Re:Closing This Board

[Snorlax94]

I saw the announcement that this board is closing at the end of 2020. 

I wanted to express my hope that it be kept open a bit longer.

Although some people have already received a vaccine, and so, to a large extent, as far as their personal safety is concerned, the pandemic may be “over” for them, many of us have not received the vaccine and may not have an opportunity to receive one for many months.

This forum could continue to be a very helpful resource for those people to discuss issues like vaccine safety, which vaccine to choose (if they have a choice), or even where to get one. It could also provide a venue for people who have been vaccinated to share their experience.

Just recently, this forum discussed possible treatments like remdesivir and monoclonal antibodies, as well as the availability of those treatments. Issues like these unfortunately may remain relevant for many of us for a while.

And for those of us without vaccines, who may not be able to get treatments even if infected, this forum could continue to provide information on topics like choosing safe activities, acquiring high-quality PPE and upcoming treatments.

If moderators are concerned about drifting from the Terry Rule, I could see narrowing the Terry Rule to focus more specifically on issues like medical news, safety, vaccines, vaccine distribution, and treatments.

I can understand the desire to close this board, and agree it makes sense to do so as soon as it’s appropriate, but the death rate in Santa Clara County has never been higher than now. It has never been a more dangerous time for unvaccinated people in SCC, so it feels like a tough time to close this helpful resource.

[Genuine Realist]

I saw the announcement that this board is closing at the end of 2020. 

I wanted to express my hope that it be kept open a bit longer.

Although some people have already received a vaccine, and so, to a large extent, as far as their personal safety is concerned, the pandemic may be “over” for them, many of us have not received the vaccine and may not have an opportunity to receive one for many months.

This forum could continue to be a very helpful resource for those people to discuss issues like vaccine safety, which vaccine to choose (if they have a choice), or even where to get one. It could also provide a venue for people who have been vaccinated to share their experience.

Just recently, this forum discussed possible treatments like remdesivir and monoclonal antibodies, as well as  the availability of those treatments. Issues like these unfortunately may remain relevant for many of us for a while.

And for those of us without vaccines, who may not be able to get treatments even if infected, this forum could continue to provide information on topics like choosing safe activities, acquiring high-quality PPE  and upcoming treatments.

I can understand the desire to close this board, and agree it makes sense to do so as soon as it’s appropriate, but the death rate in Santa Clara County has never been higher than now. It has never been a more dangerous time for unvaccinated people in SCC, so it feels like a tough time to close this helpful resource.

Thanks for the buggy ride, in any case. Topics as urgent and politicized as this will result in strong emotion, often expressed verbally. I have never been particularly bothered by rude language directed at what is at bottom an internet avatar (my flesh-and-blood personality is a lot different than the one projected here), and why anyone else is, is beyond me.

But those are the rules here, and it is indeed more civil than the old CEB. Why the occasional intemperate post or reply is so threatening is beyond me. 

That said, thanks for the open forum for as long as it lasted.

[thatboy]

Quote from the announcement: "The moderators have discussed this and are unanimous."

I realize the mods and owners of this site don't owe us anything and I am grateful for the ability to read and occasionally post here. But it would be nice if the users had a chance to voice their opinion before such a decisive edict. I guess that's what we're doing in this thread.

I for one would like to continue this, as well. The December 31 date seems premature given the exploding cases of COVID, as Snorlax noted.

Sure, some topics drift into politics occasionally, but it seems quite civil even then.

I don't post here much, but I do read most of the threads and continue to gain valuable insights.

Thanks

[M T]

While I believe there has been a lot of unneeded (& for some time, rather unchecked) heat on here, this board has been a good place to discuss and find information on important issues that impact all of us and the greater community.

Obviously, this isn't being shut down because COVID is over.  It would be foolish to claim that,  so it must be for another reason.  COVID will continue to impact Stanford sports, Stanford, and all the people here, individually and our communities.

I find it odd to claim this is being done because the COVID board "long [out lived] its purpose".  There are recent topics on COVID with more posts than the thread for the last Stanford FB game.

I don't know who all the moderators are, but it surprises me that this is really unanimous, and why unanimity was brought up, but a real reason for shutting it down wasn't.  Maybe there is a lawsuit (or a consent agreement) that they can't tell us about.

But, it has been made clear from the beginning that we are but guests posting at the will of those providing this board.  Thanks for the forum even if I don't understand why it is being closed.

I don't know of other forums that would be as well-informed as this one.  If someone knows of one, please let us all know.

If nothing else, let me thank the MDs for all they've done, and for the good information they've shared with us all.  And especially Boston Card.  He has brought so much good information to us all.  There have been others that have provided information as well.

And thanks to everyone here for participating, even if I didn't always agree with you or you with me.

To all, stay healthy.  It isn't over.

[JustAnotherFan]

This really was my go to spot for quick feedback on the latest research article, news of miracle cures, or new deadly strains that would turn the pandemic on its head (or tail). Of course neither the miracle cures or the deadly strains materialized, but this board allowed me to recognize long before the general public how the disease spreads, the unique factors that lead to super spreader events, and how woefully insufficient a dashboard can be if one is not looking out weeks in advance and recognizing all the human factors not captured on dashboards. It greatly informed my decision to take my education community entirely outdoors for the pandemic instead of bringing young people and staff together indoors, and it has allowed me to speak with more confidence on why we need to not loosen up our approach even as most of society demands that kids get back in school. 

Thanks to all the doctors on the board, and all the well read, thoughtful lay persons. You've all been great. I really wish this board wasn't closing, either.

[Hurlburt88]

I have learned much from this board, and am most appreciative.   Along with other posters on this thread, I would like to request that the moderators consider extending.   This is not over, and I think having a great forum like this for discussing some of the issues that will emerge in the coming months will be valuable.   

That said, if we do shut down this week, thanks to all! where else would I have learned the phrase "artisanal data?"

[DocSavage87]

I echo most of what MT said.  COVID-19 will be here for a while and there are a number of important issues that remain.  For example, as we get more data on side effects and effectiveness of the various vaccines, are there differences in the ideal recipient populations.  Presumably the care givers will do appropriate selection but we all know that availability, bad admin, etc, could make the rollout less than ideal so knowledge is good.  I'm afraid the vaccine will not prevent a number of outbreaks as it's rolled out, particularly if people let their guard down and forget that immunity isn't instant, so discussion of the state of the country is also very relevant.  I'd be in favor of making a more severe Terry Rule where we halt opinions about whether govt/public health mgmt is wrong (which by definition is political) and stick with data and expert or at least physician/scientists interpretations of it.

In any case, thanks to Boston Card for a lot of posts since it helped grow my cache of relevant material.  Stay safe!

[Goose]

I too have certainly enjoyed the information shared on this thread. Some of the posts (mine included) may have been more political than was appropriate, but we survived it. I am pretty certain the moderators are quite aware this epidemic isn't over. If it were, this thread would die a natural death. However, the moderators started a sports board, not a COVID-19 board, and I can fully appreciate they want to run a sports board. This group of sports fans just happens to be an interesting group of people and many of them actually know something about the problem at hand. Probably that's why this is an interesting thread. Probably true this board can't be both, so back to Stanford sports!

[lex24]

I suspect the moderators want their sports  board back. 

 I appreciated the info.  And also the opportunity to discuss some of the surrounding topics, which were necessarily political.  While I disagreed at times - and was called on it - I appreciated the civility of the discourse. Something we desperately need. I greatly appreciated the Drs that posted: those of you on the front lines - bless  you.  From the bottom of my heart.

I will not miss the doom and gloom that often dominated, albeit understandably. But that’s just me.  

Stay safe.  This too shall pass.  And to steal from Dan Rather:  “Courage.”

[BostonCard]

It was always a question of "when" and not "if", and it was always going to be an arbitrary expiration date.  The New Year seemed like it made about as much sense as any other time.  While I agree that this board continues to have useful information, it had always been meant as a place to offload what easily could cross into the political from the main board, not an end in itself.

And so, rather than carry on as a grizzled veteran that thinks it has a couple more good seasons left, but in reality is a shell of itself, it is better to end things arbitrarily a little early than to allow this to become increasingly political as the COVID-19 news inevitably wanes.

Thanks to Terry for his eponymous rule, which though not always strictly followed, did serve as a good guiding principle, and to 2006alum, whose moderation early on ensured that the board continued to function.  I know not everyone always agreed with it, but I hope you all know that it was always well-intentioned.

BC

[OutsiderFan]

Truly one of the most short-sighted, out of touch, poorly reasoned, and ill-conceived decisions of 2020.

This is like punting from your opponent's 33 yard line. 

I've said multiple times this board is the best place for Covid information and associated matters, anywhere on the internet. So of course, shut it down when the pandemic is still raging and many issues remain unanswered.

Without this board, the CARDboard is going to explode with OT posts about what was discussed here. Or will Covid-related posts be banned?

Honestly, I'd pay a monthly subscription to access the content that has been on this board. That's how valuable it has become for me.

[lex24]

No, the Board isn’t going to explode with Covid posts.  Because it’s been made clear the mods don’t want that.  Thus, those of us that frequent and post will have the self control to avoid such posts.

[akiddoc]

The owners of the website can certainly do what they want, but closing the Covid board at this time is completely arbitrary and long before many important stages in the rehabilitation of the country and the entire human race.

[teejers1]

The owners of the website can certainly do what they want, but closing the Covid board at this time is completely arbitrary and long before many important stages in the rehabilitation of the country and the entire human race.

Join the general sentiments expressed here (i) thanking contributors for info on Covid (this was my favorite spot for getting good info), and (ii) thanking moderators for hosting the site - it was fun and informative while it lasted.  As for the barbs (political or otherwise) over the last 10 months . . . whatever.  I'm 100% sure the adults here survived that.

Special shout out to DocSavage and OF for references in this thread to "knowledge is good" and "punting from the opponent's 33 yard line."  It's always good to put smiles on faces, so thanks to them.

Will close with this common sense reminder:  regardless of the ebbs and flows of SiP or SaH directives, just be smart with you and your loved ones and you're almost certainly going to get through this in good health (at least virus-wise).  Good luck to all, Happy New Year, and here's to 2021 being better than 2020 (I'd say that's a given, but you never want to jinx things).

[Erika]

Like many others, I will really miss the Covid-19 board. Although I am an infrequent poster, this board was a valuable resource. Thanks especially to the MDs whose input was really appreciated. 

I can understand the mods tiring of trying to reign in the political content but the good info so outweighed the bad (but then I was not tasked with moderating so easy for me to say!) 

Thanks everyone and here’s to a better year ahead.

[TreesAndBirds]

I also valued the covid board, want to thank the docs and other knowledgeable people for their insight and the moderators for creating the separate board. 

And I hope that some semblance of the board will remain as an OT topic on the main board. 

We arent out of the pandemic with rates in Cal very high, there are some very thoughtful contributors, and the posters who get close to or cross the line should take this as a signal to be more observant of the rules. 

And unfortunately there are less sports to root for and they just seem less compelling with everything else going on. 

The hallmark of a lasting organization is the ability to adapt as things change. I hope we will find a way to continue to have access to the wisdom and knowledge available from some of our posters.

[fullmetal]

Same as above.  Really wish this board weren't closing.

[oregontim]

I'm grateful for this board, which has been very valuable to me. Thanks very much to all of you who have made it my first choice for real information and discussion. You know who you are.

And I'd love to see it stay until things start to settle down (we all hope) in a few months because of the vaccine. But I respect the opinions of those of you who have been volunteering. I know that takes real time and effort.

Thank you.

[Snorlax94]

And I'd love to see it stay until things start to settle down (we all hope) in a few months because of the vaccine. But I respect the opinions of those of you who have been volunteering. I know that takes real time and effort.

Thank you.

Yeah, in terms of how much longer would be helpful, that would feel about right.

We're in the middle of the worst case counts and some of the highest deaths SCC has ever witnessed, and while we've learned a lot, there is still a lot of new medical information coming in about vaccines, availability, and safety, and we're still learning about new therapeutics and new possible long-term medical effects. Just today, the NYTimes published a story that a very rare effect for some people with mild symptoms is severe psychosis, even months later. So, there is a lot of new health and medical-related information that is coming in and that will come in.

If all dates are arbitrary, "a few months" -- like, say, Feb 28 -- could be a very helpful later arbitrary date.

It could see us through a lot of vaccination and (hopefully) see us through this recent surge.

It would also conveniently wrap things up just before March Madness. 

And that's assuming basketball isn't delayed. Out of the last 7 Stanford Men's Basketball games, 4 were either cancelled or postponed. Duke's women's team has already ended their season and Coach K is calling for the season and the tournament to be postponed to see us through more vaccinations and through this holiday surge.

It'd be ironic if the Covid-19 board was shut down to focus on basketball and then there was no basketball to focus on for a couple months, which is a possibility.

[OutsiderFan]

We would be Covid board refugees could set up our own board, if the the folks running this one want to go against the clear wishes of the posters.

Anyone ever use this before?

https://www.proboards.com/