You know, I'm kinda new coming into this so I might be speaking prematurely, but my initial reaction to reading about the new forum was NOT hurt or feelings of exclusion. I'm not saying that your feelings are wrong, but I just don't understand it. I don't feel hurt. I mean, what would I really be missing by not being part of another forum? It's a lot of the same people there that are also here. Our friends will remain our friends. I don't know what Doc John intents for the purpose of the forum, but maybe it's just to talk about feelings that we experience after we've contributed to a member? Or feelings that we experience when we write an article for a newsletter. Or maybe he's just trying out the idea of a a private forum, and probably figured it's easier to choose a "group" that (he would have thought) would be noncontroversial and that nobody would feel hurt about ... (but was obviously wrong from what I've read here). What if he tested the concept using the bipolar or depression forum? Wouldn't THAT be more exclusive?

I'm not defending him or arguing with anyone here who feels hurt, but don't we at least owe him the benefit of the doubt and try to assume that he was trying to do something nice for us, even if the intentions weren't entirely clear? He has not even once shown himself to be the kind of guy that intentionally hurts people's feelings. He's done something WONDERFUL for by creating this FREE support site for us, and asks nothing in return. I feel that while everyone's feelings are very valid, it just seems rather unappreciative to complain in this manner.