Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

That crackling sound is Hell freezing over.

I agree totally that the exact nature and function of a vegetarian board as part of the IBS boards has either not been thought through or not been discussed straightforwardly.

There are many, many vegetarian and vegan discussion boards on the Internet where aspects of vegetarianism not related to IBS can be discussed. An IBS board to do so is not necessary.

There have always been people on the Boards - often many of them - who are combining Heather's EFI approach with other dietary restrictions: EFI plus gluten free; EFI plus fructose intolerance; EFI plus sugar avoidance. I do not believe discussions about combining EFI with vegetarianism would be any more confusing then these have been.

There have always been IBS-safe vegetarian recipes on the Recipe Boards. It would be nice to break them out into their own category. Perhaps some of the vegetarians could take the time to do this if Heather can set up a new category in the Recipe Index.

As far as I can tell, the only real reason for a separate vegetarian board is to avoid the arguments between vegetarians and non-vegetarians (omnivores). That is, vegetarians want to be able to say they're vegetarians without ending up in a fight. There are two possible reasons for those fights:

1) Omnivores are offended by people who choose not to eat meat. Omnivores attack vegetarians simply because they mention they are vegetarians.

2) Vegetarians do not simply mention they are vegetarians; rather they claim their vegetarianism is the only right choice. Omnivores are offended by being told they are not only unhealthy but also immoral, unethical, environmentally irresponsible, negligent, callous, and cruel, and they understandably react angrily.

Whichever reason you believe is correct, simply setting up a separate vegetarian board will not solve the problem. If the problem is that omnivores get their jollies from attacking vegetarians without provocation, then a vegetarian board will merely provide a target-rich environment for them. If the problem is that vegetarians are insulting to omnivores, then any any omnivore who visits the vegetarian board will be offended by the discussions there and react angrily. The arguments will simply move from the Diet and Living Room boards to the vegetarian board.

The only solution is to provide not merely a separate vegetarian board but a vegetarian board with separate access. I believe the IBS Support Groups boards are separately passworded; the same should be done to the new vegetarian board. Either:

1) Enrollment in the new vegetarian board would require direct application to the Board administrator. This would allow the new enrollee to be informed of the nature of the board and the expected behavior. Or

2) Anyone could sign up for the new vegetarian board just as anyone can now sign up for the other boards. However, the separate access would mean that if someone attacks the vegetarians - with or without provocation - he or she could be banned from the vegetarian board without being banned from the other boards.

Whichever enrollment procedure is used, clearly Syl's ground rules would be needed either as something to which a prospective vegetarian board member must agree or as a blurb attached to the vegetarian board so those who join will understand what they can and cannot say. I strongly endorse Syl's recommendation that the exact nature of the vegetarian board be defined before it is created. In particular, it should be decided whether arguing about the value of vegetarianism would be allowed and - most importantly - whether the new vegetarian board will adhere to the EFI guidelines.

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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]

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