On 1/19/06, Susan Gallant <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>
>   And I have offered websites and book titles when ever possible, but
> again I have also learned many things from health seminars for which no
> website is offered. There is also much I have learned from being involved
in
> breastfeeding support groups and also working with a home midwife to plan
on
> a home birth with our younger daughter and I learned a great deal from her
> as well. I just don't know that a lot if websites can be pulled out of all
> that since information flyers and individual conversations aren't normally
> on a web page.


If you're dealing with types of information that are only shared by
word-of-mouth, then it is indeed difficult to provide references for your
claims.

The problem is that the internet contains an enormous quantity of
information, only some of which is true.  (This is of course not limited to
the internet, but it is magnified by it.)   So intelligent users of the
internet (both the web and mailing lists) need to learn to judge the
value/validity of their sources (both websites and individuals).  Some
people do this by looking for references to respected non-internet
information sources, such as peer-reviewed journals.   Some people consider
the reputation of individuals and organizations behind various information
sources.  Some people believe everything they read/hear.  Some believe
whatever sounds logical to them.  Many people use a combination of these
approaches, and of course many others.  IMO, some of these approaches are
better/smarter/safer than others, and those are the ones I choose.

> I was under the impression we were exchanging websites to offer websites
> that could be helpful rather than doing it to have to "prove" ourselves.


You can offer whatever you want, but the more "evidence" you offer to
suggest that your information is valid, the more people will believe you.
If you just say "I once heard" that isn't considered very strong evidence by
a lot of people.  You seem to think that more pieces of information are
better, but frankly it can be dangerous to try everything someone heard from
a friend of a friend at some point in their lives.  People here and
elsewhere need to make reasonable judgements as to what is likely to be safe
and effective for them.

But just as you can offer whatever you want, with or without references,
It's equally valid for other people here to challenge or dispute things
posted here.  Finding out what other people think of a piece of information
or what other people's experience has been helps people to figure out which
pieces of information they wish to take seriously.

> If that's the case then that takes the fun out of being n the talk list
for
> moral support.


I don't think most of us are here for "fun".  It's great to have a support
network, but frankly this list isn't the "community of like-minded
milk-haters" you seem to be looking for.  We all avoid milk (or have family
members who do so) to some degree for various reasons.  What we have in
common is the need for practical information about which brands just added
milk to their recipe, what substitutions can be used, etc.  What we don't
have in common is our reasons or our philosophies.  It's a mistake to think
that you can post any anti-milk thing you want here (or anything else for
that matter) and have it go unchallenged.

Part of the value of a diverse community such as this is the exposure to
different points of view. But people should only post things here that they
are willing to have challeneged, because we have a lot of critical readers
among us, who won't believe something just because we read it on the
internet.   When you make a very strong claim, such as that 80% of
bedwetting cases are caused by dairy allergies, that doesn't make sense to
many of us, we're going to ask you how you know that.  If all you can offer
is "I heard someone say that onece" it isn't very convincing.  When you
offer up websites to back you up that don't make that claim, and barely
mention the issue at all, that doesn't convince me.  Even if I called them
up and someone said the same thing to me on the phone, that wouldn't be
enough unless they could give me some convincing reason why they believe it.

--Robyn