I think you are correct in saying that this newsgroup is primarily for
clinicians and researchers in immunology. Many of us who use this
newsgroup have no patient contact and are ill equipped to answer
questions regarding patient issues. I think your idea for a separate
newsgroup for patients is an excellent one and would serve to focus the
subjects into the areas that interest patients.
> There are a lot of people on the Internet with immune related
> illnesses. Because of this, I've floated the idea for a sci.med
> immunology newsgroup. (Note: this has all been done informally,
> I haven't started a formal RFD with Ron Dippold yet.) The
> response from patients has been overwhelming: folks from the immune
> list, the chronic fatigue syndrome list, the fibromyalgia list, alt.
> med.allergy and with AIDS have sent me many messages calling for one.
>> However, the response from MDs and immunologists has been underwhelming
> at best. One person suggested that this would duplicate the function
> of your newsgroup here, bionet.immunology.
>> From what I can tell, you don't particularly focus on the clinical
> as opposed to the research aspects of immunology, and I suspect that
> you would not welcome a large influx of laypeople with immune
> related illnesses over here. I had envisioned a group that would
> provide a place for a discussion of the medical and techinical
> aspects of immune diseases as opposed to serving as a support group.
> I also thought it would be a way to pull together the various
> immunology discussions on the Net, and to perhaps talk about new
> findings that are not being addressed in other forums.
>> However, I also think that this plan is doomed to failure if the
> physicians and research immunologists don't want to participate.
> I'd appreciate any input people here have: are you interested in
> it? Would you post or help to answer questions? Do you feel
> that it would serve a different function than your group here, or
> do you feel that it's needless duplication? In which case, how
> are you going to feel if I start telling all the other folks
> sick with immune illnesses that we already have a group, it's
> called bionet.immunology and all these laypeople start coming over
> here and asking questions?
>> I'm going to cross post this to sci.med, since I would also
> like the feedback of the physicians over there. Thanks.
>>>
>>>> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Camilla Cracchiolo, RN camilla at netcom.com Los Angeles, CA
>> Shrine of the Cybernetic Madonna BBS 213-766-1356
> "The BBS for the information addict!"
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
==============================================================================
James F. George, Ph.D. "Back off man, I'm a scientist"
Department of Surgery --Bill Murray
University of Alabama at Birmingham
205-934-4261 voice
txpljfg at uabcvsr.cvsr.uab.edu
===============================================================================
