GoutPal On The Mend
In the midst of upgrading the GoutPal Support Forum, it’s time for a little reflection. Not just for self-indulgence, but as an insight into why things are the way they are, and a glimpse of good times ahead.
I am working hard on completing instructions and guidelines for the new format gout forums. I’ve tested the forums in all major browsers, with no problems, so at last, Microsoft Internet Explorer users, who have upgraded to version 9, can breathe a sigh of relief. Before I complete those instructions and run a series of articles explaining the new features, I’m prompted, by a new charting toy, to see a link between mending the GoutPal Support Forum, and mending GoutPal, the man.
In reality, I’ve stopped referring to myself as GoutPal, as forum contributors started abbreviating it to GP. I’ve nothing against abbreviations in the right place – it is the only way I can talk about DNA without a dictionary. But saddling me with a common doctor’s abbreviation is asking for confusion, so I’ve reverted to Keith. It was good enough for my parents, so it’s certainly good enough for the forum, if not quite as unique. But I digress.
Gout Sufferers Helped (click for chart details)
Many of you will be aware of a similarly titled GoutPal On The Mend article from earlier this year. My new charting toy made me realize how my own fall is sadly mirrored in the fall of visitors here.
On the bright side, it seems that the fall has bottomed out, and I look forward to more visitors, and more gout sufferers finding their path to gout freedom. But there is a more interesting view in the detail behind that chart.
A view that shows the importance of you.
It is magnificent to see that, whilst GoutPal.com’s million visitors a year fell by one third, GoutPal Interactive continued its steady growth. By asking great questions that fellow gout sufferers selflessly supply great answers to, you and your fellow gouties have ensured that people in pain can get great support.
I never really needed reminding that gout sufferers deserved a better support service, but these charts make it clear to me just how vital this is.
New features will make it easier for me to improve the information here, and I am confident that the New Year will see a return to helping a million gout sufferers a year. Then we will help even more. I’m particularly excited that recent developments should lead to opportunities for more people contributing to GoutPal.com. That should mean that when we are helping ten million gout sufferers per year, my absence will not cause a similar drop in service.
If you persevere now, you should be able to enjoy some of the new features, and find hints of exciting developments in the making. However, you will have to wait a few more days for complete instructions and explanations. Now is a great time to join the free update service if you want to make sure that you get the impending announcements.
Tags: GoutPal