A lot of this is why I don't post much here any more - that and the fact that browsing hairloss sites in general usually makes me feel more depressed and paranoid about things like side effects from finasteride.
It's why I've never bothered to join any other hairloss forums except a small UK forum that I joined before this one, but that's pretty dead now unfortunately. I've already immersed myself too much in the world of male pattern baldness and it usually just makes my life more negative.
This board has major problems and they're not easliy fixable. I've found with internet message boards in general - whatever the subject matter of the board - the best ones get a balance between too few posters with nothing going on, and far too many new posters that swamp a board and cause mayhem. gourmetstylewellness.com is definitely in the latter category.
there's a huge turnover of posters here - many sign up to ask questions and then leave when they get the answer rather than sticking around to help the community. Veteran posters hear the same questions asked over and over again and no longer have the energy to answer every single question, particularly the many crazy absurd questions - I've never facepalmed as much as I do reading gourmetstylewellness.com sometimes. I used to always try and correct or query posts that I felt were wrong or ignorant, but now I just can't be bothered. I'm too jaded.
Unfortunately there isn't a new generation of posters that can step up and fill the role of 'mentors'
The result is gourmetstylewellness.com is divided between acres and acres of threads by newbies that only get few or no responses, turning some forums into a wasteland; and a small group of diehard veterans who stick to their own specific forums and never venture outside - and can you blame them? There's very little sense of community here, and mainly it's to do with the board's size - not physical size, I mean the endless stream of new posters who register and never get involved. I got so dismayed with all of this that I gave up and left for a while. Don't know why I came back really - I must be a masochist :woot:
RE: Rep - I've seen rep systems on other boards and they almost always result in abuse, particularly on a board like this with many childish posters. It probably should be discontinued, but on the other hand don't take it too seriously. It's just a novelty really
The Impact section is very cynical but it allows people to vent their frustrations. I encourage people to make more optimistic threads in there.
Nonetheless, there are defintely some gems in amongst all the excrement - posters like Dr. House are always worth reading. And if you search hard enough you can usually find reasonable and sensible answers to questions.
