Are there too many intrusions on the forum by Admin and PUK staff, generally?
Some posts are important but some seem to just big brother watching, well, that's my feeling.
Perhaps they should have a section for themselves???
I am a member of a couple of other forums which are not Parkinsons related and Admin. are just there to moderate, not anything more. If it's important they post a thread as as 'sticky'.... that's a thread that stays on the relevant section of the forum but is also available to post a comment on.
I don't think there are too many posts by admin and staff. The forum exists primarily to help people affected by parkinson's to help each other and I think it does that pretty well. I think that most questions that are asked here are answered by members. Occasionally, especially when the forum is quiet, some questions get answered by staff (usually Sharon or Ezinda).
There are other, more specialised, questions that need expert answers and these tend to get answered by members of the research team or Suma.
There are a few posts by Sharon or Ezinda in moderator mode but I think this is all pretty light touch.
I have met most of the Parkinson's UK staff who post on here so I don't think of them as Big Brother (or, more accurately, Big Sister :-) )
Hi Benji, i'd agree with EF. I've looked back over Ezinda's and Sharon's posts - and almost all of them are replies to queries we bring up. Very few of them are moderator-type posts. Amy's posts are questions to us, usually for advocacy or the magazines: a good use of the talent on this forum.
I agree with both of you i done a tour of PUK HQ in london and found them all really nice committed and friendly. And if it was not for this Website we would not have as strong a voice as we have at the present time.
For me Benji I am afraid it is not a simple question!
I have been a member of the Forum for at least five years and intend staying and enjoying the posts of my fellow cyber friends. Two years ago I became an employee of PUK.
We all have our pseudonyms which give us our right to privacy and is sacred as it should be. Having said that it is always a pleasure to meet with and chat to Lin and Mike 700. I met up with Mike when we attended a branch Forum and with Lin at a Mervyn Peake awards day. If asked face to face I tell my Forum name to the enquirer.
Most of what I know about Parkinson's has come either from the Forum or from Parkinson's UK. There is nothing like the experience of other PWP's to alert and educate and long may it continue, The input of Ray of Sunshine and Leyther have served the Forum well in bringing topics to the attention of us all wether we agree with their point of view or not.
In the not too distant past I was very moved by one of the posts and I thought that something should and maybe could be done to avoid a recurrence of that persons situation. I contacted the person concerned and we exchanged a number of emails.
I would hope that in the same position someone would have contacted me and offered their good wishes and a means to communication.
The person concerned wished me well but does not want to be identified with the story so that will be respected. It is very hard as a Forum member, branch and committee member, not to want to help. In the two years this was the first time that a situation made me feel that I would try and do something to stop it happening again. At the risk of starting a tirade of indignity I think in this instance I was right to to do so.
I did not make the contact as an employee but as a fellow person with Parkinson's.
I think helping others is commendable whether it be in your professional or private role.
From my own experience I know that we can get into situations through fear or anxiety spirals (often for little reason) that we find hard to break.
In such circumstances help from other pwps can be vital. I have helped and been helped in return it and it bodes well as a body of ill people that we are willing o do so.
The only constraint would be that if you are posting or doing anything in your professional capacity that you inform the people affected so that your position is transparent which, I expect you do anyway,
I'm sorry that you are having trouble to start new topics. Could you provide more information so we can get to the root of the problem? What steps are you following exactly?
I am following the steps that I have done so on this forum for years!!!
I log in, and go to the appropriate forum.
I can put in a title for a new post. It doesn't fit into any of the available categories so I went to post in the 'wellbeing' forum, the nearest appropriate to my post. Then, when I get to the post part, there is no box and no way to post.
Never had this before, maybe we can sort this via e mail rather than on open forum?
