Should LapBandTalk have forums for OTHER Weight Loss Surgeries?

[Chickie 15]

At the risk of becoming even *more* unpopular, I'd like to add to my reply.

I hear people when they say that they don't want the arguments that happen between other surgery types and bandsters. I get that people don't want that conflict.

But. And this is a big BUT... If people were to let go of this "My surgery is best, yours sucks because of X, Y and Z" it might cause less fights. I don't just see other surgery types doing it, I see a lot of bandsters doing it too. Mostly newbies, who are still full of excitement over their surgery, but you do get the odd bandster who is a few years out who does it. We might be able to coexist with other surgery types quite happily if that was to stop.

As to the fact that they are pretty empty, uh, they are fairly new sub forums, so they won't be exactly brimming with posts yet. That will take time. And if we at LBT are open minded about other surgery types, we might just get along better than anyone expected.

I am pretty sure there is a way for people to ignore forums still, for those who really object to the new forums.

[Froggi 4]

No worries Chickie we'll always love you :thumbup:

[nina874 48]

Well said Chickie!! We all started out the same way we just took different paths to get to the end goal, I cannot see what the big deal is.

I distrust anyone who is evangelical about anything, there is very rarely a right or wrong in most things, just different opinions or pathways. I looked at other surgeries and chose the band because it suited ME, not because I felt it was superior in any way.Lets all learn to be more tolerant, and if people want to throw their toys out of their pram........ well, let them.

[MrsFlipFlops 2]

I voted no. If I wanted to talk about other surgeries I'd go to another site. Like OH or something. Frankly, I like having a site where people understand the issues faced by lapbanders alone. I don't think it's an issue of people being wanted or not. I chose LBT because the entire site was dedicated to lapband. If it's not going to be that way, then there's nothing special about it compared to sparkpeople or OH, etc.

Actually, when I saw the other boards had been posted, I stopped coming for awhile. I don't want to come on so much if it's a free for all.

Edited August 21, 2008 by MrsFlipFlops
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[HeatherO 7]

I went to other sites before I came here. I came here because I wanted more band specific topics. I think it is fine to have others mentioned, but I stay on this site because the focus is the band.

[Kat817 19]

I have seen that as becoming more of a problem....but so far nothing that is out of control.

As has been said most people come here to LAPBANDTALK to talk about Lap Bands. But recently someone will be asking a question concerning a future banding, or even someone with a band already in place, and here comes someone answering on a totally different procedure. Or promoting another type of surgery altogether, and I know those posts are deleted.

On the main page there is an arrow at the top of each category of threads, click it and the entire group shrinks away from view. If you do not want to scroll through all the other weight loss thread categories, shrink them up and you don't see them at all.

If you see someone posting as I mentioned above, alert one of us, or simply send it in as a reported post, and we can try to move it to more appropriate place. Unfortunately telling the poster this is a Lap Band board does no good whatsoever!!! That is when the tempers flare!

In a perfect world, there would be a dozen more as wise and talented as Alex, and each surgery would have a board as good as LBT!!!! Til then, surely we can all get along.

Kat

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

I don't even want to see this board being compared to OH.

Lapband talk is very organized. I see no problem with having the other surgeries listed. It's Alex's board, to do with as he pleases. I don't go visiting the other WLS section, because I have no interest in other WLS at this point. It's very easy for us to go to the forums we are interested in, and ignore the ones that we aren't interested it.

I really don't get why this would be a big deal.

[HeatherO 7]

I don't even want to see this board being compared to OH.

Lapband talk is very organized. I see no problem with having the other surgeries listed. It's Alex's board, to do with as he pleases. I don't go visiting the other WLS section, because I have no interest in other WLS at this point. It's very easy for us to go to the forums we are interested in, and ignore the ones that we aren't interested it.

I really don't get why this would be a big deal.

I agree 100%. Thanks, Denise. :w00t:

I also spend 95% of my time on any forum here on Lapband Talk because I like the positive outlook of most posters, and the structure is friendly. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I got annoyed that a thread here had descended into pointless squabbling, on some other sites it seems to be a daily event.

I really don't think it matters so much in that threads grow on their own and as long as things are categorized in such a way that you can get to topics of primary interest, all is hunky dory with me.

This site focuses on Lapband so the majority of posters will be bandsters. I started off on a couple of other forums but soon lost interest in that most people were R&Y and there was just not enough going on with bandsters to keep me hooked. I think that people with other wls procedures will gravitate to other forums in the same way so that they find something that more closely match their interests.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

Exactly. LapBandTalk is organized in a way that makes it easy to focus on lapband issues, if that is what you want to do.

Some people don't like rants and raves. Should it be deleted because some people don't like it? Of course not. Same with the other WLS forums. Again I will say, this is Alex's board, and he has the right to do anything he pleases with it. I am just greatful that he started LapBandTalk and does such a wonderful job with it.

I am addicted to it, and it's great to have this addiction taking over my food addiction!

[IndioGirl55 32]

I voted yes - like others if I ever lost my band - I would look into another form of WLS and I could stay right here - this (LBT) has become my home..

[Carrie_C 9]

Thing is Alex, the other WLS people are posting everywhere. In the help parts for Lapband and everything. They don't stay in their forums lol. But no biggie I just ignore them.

I don't have a problem with it. To me, them posting in other forums and giving advice is no different than people who haven't even had Lap Band surgery yet posting on the help sites. To keep them out would be like keeping people out who haven't even had their surgery yet.

[Daisalana 33]

Just my 2 cents, no because.. it's Lap-Band Talk. It's not Weight Loss Surgery Talk or Obesity Talk.. it's.. LAP BAND.

If people are wanting information for DS or something, they should seek DS forums..

I wouldn't go to a forum on siamese cats expecting information on persians.

[MacMadame 81]

But what if you wanted to know which was the best cat for you - persians or siamese? :tt2:

[greenize 0]

Okay, I am going to chime in on this one....No, I don't think we should open up this web site to other surgeries. I get discouraged enough as it is without having to constantly hear about the amazing weight loss of bypass patients. If you allow everone in, this site will become another version of Obesity Help, and then we have to wade through everybody's posts looking for lapband support. Now all you have to do is log in, and you know everyone present is in the same boat experiencing the same struggles.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

Okay, I am going to chime in on this one....No, I don't think we should open up this web site to other surgeries. I get discouraged enough as it is without having to constantly hear about the amazing weight loss of bypass patients. If you allow everone in, this site will become another version of Obesity Help, and then we have to wade through everybody's posts looking for lapband support. Now all you have to do is log in, and you know everyone present is in the same boat experiencing the same struggles.

I don't think this is true. I have said this before. Lap Band Talk is organized in such a way that you don't have to wade through everyone else's posts to find what you are looking for. the other surgeries are down at the bottom of the home page, and nobody has to go there, unless they want to.

I think Alex has done an excellent job of organizing LBT in such a way that you can go right to where you want to find information you are looking for.