story on Bluelight on ABC.com (american)

in case any of you have missed this in the other forums.
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/sexdrugs001002.html
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"i think i'll stick to drugs to get me thru the long, dark night of late-capitalism..."
Irvine Welsh

thanks for the link JB - the article does not suprise me, I don't expect anything better from the media. Isn't it ironic that they will critisize Bluelight for providing questionable medical advise, but on the same token fail to realise it's because of their ignorance and plain denial that sites like Bluelight exists. It's because of them that proper research is not conducted!!
Ok thats my winge for today! We will be up for the same attacks when we start getting the Bluelight Stall up and running here.
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Careful with that axe Eugene....

BL is prolly one of the few pockets of democracy left. Its surprises me the reporter didnt realise that, but I guess the article had to align itself with gov't approved views or face penalties. Its just so tragic, its because of the gov'ts anti-drug laws that the black market exists. Due to that market, people die from bad drugs/misinformation. When people then form a board such as this, in order to get their basic human rights, that is to live beyond their next pill, they get attacked by the media as being clueless kids. GREAT!
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"Your understanding of life extends as far as the questions your prepared to ask."

Lucky that wasn't the Australian Bluelight they were talking about. It's pretty f*cked that that reporter associated BL with heroin OD's and other nasty shit like that - if there is ever something like that published about OUR community, I won't be happy. Talk about portraying things in the wrong light.
Fucken media.
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I think of my life as a series of sketches; each one funnier than the last

Hey JB, would this haf anything to do wif that ABC reporter on BL discussion couple of weeks ago??

“What I find dangerous about Bluelight is the information given out is often from other Bluelighters, whose average age group I would imagine is 15 to 19. I would bet most anything that these kids have not done actual research on the pharmacology of MDMA or MDMA- related neurotoxicity,” says Duane Broadnax, a 27-year-old programmer who’s a member of the bulletin board.

Click to expand...

IMHO, isn't that BL's "mission statement"?? Information? OK, In all fairness, i would say that this author ATTEMPTED to write a balanced story.
Could do better tho'

I actually thought the article was reasonably balanced. How *are* we supposed to believe any advice given by any other bluelighter? How *do* we know that raverdoc is really a qualified Doctor?
We don't. We believe what we want to believe. In the example given in the article....
"One user on the medical board at Bluelight, an Ecstasy-centric site, asked about a friend with hepatitis who does Ecstasy. He got answers including “Anyone with a liver disease should NOT be taking drugs” and “MDMA is rather harsh on your body, including your liver and kidneys … if your friend has Hep C, I would strongly recommed that, if she *has* to roll, to take at least half doses"
...what would *you* believe if you had hep c and wanted to take a pill? If you were sensible, you'd realise that taking anything when you're sick is bad. But it's a huge night out you've been planning for ages, all your friends are going, and someone on bluelight says if you take the pill in small doses you'll be fine. And you'd accuse the person saying never to take drugs when you're sick as being alarmist and against drugs. I've seen it happen on here.
The article didn't say we don't have any good information here. Just that it's difficult to sort the truth from the bullshit. Isn't this the truth if you're new here? And it's the newbies who need the most correct information.
I'm completely behind what we do here...just trying to be a bit realistic.

hmmmmmm, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. i agree with miss apple.
Finn

yep miss apples. i'm begining to think that outside scrutiny of Bluelight can only be a good thing. we are in danger of becoming too insular.
i fully believe that the driving principle of Bluelight is that good information drives out bad, but people can't get too complacent.
no one should ever believe somethng just because they read it on Bluelight. they should always try and independantly verify that information.

miss apple - you have a very good point - and I think we can fall into the trap that because it's on Bluelight it's correct. I guess as resposible people looking out for own health and safety we should always verify any information we come across - whether on Bluelight or not.
But I'm an old cranky bastard who hates the media so my first reaction is to attack them - and it's so much fun
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Careful with that axe Eugene....

100 % agree with miss apple here too, I thought the article was good on both sides. It didnt say anything about harm reduction being a bad thing - but did state that what some people suggest may not actually reduce harm.
Also agree with JB and haste, you cant take BL to be 100% facts though we know it has helped to rid us of some annoying ecstasy rumours.