Group Basis

[Guest guest]

Dear Group,

 

Every now and then I write to tell the newcomers what this group is

about and why it is different.

 

Two and a half years ago I looked for groups on the web to learn

about alternative health. At that time all that seemed to be

available was the groups that were talking about liver and kidney

cleanses and getting stones out and Hulda Clarke machines and coral

calcium etc etc etc. To me it was ludicrous. It was like the blind

leading the blind.

 

The information was in my opinion of the lowest calibur. It mainly

consisted of what ever was being sold on the web for that moment and

being passed on as gospel.

 

The people knew that what the estabishment was selling them was false

and if it was antiestablishment it was almost automatically was

accepted as trus.

 

Also the web groups were acting like a magnet for every hairbrained

person or idea that came along. The messages in the average group

was part spam, part rehashed commercials for all of the equally

hairbrained products out there.

 

Well it seemed like that I was learning very little from the groups

and they got nothing but the same questions over and over endlessly

with the same variety of simplistic answers.

 

Well, I didn't like the groups so I started this one for the purpose

of collecting what I considered more solid information about

alternative health.

 

The idea was to collect the information as a repository for myself

and any like minded members to share. If we needed information all we

had to do was search through what we had collected.

 

I didn't care whether we had 6 or 6000 members as the size was not

important as was the quality of the information.

 

Well you can guess what happened, people kept coming to join and I

wanted others to have the opportunity to learn also, so we grew, The

fly in the ointment was that a good sized portion wanted it to be

just like all the other groups out there so, it was a constant

struggle to keep it to somwhat of what we started outto be. A certain

portion of the people who come think that they automatically have the

right to post anything here just by virtue of being members. If it

doesn't get posted they take it as a personal afront. They also think

that they can post all the junk stuff that is posted on the other

groups or the same result.

 

There are a lot of people who wouldlike to learn. there are also

others who do not want to learn but they want other things like a

social outlet, a place to hawk their products, or others who just

want a soapbox and have a captive audience.

 

I am not against those things per se, but I formost for the idea of

having good quality information saved in whole if possible to have

on hand if or when it goes down on the web and all in one place.

There are plenty of other groups who provide outlets for all of those

other things that I mentioned above. And if I allow it to become just

another junky group with anything posted why even continue with this

here. It is a lot of work and it isn't worth it to just have another

half assed group on the web.We are not all things to all people and

we never meant to be, but for those who do want tto learn I think

that this group is the best that there is.

 

I have posted the vitamin/ nutrient articles from various sorces many

times. After a lot of times it gets to be a little old. You could

literally post them a thousand times and the next person ccoming in

would ask the same all over agaian. That is another reason for the

archiving of material. They really want to know and they should have

an opportunity to learn but if you tell them to search the archives,

guess what they get their feelings hurt because they know that is the

standard format for most of the other groups. It isn't for this

group, but they usually aren't aware of that. I pretty much leave

that stuff up to the people who still will answer all of the calls

for help like JoAnn and a few others.

 

I feel that in the process of education about why we get sick (and

most people do not even think about that. They just want to take some

magic pill and make it all well) it is important that we share what

laws, business practices, politics etc take a toll on out health. If

we don't we will never get well or it will never change for our

children and grandchildren.

 

I wish that I could instantly make us all self educated about health

and also make us all well. I can't do that. I can't be your doctor. I

can't be your teacher. There are too many millions of us hurt and

only a hand full to help. I can only try and make the information

available and you are going to have to be your own teacher and your

own doctor. I will gladly try and help you by pointing the way. I

wish that someone had done that for me years ago.

 

Anyway, if you can live with the way this group is set up, good. Use

it to your advantage. If your egeo is such that you can't live with

it, no hard feelings on my part. Try and find a group that you like

or start one of your own like I did and help spread the word in your

way.

 

regards,

 

Frank