2.16 Interactive facilities

The more interactive facilities of the Web include e-mail lists, bulletin boards, and chat rooms. They also need quality checking.

Most of the people using these facilities are genuine and extremely helpful and supportive.

But be wary of:

• people who may be bitter because of their experiences;



• people with extreme views;



• people who criticise others;



• new patients or carers recommending treatments that experienced people know don't work;



• people with an obsession about a particular issue;



• and very rarely, people who pretend to have a condition or a sick child because they want emotional support.

Quality controls on interactive facilities include:

• experienced members, who respond when incorrect information is broadcast;



• the use of Netiquette – rules of polite, supportive behaviour on the Internet;



• moderators who help the discussions stay supportive and within the rules. Moderators delete or modify inappropriate messages, educate newcomers about the group's rules, and ban offenders from the group;



• closed lists, where registration is required.
  

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© Copyright for this site is held by Contact a Family and the Information Society Research and Consultancy Group, School of Computing, Engineering and Information Sciences, Northumbria University. Site published February 2003. Last updated October 2006. Review date October 2007.