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When creating this forum, I never considered anything but a public forum - one that can be read by anyone in the world with an internet connection. Mainly because there are so many people and dogs we will never meet who are helped by the experiences you share here. These are people who don't register, join, post. But they read and learn and their dogs benefit.
By virture of simply sharing what you are going through with your diabetic dog, you help others.
And some people, after reading along, decide ultimately to join. They wouldn't have if they had been blocked from access from the beginning.
But it is easy to forget that literally anyone can be reading along... your family, your neighbors, your veterinarian.
That is why we make a point never to ask people for their names or their dogs' names when they join. There are many legitimate reasons people may want to remain anonymous or use only a login name and not disclose their names, their dogs' names, their locations.
The publicness of everything that is said here and the potential for one's veterinarian or family members to be reading along is something I need to emphasize more in the registration process I think. And maybe post a reminder like this periodically.
Because we get comfortable and it's just easy to forget.
When I first joined a forum about diabetic dogs back in 2004, I used my whole first and last name as a login. Eventually, I regretted that. Talk aobut a lack of anonymity! But I didn't think much about it at first and that's likely true for a lot of people.
We often have the difficult task of expressing concerns about the veterinary care a newly diagnosed diabetic dog is receiving and must consider the risk that the vet will be offended and will cause more problems for the client and his or her dog. The greater the risk I see for the dog, the more I am willing to go out on a limb to bring those concerns to the member's attention. But it's always a stressful thing to do.
I have always aimed for a forum where veterinarians could also feel comfortable reading and even posting. That if we take our job seriously, they will take what's said here seriously too.
A difficult balance.
Natalie
By virture of simply sharing what you are going through with your diabetic dog, you help others.
And some people, after reading along, decide ultimately to join. They wouldn't have if they had been blocked from access from the beginning.
But it is easy to forget that literally anyone can be reading along... your family, your neighbors, your veterinarian.
That is why we make a point never to ask people for their names or their dogs' names when they join. There are many legitimate reasons people may want to remain anonymous or use only a login name and not disclose their names, their dogs' names, their locations.
The publicness of everything that is said here and the potential for one's veterinarian or family members to be reading along is something I need to emphasize more in the registration process I think. And maybe post a reminder like this periodically.
Because we get comfortable and it's just easy to forget.
When I first joined a forum about diabetic dogs back in 2004, I used my whole first and last name as a login. Eventually, I regretted that. Talk aobut a lack of anonymity! But I didn't think much about it at first and that's likely true for a lot of people.
We often have the difficult task of expressing concerns about the veterinary care a newly diagnosed diabetic dog is receiving and must consider the risk that the vet will be offended and will cause more problems for the client and his or her dog. The greater the risk I see for the dog, the more I am willing to go out on a limb to bring those concerns to the member's attention. But it's always a stressful thing to do.
I have always aimed for a forum where veterinarians could also feel comfortable reading and even posting. That if we take our job seriously, they will take what's said here seriously too.
A difficult balance.
Natalie
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