Posting Guidelines for the Newsgroup Alt.Support.Thyroid

Do this

We are a support group, so we encourage courtesy to everyone. For guidelines on newsgroup netiquette, see "The Core Rules of Netiquette."

Not this

We discourage flaming, as well as spam and advertising, which we report.

We also discourage cross-posted threads (with joke posts as the exception). Cross-posted threads tend to bring posts from people in other groups who may not value polite language as we do, and they often stray from the original subject, which can be confusing. Their new subject may be on-topic for the group that some posters are from, but off-topic for other groups. In addition, posting conventions may be different in different groups. This can result in angry posters from one group because someone posting from another group didn't follow the first group's conventions.

Do this

It's preferable and considerate to post only in plain text because some news servers can't read HTML. HTML in posts limits the number of possible responses, and adds to download time and cost, especially if images or sound files are attached. (If you see options to change the font while you're composing your post, that means you're composing in HTML, or RTF. Click on the Format tab or something similar to change the format to plain text.)

A subject line with a specific topic and key words also helps to get more replies.

When you're replying to someone online, your posts will be easier to read if you include the points you're responding to and cut non-relevant parts.

Not this

Using all caps is the online equivalent of shouting, and it's hard to read.

Do this

If you post test results for feedback, please include the lab range for each test (the low and high numbers of each range are usually listed in brackets after the test name on the lab report), as well as a list of your symptoms. We are not medical doctors, and we do not give medical advice, but we can often suggest possibilities about what is and isn't happening.

For medical doctors

If you're a medical doctor or other health professional, you're welcome to join in. You'll probably be interested in the research we've compiled at this site in the TSH, T3, and Desiccated Thyroid sections.

The American Medical Association published an article in September 2003 titled "Lurking, listening, learning: Using online support groups." It provides some background to online support groups as well as posting guidelines especially for doctors.

The disturbed ones

Because our newsgroup is unmoderated, we occasionally encounter disturbed individuals with problems beyond the scope of a thyroid support group. Typical characteristics:

• They believe that their intelligence, education, or knowledge makes them superior.
• They post non-factual or highly questionable responses as fact rather than as opinion and expect people to believe them.
• When politely questioned, they blame or insult other posters.
• They accuse other posters of posting unwanted posts while ignoring requests for them to stop posting the way they do.
• They seek the spotlight.

We help new posters and give them time to adjust to our group. When it becomes evident that reasoning doesn't work with the above type of poster, it's best to stop responding to their posts. To show new posters what's happening, we suggest posting just this link: www.altsupportthyroid.org/pgdlines.php#disturbed. (Right-click on the link, choose Copy Shortcut, and paste it into your post.) This link leads to this part of this page.

About and for trolls

Trolls are sad, stunted creatures who find pleasure in causing disturbances, like spoiled children. When they occasionally show up in alt.support.thyroid, they typically tell posters that there's nothing wrong with them or that they're lazy, that they just need to diet and exercise, that they should talk only to a doctor about their health, etc. Sometimes they post the same misinformation about their pet topic in numerous newsgroups despite requests not to. Trolls need help, but not the kind of help that we can give.

Trolls are fulfilled if a flame war starts, but regular posters become upset, and some people get turned off and leave. If we ignore trolls, they get bored and go away, but if we don't respond to their posts at all, some people might not realize that such posts are from trolls. These people might leave the newsgroup because of what they perceive to be an unsupportive atmosphere.

Instead of wasting our time arguing with trolls, we can post this link in response to each troll post in the newsgroup: www.altsupportthyroid.org/pgdlines.php#trolls. (Right-click on the link, choose Copy Shortcut, and paste it into your post.) This link leads to this part of this page.

If you're a troll, you were directed here because we know your type and we've seen it all before. The truth to counteract the misinformation you've posted is at this website.

You have two choices:

• Read about thyroid conditions, learn, and ask questions
• Continue with your childish antics until you get bored and leave

We aren't playing your game; we're here to help.