Make this site as accessible as possible. :)

[Mizagorn]

Hi folks!

I wanted to throw a few thoughts out to both those who have used this site for many years, and to those who might be joining very recently (such as myself). I have a background in group moderation, search engine optimization, web design, and many other things that will just sound egotistical if I share haha. Egotism is anathema to me. My point isn't to brag or draw attention to myself.

My point is to draw attention to this wonderful site, and all the help that it can give to anyone who is struggling with cluster headaches while looking for information that they might even not know what to search for. And this relates to search engines such as Google, Bing, Duck Duck Go (and yes, even Yahoo).

So, here goes a list of what I would do if I had a say in what individuals might want to consider when posting in regards to how it helps new people. In other words, don't assume anyone knows what you are talking about!

1) Use key words or abbreviations only after explaining the full concept. 
- In any forum or group, people who have been around a while tend to start using abbreviations, code words, etc. that confuse someone new to the topic. Examples might include "beast", "trip", and many other things that a lot of you are already aware of. It's so easy to do, I totally get it. But, it helps only those who already know what's going on - not those who are struggling to find a resource for the first time.
- If someone new is trying to research information, it's a detrimental struggle to try to decipher the codes and key words.
- Many of us (and our loved ones) are speed-reading, trying to garner reliable information when this kind of thing first hits our loved ones. If your conversation looks like a bunch of code, and does not contain a bunch of useful information simply yet explicitly explained (no matter how many times you have repeated it) it comes across as a clique (a closed group) instead of a universal resource.
- Plus, Google (etc) is not able to process those as far as search results based on relevant content.

2) If you are talking about a product, always provide links and a full product description when possible. And, provide context as to how the product relates to your experience.
- We might say "regulator" or "syringe". Be sure to explain (or make sure that the rest of the content explains) what specifically you are talking about. Is it a welding oxygen tank regulator or a medical oxygen tank regulator? Will one work with the other? 
- You might not (probably will not) know all the aspects of all the options asked about... but, your contribution to the conversation will help others in the future try to collate the info!

3) If you are aware of a time limit on a sale price, or limited stock, or a potentially discontinued item, please state as such.
- Not much to explain here, I think.

4) No complaints about this site at all!
- I have found clusterbusters.org to be one of the most useful sites I have ever experienced in my 51 years of being alive. Kudos to @CHfather and many others for making this a truly remarkable resource.
- My goal is simply to help others helps others with the information I have in my head (when it's not being attacked haha).

Cheers to you all, and best wishes in your efforts to conquer. <3

Terry

 

p.s. I have more guidance, if you will, but ultimately the personality of the group as a whole is what will shine. I also want to share my other, newfound experiences regarding needles and masks! Oh my...
 

[xBoss]

The problem with any forum is that you can answer the same question 100 times in 100 different ways and new people will still show up and ask it again without even 30 seconds of research. It's not like we are selling widgets here, this is important stuff for a rare group of people. Anybody in bad shape needs to invest the time.

After 17 years of owning and running forums I have found that about 50% of forum users are helpful and the other 50% wants all info handed over to them on a silver platter.

[Freud]

I agree with the original poster to some degree about using the general board and the unspoken rule of not talking about busting, mm or any of the other methods there. After all the site is called clusterbusters. I have made numerous posts with lengthy explanations on how tos with out getting into details and I still spoon feed those that come and refuse to use the search feature when I tell them exactly what to search for. To do as the original poster suggests in every post is a little much. The regulars do a lot of hand holding and repetitive posts for newcomers. It takes a lot of time as is for some of us so a little direction and encouragement on what to search for and to make a new post in the appropriate section with questions seems more than reasonable. I think a lot of people that find this site come from seeing bobs videos on YouTube. That’s how I found it. I have yet to see clusterbusters come up in a web search for CH on any search I’ve done. 

[CHfather]

This isn't completely responsive to the previous posts -- just thoughts on the general topics.

The rationale for not discussing busting at the general board has been to protect the posters, since search engines find things on the (open) General Board but don't find things on the closed boards. From some quick searching I did this morning, that still seems to be true, though maybe less so than it was at one time.  (Incidentally, for those who want general anonymity, I'd recommend not using a username here that you use elsewhere.)  Also, in a quick search using [mushrooms cluster headache], CB shows up on the first page -- it's a link to a subtab under "Cluster Headache" at the CB home page. When I use [seeds cluster headache] and [lsd cluster headache], the results are similar -- a page from that same subtab is among the first things that come up.  I don't know enough about SEO to know whether more could be done to attract people with CH looking for general treatment options.

The core files about busting -- the numbered files created by the great tommyd quite a few years ago -- still have good information, but they're outdated enough in some regards (dosage and blockers, for example) that you wouldn't really want people acting on it without checking in first. Until we have something up to date, I don't know what people would be referred to. The basic busting rules are extremely simple, but the nuance is a little tricky.  (Interestingly to me, there's no discussion in tommyd's materials about slapbacks: I wonder if that hadn't been recognized then.)  Growing is a different question, and I don't really follow posts about that subject very carefully, but it seems like the most important help in that regard is also in the nuance, not the basics.

As Miz' suggests, when I first came here, in 2009, I was in a complete panic. There was a lot less to wade through then, but it still felt like too much! At the same time, TBH, there were a lot more people willing to do a lot of hand-holding (first-generation pioneers whose own lives/sanity had been saved and who were not just willing but anxious to pay it forward).  I definitely think, as I have said elsewhere, that we need a "Read This First" section, but I'm not sure, as I have also said, how much difference it would make.

[Freud]

Thanks again as always CHF. I wish it would come up in a search for just cluster headaches. If you don’t know about “busting” and alternative options and specifically search for mushrooms and CH it can be hard to find. That’s what I meant...

[CHfather]

9 minutes ago, Freud said:

If you don’t know about “busting” and alternative options and specifically search for mushrooms and CH it can be hard to find. That’s what I meant...

Yes. Agreed.

[Freud]

Thanks for raising the subject! 

[Dallas Denny]

G'evenin ya'll!

Many good points here!

As Chf stated, much has changed in the years since we both became involved with clusterbusters.......all of the information in the busting files is based on the anecdotal evidence and surveys from the first few years.....and we've now added another 10 years of folks experience and anecdotal evidence with no new surveys or significant rewrites to the original information.

I've spent many, many hours cleaning up the corruption caused to the numbered buster files by the migration from the original yabb powdered board....however, it's not possible to pin them in numerical order so I've pinned just the "Clusterbusters Files Content" page with current links to the numbered files.

I'm also going to meet with Bob W at the conference to discuss updates and changes to the board along with staffing..... I ain't no sprang chicken, Spiny is recovering from surgery,  we've completely lost bejeebers,  Jeff (That hurts my head) isn't here as much as in years past, and everytime I talk to Bob W he's headed to another conference or presentation on our behalf so we are rarely graced with his presence.

 At any rate, please continue with suggestions in this thread and I'll use it for notes when Bob and I meet up.

DD

[CHfather]

Denny,

You, spiny,  THMH, and Jeebs could never lift another finger here and your contributions would still be immeasurable.  I know that's not the subject here,. I just wanted to say it.