![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 2 to 26 of 68. Go back in thread:
Posted by Lou Pilder on July 21, 2013, at 15:34:43
In reply to Why Babble is in trouble..., posted by Twinleaf on July 21, 2013, at 10:05:14
> There have been a lot of thoughtful, insightful ideas about why Babble is so inactive. To sum them up:
>
> 1. Because the board is has gone from being overly moderated to largely unmoderated, it does not feel like a safe place to share intimate details of one's life. We have yet to experience a flexible, appropriate degree of moderating. Historically, this sense of a lack of safety was made worse by the sharing of information with Facebook and twitter.
>
> 2. There is a lot of concern over the effect Lou's posts are having on new posters (not the older ones, who have developed ways of dealing with them). It's clear that they cause distress, and many older posters feel that potential newer ones are being frightened away from participating here.
>
> 3. Perhaps the newness of communicating anonymously but intimately online has faded. This may be affecting all sites, not just ours.
>
> 4. Dr. Bob may have developed a communication style with us which is rather contentious and invalidating; this would be an additional reason for the forum to feel less than safe.
>
> I think all of these factors, as well as others I am unaware of, are contributing to Babble's decline. I do think several of them can be improved considerably if we and Dr. Bob can develop constructive ways of working together. I hope others will add things I haven't thought of, or just add their views about what has gone wrong.
>
> friends,
It is written here about my posts in #2 in the above post.
What is posted here is that new members need to be somehow told in some type of {alert} to them tha my responses to them could include that it has been revealed to me what could save your life, the life of youe child, prevent life-ruining conditions and addictions and lead you out of the darkness of depression and addiction into a marvelous light of peace and joy, unshakled from the chains of addiction and depression. The one that has the Keys to the shackles is a Rider on a white horse.
But who is this Rider? The rider is not visible, for He is a Spirit. and He has a voice that can be heard inside you, like you having a radio receiver in you. And whosoever receives him, to him is given power to overcome. You see, I have been writing about {overcomming}. This power enables one to overcome depression and addiction. You will be given a Crown of Life. A crown is for a king or a queen, which you will become so that you need to not be subserviant to any man. You will not need to trust in anyone, for the Rider will lead you to all truth, and the truth will make you free.
Now Dinah has also in her post to alert new members about what I would post, that I consider myself some sort of prophet to warn you about {excised} psychotropic drugs.
I do not consider myself to be a prophet as in Jonah or Malachi or Danial or Isaiah or such. The revelation that I receive, anyone could receive, for it has been revealed to me that we all have this receiver in us. There is a way that all can receive but I am prevented by Mr Hsiung from posting how that could be done by you due to the prohibitions posted to me here by Mr Hsiung.
You see, it has been revealed to me that one in depression/addiction is dwelling in death. But this death-state is a prison that has a gate that has a lock, and one in this state is in captivity. And when I had an encounter with the rider on the whit horese, He said to me, "I am he that lives and was dead and behold, I am alive forevermore and have the keys of hell and death. I have come to free the captives,to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for morning, the garmet of praise for the spirit of depression, to proclaim liberty for the captives, to bind up the brokenhearted and open the prison for those that are bound so that they may be called the trees of rghteousness, and be delivered from bondage, and go forth in joy and singing, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands."
Posted by sigismund on July 21, 2013, at 19:41:45
In reply to Why Babble is in trouble..., posted by Twinleaf on July 21, 2013, at 10:05:14
In my opinion, what went wrong went wrong years ago when there was a fractious yet somewhat thriving community, certainly lots of people, and the style of moderation aggravated rather than soothed some of he distress from these arguments. As you would recall. Once that community went it was not so easy to get it back, success breeding success. We are a tribal lot generally, here too, which doesn't help.
What Bob is trying now seems fine, better than version no 2 (that is since I have been here) though if it had been tried earlier there might have been more to save.
Posted by SLS on July 21, 2013, at 21:10:26
In reply to Lou's response-the keys, posted by Lou Pilder on July 21, 2013, at 15:34:43
Okay, Lou. I think you can relax for now. I doubt that you are headed in the direction of being banned from posting on Psycho-Babble.
Sleep well.
- Scott
Posted by Phillipa on July 22, 2013, at 9:43:52
In reply to Re: No worries. » Lou Pilder, posted by SLS on July 21, 2013, at 21:10:26
It used to be fun. Besides focusing on meds, depression, and all the other problems. There seemed to most of the time be a lot of humor mixed in. Which helped to lift moods and was just as I said fun. Now it is doom and gloom. I check daily hoping to find the babble of around 2006 back but it's not. But then I'm just weird and post too much. Or so I was told by other posters. Phillipa
Posted by Moishe Pipik on July 22, 2013, at 10:44:42
In reply to Why Babble is in trouble..., posted by Twinleaf on July 21, 2013, at 10:05:14
A lot has changed on the interwebs since the inception of Babble, especially Facebook, where users can pick and choose their contacts, content, sharing, etc., etc.. It appears that many Babblers or potential Babblers aren't comfortable with a totally open forum, having to see stuff they don't want to see, having their posts readable by everybody, and so on. Basically, Facebook allows a user to create his/her own customized community, and I think that's what many want and are used to, as opposed to Babble. Other online forums, as well, have features to hide content that's unwanted. Folks have more choices now, and more websites to compare Babble to. Perhaps, Babble is just plain obsolete in the current paradigm, especially considering how privacy-conscious many people have gotten since 2001. The stagnation of Babble in the past few years is perhaps proof that its attractiveness has simply given way to other more-customizable forums.
On Facebook, if you don't like stuff posted by another, you can omit them from your news feed, or unfriend them altogether. In other online forums, you can selectively hide posts of others that you don't want to see. In Babble, you don't have such choices, and if you don't like something someone posts, your only recourse is to bitch to Bob.
As I write this, I realize more and more that Babble has just seen its time, and Bob's experiment is no longer a viable one.
Posted by Moishe Pipik on July 22, 2013, at 11:24:21
In reply to Re: Why Babble is in trouble..., posted by Moishe Pipik on July 22, 2013, at 10:44:42
this is applicable:
Posted by Twinleaf on July 22, 2013, at 11:30:27
In reply to Re: Why Babble is in trouble..., posted by Moishe Pipik on July 22, 2013, at 10:44:42
Those are very good points. You may well be right. It's hard to know what changes are due to the evolution of on- line forums, which may be leaving Babble behind, and which are due to the stresses which have occurred within Babble itself. It was once a wonderful forum, so I guess I am trying hard to find things about it that we can improve.
Posted by Moishe Pipik on July 22, 2013, at 12:04:45
In reply to Re: Why Babble is in trouble... » Moishe Pipik, posted by Twinleaf on July 22, 2013, at 11:30:27
I think the "stresses" have always been there, but in the past, there weren't as many alternatives. So, people stayed for lack of anywhere better to go. It's different now, and people are now used to customizing their online environments in ways that Babble doesn't support. And if Babble DID support such customization, it would effectively become a bunch of mini-forums, and I'm not sure that supports Bob's purposes (whatever the fuck those might be, since Bob refuses to divulge such details).
Posted by Toph on July 22, 2013, at 14:48:19
In reply to Re: Why Babble is in trouble..., posted by Moishe Pipik on July 22, 2013, at 10:44:42
> A lot has changed on the interwebs since the inception of Babble, especially Facebook, where users can pick and choose their contacts, content, sharing, etc., etc.. It appears that many Babblers or potential Babblers aren't comfortable with a totally open forum, having to see stuff they don't want to see, having their posts readable by everybody, and so on. Basically, Facebook allows a user to create his/her own customized community, and I think that's what many want and are used to, as opposed to Babble. Other online forums, as well, have features to hide content that's unwanted. Folks have more choices now, and more websites to compare Babble to. Perhaps, Babble is just plain obsolete in the current paradigm, especially considering how privacy-conscious many people have gotten since 2001. The stagnation of Babble in the past few years is perhaps proof that its attractiveness has simply given way to other more-customizable forums.
>
> On Facebook, if you don't like stuff posted by another, you can omit them from your news feed, or unfriend them altogether. In other online forums, you can selectively hide posts of others that you don't want to see. In Babble, you don't have such choices, and if you don't like something someone posts, your only recourse is to bitch to Bob.
Bob has commented on this. It seems he doesn't mind the differences...http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20130702/msgs/1046839.html
Posted by Moishe Pipik on July 22, 2013, at 15:26:27
In reply to Re: Why Babble is in trouble... » Moishe Pipik, posted by Toph on July 22, 2013, at 14:48:19
"Bob has commented on this. It seems he doesn't mind the differences..."
A cryptic comment, quite typical of Bob, who I think was a politician in another life.
"evolving"? Stagnating would be more accurate.
Posted by alexandra_k on July 22, 2013, at 18:30:30
In reply to Re: Why Babble is in trouble..., posted by Moishe Pipik on July 22, 2013, at 15:26:27
i think part of the peak was in the newness.
do we really want things to go back to then / there, though?
i think one of the major reasons for the reduction in posting numbers was that so many people were given lengthy blocks. like... me. don't know how many times i was blocked for one year. then other people seeing that and wondering whether they wanted to be part of a community where they could be blocked for one year for posting 'sh*t' without an asterisk (it would have seemed to them since they may not have had the context).
i remember spending a great number of hours here during my posting peak. i mean, really, at least 3 2 hour sessions per day. i remember checking the boards first thing in the morning then last thing in the evening. i remember some of those long admin threads would consume me for days. i remember my first anti-psychiatry exposure was with some blocked poster who posted under a different name... we had a back and forth on admin over the weekend... till bob came back on monday and reblocked him and removed the threads...
it was unsustainable. it was special, for sure, but... i don't think it was ultimately in my best interests for babble to mean that much to me. for me to give bob that much power over me. at least one of my blocks nearly killed me. well... i probably exaggerate... but it hurt. a whole f*ck*ng lot. really. and i am no wuss when it comes to tolerating physical pain.
do i really want things to go back to there?
i remember being so very happy indeed that we didn't get emoticons here. i'm glad babble didn't try and go all high tec. the verbal walls of texts encourage / are only likely to appeal to verbal posters, you see. i think people always thought that babble attracted a different kind of poster than psychcentral, and some of the other sites out there. i mean, a few people would post to both - but they posted differently at the different sites (myself included). i'm glad we aren't more like psychcentral.
i'd rather babble be as it is now than have the posting numbers of psychcentral.
Posted by Moishe Pipik on July 23, 2013, at 11:14:19
In reply to Why Babble is in trouble..., posted by Twinleaf on July 21, 2013, at 10:05:14
Persistence, something lauded by many, can also be a detriment to real progress. Seems Bob and Lou have this in common, with neither knowing when to give up and change course. Like global-warming deniers, they refuse to see the evidence as it really is. Babble has been running on fumes for YEARS, yet a persistent few, including Bob of course, continue to fan the dying flames, hoping against hope that it'll somehow do a "Phoenix" and rise from the ashes. It's been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. Seems there's an epidemic of that mentality, and it's quite apparent in this case. Put the damn thing out of its misery already.
Posted by alexandra_k on July 23, 2013, at 17:59:05
In reply to Re: Why Babble is in trouble..., posted by Moishe Pipik on July 23, 2013, at 11:14:19
> Babble has been running on fumes for YEARS, yet a persistent few, including Bob of course, continue to fan the dying flames, hoping against hope that it'll somehow do a "Phoenix" and rise from the ashes.
People seem to have this idea that the way things were... Around 2006... When there was the greatest number of posters / posts... That that is the ideal, somehow. The glory days.
People seem to have this idea that Bob's vision was to provide the biggest site, or something.
Was that the idea?
Was that the best time for Babble?
Around that time... I remember a lot of people reminiscing for 'the way things used to be'. Back when there was just one board, even. All the way back there...
Why think that things are worse now than they have ever been?
Things are different now, for sure, but why worse?
> Put the damn thing out of its misery already.
I find the way things are now to be helpful to me. If it wasn't... I wouldn't be here. Would you rather Bob shut it down so that form of help wasn't available to me anymore?
Really?
You can't do much (if anything) about others. You can only mind yourself, really. If you want Babble to be something different...
Well... What can you DO to contribute to that?
Up to you, really.
Posted by Dr. Bob on July 23, 2013, at 21:15:24
In reply to Re: Why Babble is in trouble..., posted by Moishe Pipik on July 22, 2013, at 12:04:45
> whatever the f[*]ck those might be
Please don't use language that could offend others.
More information about posting policies is in the FAQ:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#civil
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#enforceFollow-ups regarding these issues, as well as replies to the above post, should of course themselves be civil.
Thanks,
Bob
Posted by Dr. Bob on July 23, 2013, at 23:47:06
In reply to Re: Why Babble is in trouble..., posted by alexandra_k on July 23, 2013, at 17:59:05
> It used to be fun. Besides focusing on meds, depression, and all the other problems. There seemed to most of the time be a lot of humor mixed in. Which helped to lift moods and was just as I said fun. Now it is doom and gloom. I check daily hoping to find the babble of around 2006 back but it's not.
>
> Phillipa> It was once a wonderful forum
>
> TwinleafSo part of Babble feels it's doom and gloom.
> Why think that things are worse now than they have ever been?
>
> Things are different now, for sure, but why worse?
>
> I find the way things are now to be helpful to me. If it wasn't... I wouldn't be here.
>
> alexandra_kWhile another part of Babble feels it's OK.
Like a person who's depressed?
Bob
Posted by Twinleaf on July 24, 2013, at 14:14:46
In reply to Re: Is Babble in trouble?, posted by Dr. Bob on July 23, 2013, at 23:47:06
Comparing views of Babble to emotional states in really not relevant or appropriate. There have been real changes, not just ones derived from our states of mind. It's simply a fact that there are far fewer posters, and even fewer posters posting in an intimate manner. Whether one is pleased or saddened by this fact is due to individual preference, but probably not to the amount of depression an individual may be feeling ( or not feeling).
Posted by rjlockhart37 on July 26, 2013, at 14:24:41
In reply to Re: Is Babble in trouble? » Dr. Bob, posted by Twinleaf on July 24, 2013, at 14:14:46
i've read some of the responses, yes babble is declined in some of the support, lost some of its life, but you know we can't look back to the past and say "oh it was better back then" what im saying is to focus on improving babble, but there is alot of obstacles in the way....not the posters, just the content that happened since 2006, it declined, but don't focus on how much it was better then, we can make it better than 2006....its just a part of things, like the stock market, it goes up to lively levels of properity and it also goes down to loss vary much to effecting the economy, similar to what happened in 2008 to the econemy....
another solution is needed, the past is the past, don't use it to current times, my view is the view the current time and plan more things from the present to progress into the future....just forget everything that was in the past, its the past....and of course there is alot of things that are causing decay to babble, but just like reforms in congress, there can be reforms to babble....the only thing that has cause decay is corruption...not to any posters here on babble, but just the format of how it changed into what it is now.
so....dr-bob created babble in 1997-98 it slowly began to grow....but the only thing to make it get out of the slump it is right now is reforms, and its hard to complete
maybe we can just suggest things, there is poster that causes anger, and sometimes makes people new to babble...to not post....so trying to get this poster who is a bit scary to new posters...he keeps doing the same format, even to rebuke and comlaints to his posting, its the same thing over again....im trying to think of something to change this format that keep repeating itself...rebuke and complaints are not effective, and can not terminate through the facebook delete or block...option, so the only way i see right now is to find out how this poster thinks, and to reason with him....
if things options cannot rule over, there is the option of redoing the format of the whole babble concept...starting a new forum website is difficut especially since it caues money, and ratings of viewers....
Posted by SLS on July 26, 2013, at 14:38:34
In reply to Re: redo everything, posted by rjlockhart37 on July 26, 2013, at 14:24:41
Tomorrow People
Tomorrow people, where is your past?
Tomorrow people, how long will you last?If you don't know your past, you don't know your future
- Ziggy Marley
Posted by rjlockhart37 on July 26, 2013, at 19:35:53
In reply to Re: redo everything, posted by SLS on July 26, 2013, at 14:38:34
yes, that it true, maybe I used too much of my personal views, but how I see it....for me, I've had good memories and experiences and not good...it's kind like having a file, you read the file, and yes like the quote you have to know the past, but keeping the past, and the knowedge and stuff....but to make new use both the past and ideas...thts what I kida wanted dr-bob to read mybe to redo some of the things to make babble more lively like I was 7 years ago....
but im not the one to rally make the descion, its the babble members.....im only suggesting maybe some options....don't want to have high in the sky ideas
thaks..
Posted by SLS on July 26, 2013, at 20:14:09
In reply to Re: redo everything, posted by rjlockhart37 on July 26, 2013, at 19:35:53
"Tomorrow People"
Tomorrow people, where is your past?
Tomorrow people, how long will you last?If you don't know your past, you don't know your future
- Ziggy Marley
> yes, that it true, maybe I used too much of my personal views, but how I see it....for me, I've had good memories and experiences and not good...it's kind like having a file, you read the file, and yes like the quote you have to know the past, but keeping the past, and the knowedge and stuff....but to make new use both the past and ideas...thts what I kida wanted dr-bob to read mybe to redo some of the things to make babble more lively like I was 7 years ago....
>
> but im not the one to rally make the descion, its the babble members.....im only suggesting maybe some options....don't want to have high in the sky ideas
> thaks..I guess there is a balance of sorts that allows one to live in the present and actualize the moment.
I like the way you think, by the way.
- Scott
Posted by alexandra_k on July 26, 2013, at 23:08:31
In reply to Re: blocked for week » Moishe Pipik, posted by Dr. Bob on July 23, 2013, at 21:15:24
> > whatever the f[*]ck those might be
>
> Please don't use language that could offend others.
>
> More information about posting policies is in the FAQ:
>
> http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#civil
> http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#enforce
>
> Follow-ups regarding these issues, as well as replies to the above post, should of course themselves be civil.
>
> Thanks,
>
> BobI'm sorry you got blocked. I hope you come back when your block is up.
Posted by Dr. Bob on July 26, 2013, at 23:17:48
In reply to Re: Is Babble in trouble? » Dr. Bob, posted by Twinleaf on July 24, 2013, at 14:14:46
> > So part of Babble feels it's doom and gloom.
> >
> > While another part of Babble feels it's OK.
> >
> > Like a person who's depressed?
>
> It's simply a fact that there are far fewer posters, and even fewer posters posting in an intimate manner. Whether one is pleased or saddened by this fact is due to individual preference, but probably not to the amount of depression an individual may be feeling ( or not feeling).1. That's a good point, feeling it's doom and gloom may just be a way of expressing a preference for a different state of affairs.
2. I didn't mean to imply that those who feel it's doom and gloom are depressed.
3. What I meant was, sometimes a person who's depressed feels it's doom and gloom on one level and on another level that it's OK, that "there's no reason" to feel it's doom and gloom. So in that way Babble could be like a person who's depressed.
Bob
Posted by sleepygirl2 on July 27, 2013, at 23:12:04
In reply to Re: Is Babble in trouble?, posted by Dr. Bob on July 26, 2013, at 23:17:48
Dr bob, there's always a reason to see doom and gloom. ;-)
And maybe, there's always a reason to see things in a lighter/brighter way.
I don't know about all that.
But...I'm impressed that you've kept this site going.
I guess it must be worth it to you? Somehow?
I guess I've found reason enough for the past.... Uh, omg, like 10 years, to keep wandering around here.
And in that time, Facebook and twitter have become forces to be reckoned with! The Internet is craaaaazzzzy!
Posted by sigismund on July 28, 2013, at 1:59:28
In reply to Re: Is Babble in trouble?, posted by Dr. Bob on July 26, 2013, at 23:17:48
> It's simply a fact that there are far fewer posters, and even fewer posters posting in an intimate manner.
How could anybody be pleased with that (except the person posting)?
Maybe some are?
Relishing disappointment as I do......
Posted by Dr. Bob on July 28, 2013, at 23:08:44
In reply to Re: Is Babble in trouble?, posted by sigismund on July 28, 2013, at 1:59:28
> Dr bob, there's always a reason to see doom and gloom. ;-)
> And maybe, there's always a reason to see things in a lighter/brighter way.And maybe there's something to be said for being reminded of both.
> I'm impressed that you've kept this site going.
> I guess it must be worth it to you? Somehow?
> I guess I've found reason enough for the past.... Uh, omg, like 10 years, to keep wandering around here.
> And in that time, Facebook and twitter have become forces to be reckoned with! The Internet is craaaaazzzzy!
>
> sleepygirl2I guess it's worth it to all of us who are here. Do you get something out of Babble that you don't get out of FB and Twitter?
--
> > It's simply a fact that there are far fewer posters, and even fewer posters posting in an intimate manner.
>
> How could anybody be pleased with that (except the person posting)?
>
> sigismundI'm starting to appreciate some possible reasons:
1. They could feel less exposed.
2. They could feel it's more like a refuge.Bob
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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
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