Actually, while a cursory inspection of the net may suggest that these people are on crack, there are several well documented experiments that demonstrate that as much as 50% of the population exhibits neurological sensitivity with no knowledge of it, and that a small but persistent percentage of the population/is/ intimately aware of the presence of RF fields at powers that we would normally consider inconsequential. Analysis is also often further complicated because the type of modulation appears to be a factor.
Now I agree that a parent who complains about wifi while using a cell phone is behaving irrationally, but for those of us who do exhibit sensitivity, the world isn't always fun. My old analog cell phone doesn't bother me, but I can't be within 4 feet of an in-use digital one w/out immediate headaches. Just try staying out of that range on a bus or in an airport. Most older cordless phones don't bother me, but every one of the new ones I've tried has. I really like wifi, but it's a challenge. The signals induce a sensation of pain in my hands. In my current Sony laptop, the antenna is across the top of the display and can generally be tilted far enough away to not bother me. In a previous Fujitsu, the antennas were along the sides, and I couldn't use it.
Alas, I don't know if the pain I'm experiencing is indicative of any real danger or if it is just a sort of allergic reaction, but I do know that it is debilitating, and I would no more want to be bathed in it at work or school than I would cigarette smoke.
I have two favorites; the choice depends on what you are trying to foster.
For message based communities, I think the IdeaTree software from Protosoft was the best. Inspite of numerous phone calls, I've never been able to get a reply out of them. However, I believe Citidel is the closest modern equivalent. The 'Tree was a simple, text based BBS system. It had a category ring and each category had a sub-topic ring. Conversation was linear -- there were no threads, and I believe this enhanced the community feel of the topics. There were simple moderation features.
For real-time groups, I've fallen in love with the TinyMUSH derivatives. The programming structure is, admittedly, on the obscure side, but
again, I think the simplicity contributes to conversation. It is easy to create spaces for communication, and it is easy to communicate w/in those spaces. I've been a semi-regular on TinyTIM for most of its years and still find it a wonderful place to go for late night chats.
Don't underestimate the value of good management. All of my favorite communities have possessed superior "wizards" to keep annoying people out, provide a reference of expected behavior, and keep the systems running well. Don't overestimate the value of glitter -- I'm there for good conversation; if I want to play a pretty game, I'll join Everquest.
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Actually, while a cursory inspection of the net may suggest that these people are on crack, there are several well documented experiments that demonstrate that as much as 50% of the population exhibits neurological sensitivity with no knowledge of it, and that a small but persistent percentage of the population /is/ intimately aware of the presence of RF fields at powers that we would normally consider inconsequential. Analysis is also often further complicated because the type of modulation appears to be a factor.
Now I agree that a parent who complains about wifi while using a cell phone is behaving irrationally, but for those of us who do exhibit sensitivity, the world isn't always fun. My old analog cell phone doesn't bother me, but I can't be within 4 feet of an in-use digital one w/out immediate headaches. Just try staying out of that range on a bus or in an airport. Most older cordless phones don't bother me, but every one of the new ones I've tried has. I really like wifi, but it's a challenge. The signals induce a sensation of pain in my hands. In my current Sony laptop, the antenna is across the top of the display and can generally be tilted far enough away to not bother me. In a previous Fujitsu, the antennas were along the sides, and I couldn't use it.
Alas, I don't know if the pain I'm experiencing is indicative of any real danger or if it is just a sort of allergic reaction, but I do know that it is debilitating, and I would no more want to be bathed in it at work or school than I would cigarette smoke.
I have two favorites; the choice depends on what you are trying to foster.
For message based communities, I think the IdeaTree software from Protosoft was the best. Inspite of numerous phone calls, I've never been able to get a reply out of them. However, I believe Citidel is the closest modern equivalent. The 'Tree was a simple, text based BBS system. It had a category ring and each category had a sub-topic ring. Conversation was linear -- there were no threads, and I believe this enhanced the community feel of the topics. There were simple moderation features.
For real-time groups, I've fallen in love with the TinyMUSH derivatives. The programming structure is, admittedly, on the obscure side, but again, I think the simplicity contributes to conversation. It is easy to create spaces for communication, and it is easy to communicate w/in those spaces. I've been a semi-regular on TinyTIM for most of its years and still find it a wonderful place to go for late night chats.
Don't underestimate the value of good management. All of my favorite communities have possessed superior "wizards" to keep annoying people out, provide a reference of expected behavior, and keep the systems running well. Don't overestimate the value of glitter -- I'm there for good conversation; if I want to play a pretty game, I'll join Everquest.