WebMD Community News

Senator Edward Kennedy Hospitalized - Updated

noreply@blogger.com (Kaytie WebMD) — Sat, 17 May 2008 18:34:00 +0000

UPDATE 1:45PM: Boston.com reports that Senator Kennedy had a seizure this morning, and another seizure on the way to the hospital. Here is more information about types of seizures and possible causes.

Senator Edward Kennedy was hospitalized early this morning with apparent symptoms of a stroke and remains under evaluation at this time at Massachusetts General Hospital.

In October, Senator Kennedy underwent surgery to repair blockage in his carotid artery, discovered during a routine examination for his chronic back pain. The repair was done as a measure to prevent stroke.

Kennedy, age 76, currently serves as chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. He has recently been on the campaign trail for Senator Barack Obama.

For more information about stroke, see these topics:

We'll post updates as they're available.

Related Topics:

Technorati Tags: Edward Kennedy, stroke, symptoms, evaluation, treatment

WebMD Wins "People's Voice" Webby

noreply@blogger.com (Leona_WebMD) — Thu, 08 May 2008 19:14:00 +0000

For the second year in a row, we've been awarded the prestigious Webby "People's Voice" award for health sites. This is your award. You voted for us, and all of us here at WebMD know how important that is -- because it is your voice that matters.

Every day we work to ensure you get the best health information - from basic answers and community support to wellness information and the latest health news - so that WebMD can be your daily source of inspiration and better health.

The Webby Awards only go to "the best of the Web." You can rely on us to maintain that standard every day - with you in mind.

Thanks again!
Your WebMD Staff

Let's Twitter at WebMD. Tweet! Tweet!

noreply@blogger.com (Leona_WebMD) — Mon, 05 May 2008 21:59:00 +0000

Do you Twitter? Twitter is a service that allows you to communicate and stay connected with your family, friends, and now with us -- your WebMD family. Tweets are short messages -- 140 characters or less -- making it so easy to read and stay connected.

Our moderator Louise tweets some of the message board threads she starts, as well as threads of interest from a number of WebMD boards, including Crohn's and Colitis, Diabetes Type 1 and Type 2, and Alternative Health.

You can follow her at LouiseWebMD.

Our moderator Kathy, tweets about autism threads on our Autism Support Board, as well as about bits of her life, and other autism stories from around the Web. You can follow her at Kathy_WebMD.

Not only that...get quick and early news about WebMD blog posts by our Health Professionals by following WebMD_Blogs.

Join us in Twittering around the Web! You can Twitter your own favorite WebMD message board posts and threads and blog posts, and have others follow YOU!

Tweet, tweet!
Leona

New Autism & Saving Money Boards at WebMD

noreply@blogger.com (Leona_WebMD) — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:29:00 +0000

Hello Readers!

I'm here to announce two important new boards in the WebMD Community:

First, we welcome the Autism: Support Group board to the WebMD family!

If you have a child with Autism, suspect your child may be on the Autism spectrum, or know someone close to you who does, this new board is wonderful resource. Parents of kids with Autism, Aspergers, or anywhere on the spectrum can gather here and share their stories, vent their feelings, compare ideas, and talk about their amazing kids. And, moms and dads who are in the process of diagnosis will get some great advice here from parents who have already walked that road.

Board hosts Kathy and Rick, who work for WebMD, both have children with Autism. Kathy's son is a teenager, and Rick's is still a little guy, so they each have different perspectives to share with board members.

We hope you'll come by and pay them a visit!

Next, we want to introduce our Saving Money the Health Way message board.

In these uneasy financial times, many families are suffering due to high gas prices, steadily-increasing costs of food, and escalating medical bills. What are we to do?

WebMD has created this board so that members can share their ideas for saving money both on health care and in their daily lives. Members post links to coupons, great articles, talk about money-saving ideas that have worked for them, and more.

Do you have a GREAT idea for saving money? Do you need some help? Come on by the board and join in! We're here for you.

See you there!

Leona

NEW WebMD Pregnancy: Week by Week Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Leona_WebMD) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 17:37:00 +0000

Being pregnant is exciting and scary, tiring and invigorating. For nine months, the miracle of what your body is doing completely consumes your life. So, what do pregnant women want? Information, that's what. They want to immerse themselves in information about their pregnancy, their baby, what to expect once the baby is born, and more. Let's face it, when we're pregnant we can't get enough.

WebMD has added a newsletter to help you quench your thirst for more pregnancy knowledge...Pregnancy Week by Week. And it FREE! Just click the link here in the blog and sign up for your weekly dose of good stuff.

And, if you're pregnant and haven't found the WebMD Pregnancy Community yet, we have a plethora of message boards for you! You can join the group for your Trimester, or if you're 35 and older there's a board for older moms-to-be. Is your pregnancy High Risk? Find the support you need there from others who are having a tougher time.

We hope to see you on the WebMD Message Boards soon!

Happy Holidays!

Oprah Show 10/16: Wake-Up Call For Women

noreply@blogger.com (Leona_WebMD) — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 18:04:00 +0000

Leading women's health expert Dr. Christiane Northrup will talk about insomnia, weight gain, hot flashes, headaches, menopause and other issues concerning women on The Oprah Winfrey Show this Tuesday, Oct. 16. Get a glimpse into the show, The Big Wake Up Call for Women. For more, visit Oprah.com.

Technorati Tags: women's health, menopause, oprah

WebMD Covers Election 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Leona_WebMD) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 17:52:00 +0000

Health care is a big issue in the upcoming 2008 Presidential Elections. You may have already decided which candidate you're going to back and why. But, where does YOUR favorite stand on the important issues surrounding health care in our country?

If you have health problems, are caring for an aging parent, have children, or are dealing with Medicare, then health care is probably high on your list of priorities as the election comes nearer.

WebMD has created a brand new Voice Your Vote: Election '08 message board where you can discuss the election, the candiddates, and the issues with other members.

We hope you'll visit and share your thoughts.

You can start by taking the first poll on our board: What health care issues are MOST important to you? Why?

And, keep an eye out, because our site is going to be announcing even more Election 2008 coverage soon. You're going to LOVE it!

Leona

Policing Your OWN Communities

noreply@blogger.com (Leona_WebMD) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 18:13:00 +0000

WebMD message boards are wonderful forums where members find friendship and share ideas. However, there are occasions when a post that is made violates WebMD's Terms and Conditions.

While using our boards you may come across a flame war (a series of insulting posts) or simply a disrupter (called a "troll" in internet-speak because they "troll" message boards or chat rooms simply to cause trouble) or someone trying to sell their products. None of these behaviors are allowed at WebMD, and if any of these things appear on our boards, we want to know about it right away. We rely on our members to help WebMD maintain a safe and comfortable environment where everyone feels at home.

Here are some of the other T&C violations you will want to report:

Spam

Advertising

Personal Attacks

Inappropriate Member Nicknames

Use of inappropriate slang (especially on our sexuality boards) and/or masked/veiled profanity

Members discussing their personal physicians by name or recommending physicians

Members who identify themselves as under 13 year of age

Too much personally identifying information (phone numbers, home addresses, etc)

Posts containing links to inappropriate sites (pornography, etc.)

Posts which are nothing more than erotica or soliciting cyber sex

The best way to handle any board problem is to not reply. Instead, you can help your community by alerting the WebMD Community Moderator staff.

To empower our members with more control in "policing" their own communities here at WebMD, we've recently added a wonderful, new tool which allows members to send alerts simply by clicking on the "report a post" button found on the bottom right corner below each message. The moderator staff will receive a report and will review the post to determine whether or not it violates the WebMD Terms and Conditions. If the message is in violation of our rules, it will be removed along with any replies.

Please keep in mind that you should only report posts that you feel are violations of WebMD's Terms and Condition. Do not report posts simply because you disagree with the information contained within another member's post. Misuse of this tool is detectable.

Thank you for helping WebMD message boards stay on track. It really does "take a village," and we appreciate everyone who helps us to keep our communities a great place to gather together in our quest to stay happy and healthy.

Welcome to the Drug Insights FAQ Center

noreply@blogger.com (WebMD Blog Admin) — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 15:57:00 +0000

The Drug Insights service is a great way to share personal experiences with medications that you, your family or loved ones are taking. At this help center, you'll find information about the service and answers to your top questions. Your contributions will help us build the Web's most valuable drug and treatments information resource.

What are Drug Insights?
Who can review their experiences with various medications?
How do I review my medications?
Why do you ask what particular condition I'm taking a medication for?
How is the optional background information used?
You ask for a description of my experience with the treatment. What would you like me to write there?
Is a real name or email address required?
After I review a medication, how soon will it show up?
My rating was deleted. What comments are okay?
What should I do when I see posts that are not appropriate?
What if I rethink my review on a particular drug and want to change it?
I'd like to describe my experience with a drug that is not in your database. How can I add it?
Is it possible to rate treatments other than by medication?
I have additional questions about a medication. Where can I ask them?

What are Drug Insights?

WebMD's Drugs & Treatments database contains overviews on more than 3000 prescribed and over-the-counter drugs. Now we're asking our users to provide their personal ratings, reviews, and recommendations for medications they've tried, which will make this database even more valuable for people who are facing a medication choice. To get started, visit our Drug and Treatments home page.

Back To Top

Who can review their experiences with medications?

You should review drugs that you have a first-hand experience with. In some cases, you might also rate a drug that is for a loved one. An example of this would be rating a medication that your elderly parent is using for Alzheimer's, or giving a review for a pediatric decongestant for your young child.

Back To Top

How do I review my medications?

We ask three questions around the treatment - Did the medication work for you? Was it easy for you to use? Were you overall satisfied? One star means that you weren't happy with the results. Five stars means that you were very satisfied.

Back To Top

Why do you ask what particular condition I'm using the drug for?

Some drugs treat multiple conditions. For example, Wellbutrin is a popular antidepressant but is also sometimes used for ADD and for smoking cessation. By telling us the specific reason you've taken a medication, that information will be much more helpful for users who are looking for information about a prescribed medication for their specific condition.

Back To Top

How is the optional background information used?

The more other users know about the users rating the drugs, the more valuable those ratings become. An 18-year-old college student might have a different experience with a particular medication than a post-menopausal woman of 60 on the same drug. Once we have a good sampling of this data, we'll begin letting you search the effectiveness of a drug in individuals similar to you.

Back To Top

You ask for a description of my experience with the treatment. What would you like me to write there?

Whatever you think would be useful to others. For example, maybe it's not easy to rate your particular medication just using a star system. There could have been complications with using the medication at first that later disappeared. Or, there could have been other circumstances when you were taking the drug (for example, perhaps you were treating two conditions at one time) that you'd like to explain in more detail. Anything that you think would be helpful to other readers; we would love to know about it.

Back To Top

Are real names or email addresses required?

You won't need to log-in or enter your real name or email address before reviewing. You're welcome to use your regular WebMD community name or you can create a user-name just for this one rating. What we do ask is that you not use a real name or any other personally identifying information features about yourself. We request this for your own privacy. Read our Privacy Policy to understand how we treat your information.

Back To Top

After I review a medication, how soon will it show up?

Immediately!

Back To Top

What should I do when I see posts that are not appropriate?

Report them right away. Every review has a "report this post" button right below the content. If you see a post that you don't think is appropriate for our site (it might be spam. Or a user bothering another user. ), then click that button and the system will send us an automatic email. If we find it violates our Terms & Conditions, then we'll remove it permanently.

Back To Top

My review was deleted. What comments are okay?

When you comment to rate your drugs and treatments, you must still abide by WebMD's Terms and Conditions, to which you agreed when you joined our site. Some reasons a comment may be deleted are use of profanity, using personally identifying information (such as your real name or someone else's real name), violating copyright, spam, or personal attacks. If you have specific questions about your removed comment, please write to our staff at webmdcommunity@webmd.net.

Back To Top

What if I rethink my rating on a particular drug and want to change it?

Once you've reviewed your experience with a particular medication, that review goes live (so be careful before you click the submit button) within a few minutes. There may be cases, however, where your experience with a particular medication changes over time. In those cases, you're free to submit a new review that better reflects your current situation.

Back To Top

I'd like to describe my experience with a drug that is not in your database. How can I add it?

While our database covers thousands of drugs, there's always the chance that we may have missed one (or may have named it in a different fashion) Send your medication name to webmdcommunity@webmd.net and we'll come back an answer for you.

Back To Top

Is it possible to rate treatments other than medication?

Rating treatments that are common for a particular condition that are not medication-based - psychotherapy, diet changes, prayer, family| friend support - is in our plans for future releases and we'll keep everyone posted when they go live!

Back To Top

I have additional questions about a medication. Where can I ask them?

Right here at WebMD! We have scores of support groups online with thousands of users talking about their treatment options, along with top physicians available for questions. Go to our Message Board index to look up the right group for you.

Back To Top

Welcome Back...Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Leona_WebMD) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 16:17:00 +0000

We're almost afraid to say this too loud, but we're thrilled to report that the boards are up and running! Everyone is welcome to post, reply, and dig into all the new features with gusto.

Just in case there are more slowdowns, we're also keeping our temporary boards open on our Test and Learn server. So, please feel free to head on over there if you feel stressed here for any reason.

Remember that not all of the improvements that you all suggested made it in this time, but keep your eyes open for those fixes to be rolled out over the coming few weeks.

All of us want to offer such a huge thank-you to all of you. You've been an amazing source of energy and support for us, and we are just so grateful. The way so many of you have reached out to your fellow members, oftentimes members from other WebMD boards that you didn't even know, through this anxious time has been inspirational to all of us.

We're glad to be back and see you all back with us!

The WebMD Community Staff

Tuesday Evening Update

noreply@blogger.com (Leona_WebMD) — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 23:39:00 +0000

Here is what we have at this point:

Our engineers are continuing to work at tracking down the unforeseen issues leading to the boards still being, for the most part, unavailable.

We ask that even if it appears the boards are available to posting, something that's occurred a few times today, you refrain from posting on them until we give the go-ahead. This is for a couple of reasons:

One, anything you post there is likely to be lost.
Two, posting there can slow down the efforts of engineers to resolve all of this.

Please spread that word on that to all your WebMD friends if you have the opportunity.

In the meantime, we have set up temporary boards for our communities and those can always be found in the Test and Learn area.

We really appreciate the understanding and patience so many of you have shown despite what we recognize to be a frustrating situation. And as nice as it's been getting to know some of you we may otherwise not have 'met', we really look forward to the time our boards are available again for all of you.

The WebMD Community Staff

Monday Late Night Update

noreply@blogger.com (Leona_WebMD) — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 06:01:00 +0000

Nothing too dramatic to report other than our engineers are still working diligently but they need more time. At this point it's looking like the boards will remain Read-Only (can read them but not post) until at least Tuesday morning.

We'll continue to be here to offer support and answers.

Many thanks for your understanding.

The WebMD Community Staff

Monday Afternoon Status Update

noreply@blogger.com (Leona_WebMD) — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 23:43:00 +0000

Hello everyone,

Here's where we are with our launch. The message boards are going to be in Read-Only until this evening. We wish we had different news to share but that is the current situation. Our engineers have a few more pieces that they want to optimize and improve upon but they're having too much trouble doing that with so many of us in the boards. So they've requested that we go to Read-Only (this means that you can read the boards but you can't post new messages) until later Monday night in order to give them the time that they need to work.

It makes sense to us. We know that you'd like the boards working well, as quickly as possible, and we feel the same way.

You're welcome to keep posting in the Launch Pad board...We moderators aren't leaving and will be there night and day. Or you can go out, do various errands, send support and good wishes our way ;-) and come visit us again in a bit.

Many thanks to you all. We appreciate your patience throughout this launch, and we're grateful for your understanding.

The WebMD Community Staff

Monday 8/27 Noon Status

noreply@blogger.com (Leona_WebMD) — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:00:00 +0000

Our engineers tell us that the boards are up and running and looking good (but, of course, the more adventurous among you already knew that!

Please feel free to leave the safety of the Launch & Pad life raft.....float over to the New World....and then send word back (maybe a green leaf in the mouth of a dove?) that you found land and are posting successfully.

Thank you!

Update: Late Saturday Evening

noreply@blogger.com (Leona_WebMD) — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 18:06:00 +0000

Hi there members!

If you've been using (or trying to use) your favorite message boards today you've noticed that they are slow and slower to respond. This is because we have such a large, wonderful, robust community and it takes quite a bit of time for our servers to synch back up and pull together the information they need to run efficiently after a large launch like the one we completed Friday evening.

At this time, it may be best to let the boards rest a bit so they can continue building their cache on the servers. While you're waiting, we still have our Launch Pad board up, and it's running fine. You can meet your friends there and continue chatting in the Find Your Community string that has already been started for individual communities or, if your board isn't represented, start one of your own.

Our mods are going to continue testing the new boards, and we'll keep you updated on the progress of getting them back up to speed.

We appreciate your continued patience as we navigate these issues.

Thank you all so much for the help you have given us!

The WebMD Community Staff

Late Morning Update

noreply@blogger.com (Leona_WebMD) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:08:00 +0000

Here's the latest on the launch. The message boards are now completely down and will be for at least several hours as the engineers take the next steps to get us ready. While that's happening, the Launch Pad message board will be active and lively and you'll be able to find your fellow refugees here. You can also hang out here at our Community News Blog for updates.

User vtkdawso had a good idea that we post an FAQ at the top of the board because a lot of the same questions are being asked. We'll do that shortly. And several users - i.e. the back pain and epilepsy communities - have started their own threads; that's great as well.

Also, for people who have joined us over the last hour or two, here's a portion of a message we posted early this morning:

When we launch, there are some great new features coming including better navigation, better search, and member home pages. And there are also going to be some problems that you helped us identify during our beta - we've already made a few of those changes and you'll see them when the new boards go live. We expect some of the rest to start appearing over the next 8 or 10 days. So bear with us over the month of August as we make the improvements (your feedback was incredibly helpful, btw).

We're also requesting your help. Those of you who have become regulars on the Launch Pad board are going to be the people most familiar with this new look and feel when we go live. While we'll have our moderators working around the clock over the next few days, we would appreciate you jumping in when you can. Assure your fellow board friends that while the changes can be startling at first (change always is, isn't it?) that you guys have already been using them, and maybe even supply some tips you've learned about the new features. And reassure them that the bumpy parts of the new boards are being worked on now and will get better as we go.

More as the afternoon progresses!

Morning Update

noreply@blogger.com (Leona_WebMD) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 13:26:00 +0000

Good morning early risers! We're starting the next phase of our launch and wanted to bring you all up to speed. As you probably know, the boards went to read-only last night and all of us have congregated at the Launch Pad message board until our own boards go live again. Starting around 9 or 10 this morning (ET), the boards will go completely down for at least several hours as the engineers take the next steps to get us ready. While that's happening, the Launch Pad board will be active and lively and you'll be able to find your fellow refugees here. LOL. You can also hang out here at our "Community News" blog for updates.

Those of you at the Launch Pad board last night may have seen a message we posted about the launch but its worth mentioning again. When we launch, there are some great new features coming including better navigation, better search, and member home pages. And there are also going to be some problems that you helped us identify during our beta. We've already made a few of those changes and you'll see them when the new boards go live. We expect some of the rest to start appearing over the next 8 or 10 days. So bear with us over the month of August as we make the improvements (your feedback was incredibly helpful, btw).

We're also requesting your help. Those of you who have become regulars on the Launch Pad board are going to be the people most familiar with this new look and feel when we go live. While we'll have our moderators working around the clock over the next few days, we would appreciate you jumping in when you can. Assure your fellow board friends that while the changes can be startling at first (change always is, isn't it?) that you guys have already been using them, and maybe even supply some tips you've learned about the new features. And reassure them that the bumpy parts of the new boards are being worked on now and will get better as we go.

More as the morning progresses!

The Countdown Has Begun!

noreply@blogger.com (Kaytie WebMD) — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 19:12:00 +0000

We've been discussing new changes on the boards with you all over on the Test and Learn Board and we're excited to announce that they will be implemented starting tonight.

At around 5 p.m. this evening (Thursday, Aug. 23rd) your message boards will be read-only so that we can roll out your new community features. We expect the process to be completed by sometime tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 24th.

While your favorite WebMD message boards are unavailable, our Community Launch Pad board will be available so that you can not only test out a few of the upcoming features but also continue to connect with your WebMD friends.

We will also be posting periodic updates right here on the blog, so be sure to stop in to get the latest information on what's going on.

Our moderators will be available to answer your questions on the Launch Pad board and right here at the Blog, too.

10, 9, 8, 7....

Thanks for counting down with us!

Threads -- And We Don't Mean Clothes!

noreply@blogger.com (Leona_WebMD) — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 01:13:00 +0000

Okay, here is what our current threaded view looks like on WebMD boards:

And HERE is what the new threads will look like when you open them:

Check out those new features!

Let's take them one-by-one:

Your Image

The image you choose for your Persona page will now show up on your posts! And, if you don't want to upload your own image, we'll have a selection of avatars you can choose:

Rate Post

You will now also be able to rate the posts of your choice if you feel the content has been helpful to you.

If you hover over each of the five stars, you'll see that you can choose from 1) helpful, 2) very helpful, 3) extremely helpful, 4) bookmark worthy, and 5) best ever.

You simply click the star of your choice to rate the post. Each member will only be able to rate each post once. This is to prevent misuse of the tool.

Please keep in mind that rating is not a way of determining the most popular members on the board. Or, even the most popular posts. It's to show that you found the post helpful so that others might be able to find it and use the information as well.

You probably won't have reason to rate every single post on a board. (And who would have time to do that, anyway?)

Here are examples of some posts that might be rate-worthy:

* Motivational Posts
* Great Recipes
* Excellent Polls
* Good, Sage Advice
* A Story That May Help Others
* A Great Question & Good Member Responses

And, here are examples of post you probably would NOT want to rate:

* Just Saying "Hi"
* Roll Calls
* Here Are My Stats (weight loss, pregnancy calendar, child's birthdays)
* General Chit-Chat
* Off-Topic Posts

Remember, you don't have to be logged in to read posts on our boards, but you will need to be logged in to post, reply, or rate a post.

Some members on the boards have expressed worry that they will feel "judged" by the ratings. Everyone has a lovely and unique voice on our boards and ALL of your posts are appreciated. Some of your posts may not be rated and some of them may. If our moderators see any evidence that this rating system is being used by anyone to cause pain to another person, they will step in and take care of the problem.

You will not have to compose like a professional writer. You simply need to continue posting the way you always have, sharing that unique voice. If everyone starts trying to compose an award-winning dissertation, things are going to get pretty darned boring around our boards.

Be yourself. Love yourself. Don't be discouraged. Before long, this rating thing will be old hat and everyone will used to it. Change takes time to adjust to.

Share This

You'll also notice a Share This button at the bottom of each post. When you click the words, an "Email a Friend" window will pop up, and you can send the link to that post to someone you feel might like it.

Add to Favorites

When you click into the Add to Favorites button at the bottom of a post, you'll get a little box popup that will allow you to choose which of your personal folders you'd like to save it in. This is what it will look like:

You will have already created your folders inside your Persona page. When you add your Favorites, they will be viewable to you on the private view of your Persona.

Report Post

Another great new tool we're offering to our members is a way to report posts that you feel are inappropriate. You'll only be able to report a post once. The report tool will alert our moderator staff quickly that a post may be a problem.

Once a certain number of members have reported the post, it will be hidden from the board.

A moderator will take a look and decide if the post violates WebMD's Terms of Use. If it does, it will be permanently removed. If it doesn't, the mod will add it back to the board.

Once the moderator has approved the post, it cannot be hidden again. This keeps posts or members from being targeted by trolls.

So, how does it look and sound so far? Tell us what you think!

And, keep up with the blog. Over the weekend, we'll be showing you how to edit your Persona page as well as some of the nifty new tools you'll get when posting and replying to messages.

Your WebMD Message Boards -- Bigger, Badder, Better

noreply@blogger.com (Leona_WebMD) — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 21:02:00 +0000

If you like your message boards now, you're going to LOVE the upgraded version!

The look is a bit different from what we have now. It may take a little getting used to, but the boards work essentially the same...EXCEPT you now have awesome new tools to complete your WebMD 2.0 experience.

Look below to get a glimpse of what your new message boards will look like when you click in!

You'll also notice that the board toppers are just a little different. Be sure to keep up with the new related links box. This will change out as we have updated information to share with you.

Next, we'll check out a thread and examine the new features we find there.

For Your Eyes Only -- The Private Persona

noreply@blogger.com (Leona_WebMD) — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:33:00 +0000

The private view of your WebMD Persona is for your eyes only!

This view contains your Favorites folders, your personal Tag Cloud, and a list of your most recent posts.

Here is a breakdown of the private features on your WebMD Persona:

Personal Tag Cloud

You may have noticed the new tag clouds WebMD is using on our Wellness pages, such as Children's Health, Men's Health and Women's Health.

Above, you will see a representation of the personal tag cloud that you can now populate on your own private Persona page here in the WebMD community.

Now, when you post a message on one of our boards, you'll be able to tag your post with either a selection of pre-populated tag words (keywords) or choose some of your own that describe your post.

When you have used a certain number of tag words, your personal tag cloud will appear on your Persona page. These words will be weighted so that the larger words are the ones that have been tagged the most and the smaller ones have been tagged less. You can click on the tag words to search that word.

As you tag more, your cloud will change to reflect your interests.

My Favorites

Right now, when you choose favorites on WebMD, you can only choose the boards for email digests.

In the WebMD 2.0 world soon to come, we have expanded the horizons of Favorites. You'll be able to create up to five folders that you name yourself and bookmark all of your favorite community links right into those folders!

For instance, if you're a member of the Parenting: Newborn to 3 Months message board, you can create a folder JUST for great posts you find on that board. Maybe they are posts that contain great advice. Perhaps it's a poll you want to go back to. It could even be just posts by a special friend on the board.

In posts to come, we'll go over how you'll create those folders and add your favorite links.

Recent Posts

You may be familiar with our current "More Posts By" function on message boards that allows you to click and see the last 10 posts a member has made under that nickname. Now, those most recent posts will be listed on your Persona page so that you can easily go back to messages you've posted. As you make new posts, your Most Recent queue will be updated automatically.

Are you ready to create your own Persona yet? Don't worry, it won't be long!

Your Adoring Public

noreply@blogger.com (Leona_WebMD) — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:31:00 +0000

When another member clicks on your WebMD member nickname from a post on our message boards, they will see your Persona. But, they won't see everything.

Here is how the public view of your WebMD Persona breaks down.

Photos/Images

As you can see right at the top of the page, WebMD Community members will soon be able to add their own photos and images to illustrate their Persona pages. There will be a size limit and a brand new set of guidelines to help you choose the right image. You may want to include a photo of yourself or even a family photo. Or if you like your privacy, you can use another photo or image that has meaning for you.

If you don't have a photo or image you'd like to use, we'll have a selection of images you can choose from as well.

As with your words, your images also must stay within the confines of WebMD's Terms of Use. So, when you upload your photo it won't show immediately. The image will go into a moderated queue, where it will be accepted or declined by someone on our staff. If it is declined, you will receive an email explaining why.

If you are going to use photos of family or friends, you'll probably want to make sure they don't mind being seen on WebMD!

Your Personal Tagline

You also now have the option of naming your Persona anything you like. For instance, if you are a member of the Type 2 Diabetes community, you may want to call your Persona "My Diabetes Journey". You may even want to use your favorite quote. Be creative. Choose something that speaks to you or describes you.

Under the tagline, there is also an area that displays your member nickname, Location (You don't have to put your real city/state here.), and a few auto-generated tidbits: Number of Posts, Member Since, and Last Here.

Your Profile

The profile that shows up in the center of the Persona page is very similar to the current WebMD member profile. If you have already filled out your WebMD profile on our current boards, your profile will automatically transfer to your new Persona page. If you haven't filled one out yet, we encourage you to do it soon!

This is a great place to tell others in your community a little bit about yourself, your health challenges, your hobbies, and more.

In the next post, we'll explore the parts of your private WebMD Persona.

WebMD Member Personas

noreply@blogger.com (Leona_WebMD) — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 18:42:00 +0000

Probably one of the most exciting new features in the upcoming new WebMD Community is the member Persona page.

Right now, WebMD community members are able to create a limited profile, which others can view when they click into another member's nickname.

Expanded Personas will include not only the profile, but also a photo or image chosen by the member and several other exciting new features. Some of these features will be viewable to other members in your PUBLIC profile, while others will only be available to you in a PRIVATE view. That means, when you open your Persona page, you will see those features, but others members won't have access.

The image below is a mock-up of what the private view of your WebMD Persona will look like.

My next two posts will break down the pieces of public and private persona, and then we'll dig into how you'll edit your personal little piece of the WebMD Community!

Stay Tuned!

Coming Soon: WebMD Community Goes 2.0

noreply@blogger.com (Leona_WebMD) — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 12:51:00 +0000

Hi WebMD Members!

My name is Leona Perry, and I work with the Community and Membership Team here at WebMD.

It is my pleasure to announce to you that WebMD will soon be upgrading our community features and providing our members with even more exciting tools, as well as revamped message boards. These new features will allow our members a much more personalized experience in the WebMD Community that they love.

In this blog, we'll introduce you to some of our new features and explain how they'll work.

You'll have your first glimpse of our new message board look. (Even though the look is a bit different, they work much the same, but with lots more bells and whistles.) AND, you'll be able to take a peek at what your awesome new profile page will be able to do for you!

I won't give away all the secrets just yet, so stay tuned to the blog for more about YOUR WebMD. And, be sure to ask your questions and give us your comments.

Leona