

Medhelp Daily Visitors: 144,644 visitors/day
Monthly Ads Revenue: $121,067
Net worth:  Approx $1.30 Million

Medhelp.org receives 2.71M pageviews from search engines monthly through  keyword searches.  Medhelp.org's search engine traffic could be evaluated as approx. $1.30M (this means the sum of money siteowner would pay for such traffic if it's bought in PPC systems).

http://www.topdomainstats.com/site/medhelp.org/ect

[jules2551]

Love the facts!  I wondered where your previous post went?  I should have known.  :)

[willbb]

                ** CLOSED DISCUSSION**
               NO MORE COMMENTS PLEASE

[his3707]

Could someone tell me why we need a moderator?    Cant  the members just report something that looks out of wack?  I havent had a moderator or monitor since I was in elementary school in the bathroom ......

[jules2551]

And where is your hallway pass little girl?  :)

[flcyclist]

Even the mods have acknowledged the high level of self moderation on this forum.  We are for the most part very well behaved.  Heck, most are either too tired, or too deep in their brain fog to stir up any trouble :-)

This is a two way street.  Treat us with respect by not deleting our posts/threads unless someone intentially attacks or belittles another member.  In return, we share information, click away, generating more revenue to make the advertisers and medhelp happy.  

[Claire_MHModerator]

his3707, that's pretty much how it works -- a member alerts us, we read the posts, we make a determination.  We send a PM or an email if we have to remove one of your posts, but as you can see from the stats flcyclist posted, this is a pretty busy site, and we don't have the time, resources, or inclination to "monitor" this discussion.

flcyclist, I agree that the members here are good at self-moderating.  I'm not sure what you're referring to with regard to "deleted" posts, though.  From what I can tell, there was only one other post in here today, which apparently bumped this discussion to the top of the queue.  And yes... it was indeed removed and placed in the proper forum.  If you're interested in answering questions about child behavior, please let me know, and I'll send you a link to the post's new location.  

Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions.  

Claire

[Dawn703]

Trish77, wrote a very eloquent post glad it was found and flcyclist is right on.

[orphanedhawk]

I was on vacation from Monday until Thursday. Since then I hear that during that time a number of posts and/or threads were deleted and some members booted off.

I didn't see the posts that were deleted.. What I do know is people here are angry about being censored.

Hep C is accompanied by various side effects which range from mild to severely advanced cirrhosis which can cause death.

The current treatment is incredibly difficult. Side effects include irritation and depression to name only two of the potential mental side effects.

It's important therefore for the moderators to understand that especially those doing treatment are not always in their 'right' mind.
I felt like an evil twin had taken over and received several warnings during the time I was doing treatment.

It is really hard for anyone who has not experienced the effects of these meds to fully empathize.

I'm upset about one member who is no longer here because she brought so much humor to the forum, something we all need.
Another said he was booted off without any explanation whatsoever.

The people here come to feel like a family. Yet, many of us feel we are  being overseen by a big brother who is not truly interested in our best interests.

[Dawn703]

I applaud you OH

[can-do-man]

"those doing treatment are not always in their 'right' mind."

Hey girl I resemble that remark and I'm not treating.

I am in my second childhood because I prefer to be not because some think me is one........

[flcyclist]

Claire, thank you for your response.  

The following statement appears to be addressed to me.  Could you elaborate what I said to imply I'm interested in the child behavior forum?
"If you're interested in answering questions about child behavior......."

Regarding the deleted threads, there were a couple threads in the last few days that were moved or deleted.  One was regarding "Censorship" which began in the HCV Social forum, was moved to the "Improve MedHelp Suggestions", moved back to the HCV Social forum, then deleted.  I received an email to tell me "a forum I recently posted in was moved" and thought it was very odd to move it to the Improve MH forum, since almost no one goes there or posts there.  Once moved back to the Social forum it only stayed a brief time, then was gone.  I know I made comment in this thread, and I can't find my comment in my profile, hence the thread was deleted.  

The other recentlly deleted thread was one asking what happened to Ladyhep.  Many are concerned about her since she is still undergoing tx.  Although I 've not been spending much time here, it was clear her issue with censorship has caused her departure from the forum.

These could be issues you are unaware of and have nothing to do with.  I do understand there could be a concern of perception of new members visiting the forum, but these deletions are being noticed by the regular members.  We respect your time and efforts, but ask that you respect the members who contribute to make this forum the valuable resource that it is.  Without them you have no forum.   Just my opinion.  

[BoceprevirGal]

  Well, I am out of the loop, concerning recent posts/members removed, but I definitely think we have a great crowd here, and yes, as far as Internet Forums go, we are quite well-behaved :)
   I am on another Hep C Forum, without a Mod, so I have the opportunity
to compare the differences.  There seems to be a war at the other site, between those of us who refrain from drinking alcohol, and other members who still drink alcohol, and seem to enjoy posting about it. I never speak up about it (I dont enjoy conflict) but yeah, I wish they would go to an Alcoholism Forum to talk about their drinking problem.
   Luckily, on here, we are right on topic...and I do think having a Mod helps.  The only other websites I have participated in were a YouTube channy I ran for 4 yrs,  no Mod, and yeah, I ran into problems there. There were people on that site with nothing better to do, then ruin innocent peoples' lives. One woman had the chan name of "RuinerGirl"...bragging about her troll activities. The Internet can be vicious, folks

[Claire_MHModerator]

OH, we try to take everything into account when moderating, and we have tremendous respect for strength required in the battle you all wage.  

We don't take deletions lightly.  We really do go through threads for context, frequently consulting with the rest of the mod team so that we can make the best decision possible.  Like everyone here, we're human, and we're accessible via PM for any in-depth discussion if any of you feels we missed something.

flcyclist -- the "child behavior" reference was to the post that you may have seen earlier today in this thread, in which a mother asked for help with her 11 year-old's behavior.  Since it's unrelated to hepatitis C, I removed it from this discussion.  As this is the only post removed from this discussion since August, I assumed this is the post you were referring to when you mentioned deleted posts.  I apologize for not being clearer.

The only topic recently moved back and forth in the past few days is "Best Answer?".  I can see why it might have belonged in either place, but it seems to be back here now, and it's visible (as is your post), further down in the Hep Social queue.  

If other posts/threads were removed for Terms of Use violations, or moved elsewhere, their authors were notified privately.

One thing that may not be immediately apparent is that when we remove the first post in any thread, the rest of its posts also go away automatically.  It's a function of both the software and necessity -- after all, responses to a post that's not there would make no sense.  

We do notify members when we specifically remove a post that runs afoul of our rules (whether it's an original or a reply), but it's not likely that we'll go down the line and notify everyone who responded.  If your post goes missing and you're not notified, this is likely what happened.  If your post was removed because of a Terms of Use violation, you'll hear from us.  

We don't, however, talk about the specifics in the forums because it violates your privacy, and because members who are sick or just aren't interested shouldn't have to wade through off-topic posts to find answers to their medical questions.  

But if you have questions or problems with a decision we've made regarding one of your posts, we're always available via PM.

Claire

[rivll]

Okay, my two cents-hope I don't make any enemies....
During tx, I was more sensitive than I am now and often became upset at posts that turned into what seemed to be a free for all-attack on someone who would post something controversial. During that time, I would report some threads not to be a spoil sport but because I empathized with the newbie who either didn't have a clue or was simply inappropriate (not the perves, mostly the people suffering post tx who were trying to vent.) At some point, I understood the hostility and just tried to make some sense of it for the person being slammed, then I just gave it up.
The recent thread that was deleted was similar. At the point where ppl were poking fun at him, I felt really disappointed in the many wonderful folk here whom I hold in high esteem. However, I did not "report" I was preparing an appeal to the guy to start a group where the people who need to have a voice can write in and be supportive and vent. I told him that this forum is not the appropriate place for what he was arguing. Just as I went to send it, the whole thing vanished. I thought it was brain fog for a minute then figured it must have been deleted.
I really cannot stand the so called ocd posters and I love to laugh at them..it is really not kind of me but I am no kinder or more compassionate than anyone else on this forum. I can be a real beach. Not proud, but there it is.
IMO, it is fine to disagree and even tell someone off, it is when 3 or 4 ppl jump in and add more fuel to the fire that I think, 'why must we go there?'
I think if we cannot control ourselves that it is appropriate for the Moderator to ask us to cool it. If we don't want to be treated like children, then we need to act like adults. Not easy for me and it really will not be fun to restrain myself from mocking the guy who is worried about HCV from the sludge of his dishwasher.
Part of the support we give each other are the great laughs we have on this forum. I really don't know where to draw the line but I think that overall we should try to hold onto our humanity as much as possible.
The next tome I spit at the sludge man or pincher. feel free to reprimand me.

[Deepgill]

If u already done the treatment of hep c genotype3  and the virus again coming back after 5 years then what u do that  circumstances