response to my complaint about the new "share" button

Jeremy, with OH, has posted a reply on the main message board.  http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/amos/4107306/Share-button-addition/              

While I am savy enough to understand that nothing online is ever completely private I did post some medically related issues here (as WLS is a medical issue) that I do not care for my family, friends or the public at large to "share" in.  If I wanted them to know my private medical business I would email/talk to them directly and personally.  I am angry over the change and while it was really more of an edit than an outright change, I'm still not a happy camper.  I doubt seriously that my position on this matter will change.  If I remain an OH member I will no longer post about my medical issues nor reply to others...and isn't that the point of this site.  So in the days ahead I will be deciding if I will continue to put any time or effort into this site of if I will delete my account.  I'm not one to do things half way and if this is turning into nothing but another meaningless social site than I am no longer interested in putting in the time and effort required to be a part of this community.

I respect each and every one of you and I'm sure you'll no doubt have your personal opinions.  This is not about any of you.  This is about me and OH - a business.  And sometimes the only way we can show our displeasure with business practices that we disagree with is to remove our business and talk with our feet as we walk away.

Sad and dreading change...

Thanks for posting this.  I never go to the other boards so it's nice to see their response.  What they don't GET is that we like to use our real names and pics so we can find each other at events and cuz it makes it all more REAL-like we're actually talking to a person rather than a picture.

Last night Don (LostTxn) and I were talking on the phone about all of this....My thoughts are if OH is needing more $$ to keep the site up, and this is their way of income generation, I would not mind being charged a relative minimal fee to be a member of OH.  It could be in the range of $10-25 per year.  Do you realize how much $$ that would generate.  To me, OH is very important site...I dont know how I would have gotten through the last 4.5 years since I had my surgery.  And since I met Don on one of the other OH boards, OH is my favorite website.  As I tell my friends, yes I met Don on the internet, but not on any 'dating' or traditional social networking website....it was one dealing with WLS. 

Is OH hurting for $$...I have recently noticed a lot of advertisements that are not weight loss connected, and now this???

Thanks for posting the link as I don't go over to the main board very often.   I have to say that I really have mixed feelings on this.  On one hand in the past someone could still share our information... it just wasn't as easy as it is now.  I don't want to over react... but I don't like the idea of something I post here being shared on other public boards.  I come to OH to share my WLS experience...I may post things here that I would NEVER post on FB.  I am not ashamed of my WLS but honestly not all  my "friends" on FB know about it

I did just make my profile private (need to think about this for awhile) and may go and delete my albums as well although they are only viewable to friends there are pics I don't want "out there"!!  Still trying to decide if I want to change my avatar... took me forever to come out from behind the camera... hate to go back into hiding!!!

I hate the fact that this new option may make some of us more guarded on what we post here ... and in some cases we may lose people all together.

I'm just afraid that this is going to change what I thought OH was all about. 

thanks Tawnya for this information because I dont' bother to go to any other board either.  This one is the only one I can really stomach.  And now this. Seems to me they jack around with it and now it's 'take it or leave it'.  So I think I"ll leave it.  IF we could find someplace else, SAFE, that we could share what we want to share without THEM changing it around for us, then it would be perfect.

I am so glad that you questioned this change.  I do think that if enough folks make their statement by inactivating their account for a while AND boycotting their advertisers, then maybe they would get a clue.  There are times when making a statement works.   Honestly I think this is what Paul In Dallas, now a deactivated member was talking about for year.  NO, not the OTHER Paul.

This really chaps my hide!  Wonder how long it would take for enough of us on the TMB (the most active state board) to not participate, before they would know we mean business.

I can find everyone I need and want to communicate with, elsewhere or by other means.

Anyone else??  I am game.

I guess my issue is that OH is touted as a medical suport community.  Every live event is about medical issues and conditions with professional medical personnel.  Doctors are member of this site and exercise physiologists (Jeremy) and Registered Dieticians (on the nutrition board) all post on OH as OH official contributors.  Thus, when I registered for OH I registered for participation in a medical community.  In that there is a reasonable expectation of privacy based on HIPPA. 

Although not a route that I will choose to pursue, I bet that this issue ends up in court.  If not in suit to OH at least in suit or complaints to governing medical boards for the unethical violation of privacy in regards to medical contributions and discussions pertaining to those medical professionals who contribute to this site.

But it's no more open than it was before?
Nothing has changed..
it's just people who CHOOSE to share can click a button instead of hitting copy and paste.

no change?

BECK-no offense, but the count goes by "hits"..not by WHO makes the hits. As important as WE think we are, others would never know we were gone. WE would just be replaced by new "numbers" I've seen a million peeps come and go over the years. By leaving you would only be hurting people like me..and you, in the long run.

I love you-and you KNOW it!

oh I understand sweetie,

I guess this is what just finally broke the camels' back, so to speak.  My big rub with this place is we are not being heard.  It's all the lip service and then there is nothing.

This biggest thing, Like Tawnya says is the advertising and the conferences!  You and I both know that we go now because it's a awesome place to share the love with each other and socialize.  But what's the point of going to an 'informative conference for WLS" and the STILL is nothing for those of us that are 3+ years out??  And this time there were even promises that there would be change.  Well, hello, that conference was in September.

Honestly, why would I want to support the advertisers on this site, if this site is not giving me or any of us OLDtimers what we need.  We can and DO socialize via FB and text and phone call.   Its like a marriage I think. If you want to keep it fresh and real and worth the effort, you gotta gimme what I need too.

So HOW do we get that point across to all those promise breakers??

BECKY-it's a FREE site. I guess I don't feel they OWE me anything..but that's just me. I do not go to conferences EXPECTING to learn anything, but I always come away refreshed and renewed-becuse of the PEOPLE.

You say "they" are not giving you what you need. I'm guessing it's because they honestly don't KNOW what to do with us. We know more about what to do way out post op than any non-op speaker can ever know.

I hope you find what you are looking for. I love you.