I was welcomed to these boards over 4 years ago by David .It was a post i will never forget.Boy he didnt pull his punches and really told me how it is.I will be forever grateful for his candour although at the time i was absolutely staggered.David gave me good factual information mixed with his own knowledge of the journey we were embarking upon.He delivered this in a shoot straight from the hip kind of way that i became very familiar with over the months,and as our friendship grew i came to appreciate his very dry wit as well.Some people would have run for the hills after the first post,but for me it was spot on,and put the rod in my backbone for the fight ahead.Gary and Brian have this same no nonsense approach which in the circumstances was entirely appropriate for our battle.

I too can be straight talking and forthright,but in my adopted role of "black widow" lol,i have found my niche,and now find myself being asked to liase with carers facing the ultimate diagnosis and also trying to come to terms with the changes in their lives and especially their relationships.I love this "Job" and often think of my mentor Jam who walked me through the minefield of facing the loss of a husband.In this instance a great deal of care and compassion is needed and straight talking may not be appropriate.I like to get to know posters first before deciding exactly what they need,support or knowledge.

My point is, that i agree with the concept that not one size fits all and newbies may like to cherry pick who they use to help them through by reading a few posts from us old timers and of course using the PM route to either ask for help or suggest that the method of sharing experiences is not for them.

Horses for courses we say here in the UK, and i think that is true in most cyber relationships.We need a good mix to meet all needs,and i think we get it pretty much spot on on the whole.