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Forum Moderator

Bluelight Mod Team
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It's long been talked about that we work with other sites with goals, information, and practices that blend well with our own Harm Reduction mission. What can be done with such partnerships is open for discussion (banner exchanges, cross promotion, real world support of one another, whatever can be imagined can be suggested). However, not every site that wants to exchange banners with us will automatically be put up on display (there are some we would prefer not to have on our site as being endorsed or condoned by us). So, in an effort to get this going, and provide a record of suggested sites - which are being pursued, which are not (and why)....we give you this thread :)


The first sites that come to mind and deserve discussion would be:

Pillreports.com - owned by the same man, shares servrs
Enlighten.org.au - parent site (same owner) for both BL and PR


erowid -




++++++++++++++++++++++++

What we'd ask of members is to suggest sites in reply to this thread, and we'll edit this post as a 'complete listing'. We'd also ask that members provide what info they can on their suggested sites to allow us the best decision making possible in this process, but please - PLEASE - do not act on behalf of BL to speak with other sites. Leave that to our sr. staff. If you wish to direct other sites to contact us in this effort, they can do so through the 'Contact Us' page and we'll get back to them on.
 
I <3 Erowid ):

wiggi said:
I wouldn't call Erowid a harm reduction website, more of a site for teens to look at and decide what drugs to try.
Click to expand...

And thats your personal opinion, take it your A teen looking to decide what drugs to try ? I use Erowid to gauge dosages for chemicals when using a new ROA, I would say thats classed as harm reduction... Peace (:
 
EDIT: tl;dr: I strongly disagree that it's fair to blame Erowid or any similar sites for 'teens [looking at and deciding] what drugs to try'. Teens trying new drugs is inevitable; having accurate information about them is a good thing. That's what harms reduction means to me, in a nutshell. I absolutely think partnering with Erowid would be a fantastic move. The way I see it, Erowid and Bluelight are sister sites in practice already; most my friends 'in the know' use Erowid as a basic encyclopedia/starting point and either post or at least lurk on BL for discussion and answers to more narrow/specific questions. I'd be even more excited to see more active cross-linkage between the two sites: links to B&D threads on each substance's page on Erowid, an active dialogue between top officials at both sites to facilitate sharing of information and help each other fill in any missing gaps information-wise (e.g., I bet there are tons of RCs that Erowid has little to nothing about but BL has reams of knowledge collected about, and PD's efforts to develop somewhat standardizes effects profiles for various psychedelics could help Erowid populate some more basic effects lists).


wiggi said:
I wouldn't call Erowid a harm reduction website, more of a site for teens to look at and decide what drugs to try.
Click to expand...

If that's true then so is Bluelight itself. It's silly to say that providing information is the same thing as enabling or encouraging use. Every source of drug-related info on the internet could be used to do the same thing. Either you maintain a massive campaign of misinformation and lies with the goal of hoping that people just never learn about most drugs' existence, or you equip them with the best information available to make their own choices. I think harms reduction sites by definition must take the latter approach. Erowid is pretty much my personal 'gold standard' for a site that can provide loads of information, maintain a solid reputation in the drug community, while still taking the principles of harms reduction very seriously and making a very strong effort to prevent glorifying or romanticizing the use of any drug.

Edit: I don't believe this line of reasoning myself and I love BL, but extending wiggi's logic: if teens looking for new drugs to ab(use) are surfing the net for ideas, Bluelight is about a million times worse of an offender than Erowid.

Go to Erowid to look up a drug and you'll get toxicology info, a basic effects profile, legal info, dosing info, etc. as well as links to most, if not all credible studies on the drug and its effects. It's only once you go read some trip reports that you'll be exposed to raving fans of said drug proselytizing its greatness, and even there the editors do a pretty good job keeping things online.

Look for info on the same drug on Bluelight and you'll find a big and dandy thread 95% full of people who use and love the drug in question, and the 'objective' info about dosing and safety is interspersed with a looooooot of glowing personal reports and people who take the drug often and love it talking about how great it is. For an informed person educating themselves about an important decision regarding their body and their health, it's a great resource to pick through and find some really great info, but if the concern is 'stupid drug abusing young kids will use 'harms reduction' sites like shopping lists to find new drugs to try,' then the site we're on right now is at LEAST as bad an offender as Erowid.

Bottom line: hiding the very existence of a drug is not a good long-term strategy to reduce abuse. Some people will make bad choices even after having the best information presented to them, but that's not the fault of the information provider. It's infinitely better that our hypothetical teen craving a new drug experience do his/her research on a site like Erowid or Bluelight as opposed to just asking around until something unusual turns up locally and then trying it without doing all that reading about it.
 
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With regards to any mushroom identification concerns I'd like to nominate the Shroomery as a safe website.

There are parts of the website which aren't so trustworthy, or even particularly helpful, however the section on identification of wild picked mushrooms is extremely professional and well moderated. If anyone has any issues regarding whether or not to eat a specific type of mushroom they can almost always get a definite answer there. This can be very important as eating a mushroom that hasn't been properly identified is, as I'm sure everyone is aware, a very foolhardy thing to do - and indeed may be the last thing ever done.
 
i'm going to resurrect from the dead this really old suggestion to have a banner for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, where things were already discussed with LEAP and met with their approval, only to be shot down by Catch-22 for no real reason.

old proposal here



on that note, in going with official non-profit organizations who are technically in-line with our mission of harm-reduction (keeping people out of jail and reducing crime IS a part of harm reduction), i also suggest Students for a Sensible Drug Policy.

having lobbyists as partners would certainly help to push knowledge out there and reduce the harm caused by the drugs themselves, and especially by prohibition.


and of course, i used to see Dance Safe have tables set up at raves passing out info and doing pill testings, so how could i forget them?
 
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I have seen questions about antidepressant use withdrawal and effects on this board and I have read very little of what it has to offer.
There is a website called paxilprogress.org that gives about any information you could think of on this subject. The site is searchable and mostly comprised of people withdrawing from antidepressants. Not an illegal drug site but some users of antidepressants have found that once they are started on these legal drugs drinking and illegal drug use starts. On this same like effexoractivist.org effexorwithdrawal on topix.
Not sure it fits here but may be helpful to those seeking antidepressant information. These sites are not pro ssri/snri as most people on them feel these drugs effects have been hidden from public view and they are trying to enlighten learn and heal.
 
wiggi said:
Erowid is a mecca of drug information. Without it, they would not know what drugs can and can not get you high. Without hearing from it from a friend or even a dealer. At least it provides dosing information, so that kids don't kill themselves.
Click to expand...



to say they would not know about what drugs can and cant get you high is rubbish I personally have never used that site as an adult or a kid but have still managed to find E's or whatever drug i wanted however not knowing what i was taking im afraid wiggy (and im not giving you the middle finger here) they are right


EDIT:erowid.org
pillreports.com
thegooddrugsguide.com
 
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Dancesafe.org

Information on MDMA primarily. Not like we have enough of those already, but hey.
 
wiggi said:
I wouldn't call Erowid a harm reduction website, more of a site for teens to look at and decide what drugs to try.
Click to expand...

I use erowid regularly... throughout my teen years... And I used to to read experiences and find out how much of certain drugs to try and whether certain combinations are good or bad.
 
Are you going to be linking to treatment referral sources and such when you have the treatment forum online? I work for a treatment center and would love to help in any way I can to help some fellow bluelighters struggling with drug addiction.
 
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