Revive sticky thread on conventional and alternative MS therapies?

[agate]

xo++ (Mark), a member of this board for many years, has been absent for a while but has dropped by and is kindly offering to bring us an update on MS therapies.

At least that's how I interpret what he said in another thread:

I'll summarize the recent research on the new DMDs for what it's worth ... just wish we didn't have to balance effectiveness with risk ...

For those who weren't here or don't recall, this used to be a sticky thread that appeared near the top of the page at all times:Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

A couple of years ago we voted to remove several sticky threads, and because Mark was no longer here to update that one, it was voted out.

Since I was the one who started that poll, maybe I should be the one to start a new one now.

I'll do a little campaigning on behalf of this idea. If you click on the link, you'll see that Mark has made it easy to find the pros and cons for each treatment option and has given us a summary of the more important research findings, with links.

This seems to me to be such a valuable resource that we can't say no to this idea. But if anyone strongly believes that we can't tolerate any more sticky threads, please speak up.

The argument against sticky threads was that it was hard to scroll down so far just to find the new threads or posts on the board.

However, you can click on "New Posts" at the top of the screen, and you can get e-mail notification of any new posts or threads by clicking on "Subscribe to This Forum" after clicking on "Forum Tools" at the top right of the page.

Your vote will remain private.

There is currently no time limit for the poll. Mark should probably determine the time limit--?

[Howie]

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[agate]

In the Feedback section I've requested having the archived sticky thread restored temporarily so that Mark can update it more easily.

Later, if people feel strongly about having it unstickied, we can deal with that issue.

[agate]

So far the prospects don't look good for reviving the sticky thread from the archive. If I recall the changeover to this format (older posts are missing and so I can't check back), the only way to transfer a sticky over here at that time was by copying and pasting individual posts, as was done in the Useful Websites sticky.

Moderator 7 reminded me of this in a reply to the Feedback post.

I'm not sure that would work for this particular thread of Mark's, and it would be laborious. It would end up looking quite different and might be harder to navigate through.

I was hoping that by now there might be a way to simply transfer that thread from the archive over here. There may be a way that Mike Weins or some other administrator here knows about.

So, Mark, it looks more and more as if you'd need to do a whole new thread, but I suggest waiting a few days for a more detailed response from the admins.

[SuzE-Q]

I am not "seeing" a poll in which to vote on my device, but since I asked Mark for his thoughts on the newer treatments, I vote YES to have that info in a sticky if at all possible!

Such valuable, helpful info and I really respect Mark's analyses of all things MS!

[agate]

I had no idea that polls wouldn't show up on some devices. You might want to take that up in the Feedback forum as it may affect others and it could invalidate polls here if people who would have voted can't do so. It should appear at the top, above the Reply window.

[agate]

Even on a Saturday night this board is on its toes. Mike Weins has replied that he will try to transport the archived sticky thread but he warns that it will take time and might not be possible:

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

[xo++]

Hi Joan,

Mike really doesn't need to do anything ... I can just copy and paste from the archived thread. When I wrote that post way back when, it was stickied and then I couldn't change it. I asked the mods at the time to let me update it and make a few changes but it was a problem as I recall. Again whether it's stickied or not, I'll go ahead and create a post with summaries which I hope reflect the latest research ...

Mark

[Moderator #7]

Hello Mark and welcome back to BT!

How wonderful that you are willing to copy and paste information and start a new thread with all this in one easily accessed place!

I'd like to make a few suggestions, please. Please check all those links before you copy and paste a post. I went through the first 4 of your posts and all of the Pub-Med links are still where you link to them from the post. There was one where your link led to a "Page Not Found" and one of the links to the old "Hasty-Pastry" domain timed out before the page could be found.

The time span to edit text in stickies is around 20-30 days, just as it is in the regular forums. I don't think this can be changed, as it's a function of the program. However, if you ever want to change something in a post or a link and it is past it's edit expiration date , please just pm me and I will be very happy to copy and paste anything you want changed. It's not a problem and I am here to make these forums work for everyone!

If you have any problems or need any help while you are copying and pasting the new thread, please also pm me. It will be no problem to make this a sticky if that's what everyone wants.

Thank you.

[xo++]

Hello Mark and welcome back to BT!

How wonderful that you are willing to copy and paste information and start a new thread with all this in one easily accessed place!

I'd like to make a few suggestions, please. Please check all those links before you copy and paste a post. I went through the first 4 of your posts and all of the Pub-Med links are still where you link to them from the post. There was one where your link led to a "Page Not Found" and one of the links to the old "Hasty-Pastry" domain timed out before the page could be found.

The time span to edit text in stickies is around 20-30 days, just as it is in the regular forums. I don't think this can be changed, as it's a function of the program. However, if you ever want to change something in a post or a link and it is past it's edit expiration date , please just pm me and I will be very happy to copy and paste anything you want changed. It's not a problem and I am here to make these forums work for everyone!

If you have any problems or need any help while you are copying and pasting the new thread, please also pm me. It will be no problem to make this a sticky if that's what everyone wants.

Thank you.

Thanks Moderator #7 ... I suspected some of the links would be out of date, but am happy at least the Pubmed links are intact ... but I'll check all ...

Mark

[Sunshine]

Wow Mark, that is so generous of you to check out those links. You get an award for that !

[agate]

I'm not sure which OP (original poster) you mean, Exacerbator. In fact the meaning of your post isn't getting through to me except that its tone is critical.

I hate it when a message board starts circling its wagons but a little of that may be called for here.

You joined this board only a couple of months ago, right? October 2014? So far you haven't said much, which is fine--some people lurk for many years--but the rest of the people here don't know much about you.

I can tell you what I had to learn from others when I first registered at this MS board. Things go more smoothly if you post a thread introducing yourself. You can come back later and edit the post if you feel you've said something you don't want out there. If the editing "window" has expired, you can ask a moderator for permission to edit your post.

Are you someone who was here a while ago under a different name, maybe? How are we to know anything about you?

On the other hand, many people here have been here longer than I have, and I've been here 13 years. xo++ (Mark) was a very active participant in this board for many years, and his posts about MS research were very much valued.

Maybe you were just having a bad day, Exacerbator.

[Virginia]

Agate, let me be one of the ones to "circle the wagon". In the early days after my diagnosis I found this site (over 14 years ago). It was and has continued to be a Godsend. Mark was someone who helped me tremendously back in those days - a person who knew how to do research correctly and had the facilities close by to do it. He generously shared so much with so many of us that helped us an awful lot. We do value his opinion and trust him ethically.

As you said Agate, maybe Exacerbator was just having a bad day.

[Virginia]

P.S., I am one of the ones who cannot find where to vote on this and I am not even sure we still need to do so. Just in case, I vote YES, YES, YES to Mark updating his original post and to making it a sticky.

[agate]

Virginia, I'm looking into why you can't vote in the poll. It's possible that it shut itself down by default after a certain time even though it wasn't set to have any deadline.

There's really no need for this poll just now, since Mark has agreed to do a new thread. We can be concerned about the "stickiness" of it later.

I'm going to ask the moderators to close the poll--and maybe just delete the thread.