Re: A troll free zone- of late


acoftil wrote:
> Paranoia abounds right now.
>
> IMNSHO, Matt is just as he portrays himself. I don't understand why people
> don't give others a better chance. Most of us have been labeled a shill, troll,
> spammer. How did that make you feel? Why would you just guess without any real
> information that a new person is automatically a troll.

I was given a REALLY hard time when I first found AMF eight years ago.
I was SO excited that I'd found people "like me" - people who knew what
it was like to live with fibromyalgia. And it gave me something to do
with my empty days. So I posted, and posted, and posted. I was a
little obsessed with it for a while. I came back and checked for new
messages all day long - and posted back to all of them. And I posted
TONS of my own.

I was *extremely* prolific.

Some people hated that. They said I was asking questions about stuff
everyone should already know, and told me I should look it up. So I
started learning to surf and I looked up *everything* and shared it
all. Then people told me I was trying to dominate the group and answer
all the questions before anyone else had a chance to respond. I felt
like I couldn't win for trying.

Some people mistrusted my motives for being here in the first place.
All of that hurt my feelings and made me a little nuts. My hubby told
me I wasn't allowed to come here anymore, cuz it upset me so much. I
told him I'd learn to not let it upset me, to take it for what it is -
anonymous strangers with only one thing in common - PAIN!

I settled in, made friends, hung out, tried not to let the flame wars
bug me so much, and learned TONS about fibromyalgia and lots of other
things. Over time, I made DEAR friends with a few people and met them
in real life. Now this group is like a second home for me, one I can
visit when I choose and know I'll be welcomed and supported in.

It takes time, patience and an ability to hang back and get to know
your audience to really, REALLY fit in on a group like this. I think
if a newbie has questions they should ask them, no matter HOW simple
the answer is to those who've been around a long time. They haven't.
But I think newbies would be well served to ask several questions in
one post, after identifying and telling a bit about themselves.

And if you keep getting answers like, "Ask your doctor," it's because
we're not doctors and we don't know the answers. We're all different
and EVERYTHING - medications, diet, lifestyle, etc - is different for
all of us. There is no concensus so we can't give you an answer.

'Kay now, everybody chill and let's try to make this a FUN and
informative place to visit. 'Kay?

Take GOOD Care,

Jane

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: A troll free zone- of late
    ... I made DEAR friends with a few people and met them ... > if a newbie has questions they should ask them, ... > And if you keep getting answers like, "Ask your doctor," it's because ... > 'Kay now, everybody chill and let's try to make this a FUN and ...
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  • Re: A troll free zone- of late
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