Cort Johnson, the Founder of Phoenix Rising, Returns to Lead the Forum!

[MonkeyMan]

I am sorry to hear the board all resigned. That is rather shocking.

It certainly is. @Janet Dafoe, can you shed any light on why you all resigned?

 

[lenora]

I join you, Dolphin, in giving special thanks to the board members and moderators. I hope everyone joins in and gives them each a huge box of good chocolates! Yours, Lenora

 

[Janet Dafoe]

I am sorry to hear the board all resigned. That is rather shocking.

It’s not a negative or bad thing. We are happy to have Cort take over. Nothing controversial or adversarial happened. We asked him to do it. We are happy.

 

[Diwi9]

Welcome back, Cort! I have been off the board for some time now, but for users of this site, please realize that Cort is making it so that PR can remain a viable and functioning site with its vast documentation of content preserved and accessible. Running an independent message board via the requirements of US non-profit status requires more volunteer work than many people dealing with chronic illness are able to provide on a longterm or consistent basis. But, PR has had many amazing volunteers that dug deep to keep it running. Much gratitude to everyone who contributes here, uses the site, wrote articles, provided tech support, worked on the administrative end, and especially to the moderators...they are the back bone of day-to-day operations and easily dedicate the most time.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

We are happy.

well, Great news then.

There will no longer be a board?

 

[Jyoti]

Glad to hear the news. I hope it will be a good move for all involved.

Also, I very much appreciate @Diwi9 's explanation of what has happened. Am I correct in understanding, then, that PR is no longer a non-profit? A hint might have been that Cort is named as the owner, but it is a big step and of course most of us are just learning of it.

Best wishes to Cort, and to the board, along with thanks to the latter as they move on from their stewardship here.

 

[LaurelW]

This is good news, Cort! And many thanks to the previous board.

 

[Sushi]

Also, I very much appreciate @Diwi9 's explanation of what has happened. Am I correct in understanding, then, that PR is no longer a non-profit? A hint might have been that Cort is named as the owner, but it is a big step and of course most of us are just learning of it.

Best wishes to Cort, and to the board, along with thanks to the latter as they move on from their stewardship here.

From the Donate page:

Please note that because Phoenix Rising is now being run by Health Rising. Your donations are not tax deductible. Health Rising is not a 501 (c) 3 non-profit.

 

[Jyoti]

Thank you @Sushi

 

[Cort]

Thanks so much everyone! It's like coming home (hi Sushi, Wayne and Dolphin ) after being away for a long time. I hope we can find a way to re-invigorate the Forums. I believe they are still the best means of communication available - they are the only venue that I can think of that provides the capability to track conversations and learn from them. I think that's terribly important.

It's not an easy battle with Facebook, in particular, being so popular. It's an amazing thing. If I have a blog that includes ME/CFS, FM, and long COVID there are probably 40 or 50 Facebook sites I can post to. The information, though, disappears with the blink of an eye. I think many people who are posting on Facebook now don't even know that Forums - with all their capabilities - exist.

I think the Board simply got worn out - and when I was asked if I wanted to take care of PR - of course, I said yes. Phoenix Rising was my baby. I created the website as a way to dig deeper into ME/CFS and communicate in the mid-2000s and then Forum in the later 2000s. Phoenix Rising was my life for a long time and I'm happy to be back.

Yes, Phoenix Rising is no longer a non-profit. That's because Health Rising is not a non-profit. Health Rising is not a non-profit because I lost Phoenix Rising over disagreements with the Board (long story) that long preceded the present Board - which I have always been on good terms with. Not wanting to go through that again, I never made HR a non-profit.

My hope is to find ways to integrate Health Rising and Phoenix Rising and find ways to grow both. Some small changes have been made to PR to freshen it up a bit and others will be made. I will outline those in a future post.

Health Rising is going to be very busy over the next couple of months as we roll out our Lives Interrupted, Big Map, and Treatment Review programs - so there is that to take care - and, as that is happening, I'm open to suggestions how we can improve and grow PR.

Thanks so much for the great welcome! This is my first post in a long time!

 

[Tsukareta]

Its the experience of the notable / most prolific and long standing members that gives this site value, so if they start to disappear it does diminish its value somewhat, but is still an archive of info. Maybe I can find out something more about candida here or a certain supplement for example, if I need to in future.

This place seemed fairly normal / active 2 years ago so I don't know whats up. I have a feeling ( but can't confirm this ) that a similar trend occured in my favourite online game which released in 2005 but was still healthy enough in 2021, I feel like player numbers may have dropped a little since then, but I can't say. I know the reddit site for the game felt very alive 2 years ago whereas now it feels quiet. I wonder how much this has to do with the Covid lockdown and people being off work / university.

I haven't used Facebook since around 2015 or 2016 and I don't really miss it at all, maybe its changed a lot now. I didn't like the CFS reddit page back then either but now its atmosphere seems different, but lack of knowledgeable users or long term CFS sufferers there. I would say theres way more interest and discussion here about the new Prusty work here than there is over there for example. That's fine though there can be different roles each platform has with Reddit being more like a social support group for people inexperienced at dealing with the illness.

 

[Osaca]

One of my favourite things about this forum, and I am extremely new to it, is that it isn't focussed on internet fame, which creates a completely different discussion. This forum is focussed on an engaging discussion on different topics and that is where we can gain the most insights. Phoenix rising feels the closest to a conversation in real life. It isn’t about how many followers you have.

Twitter is particularly bad in this aspect, even Reddit isn’t great. A discussion can only be had with an extreme minority of people on those websites and usually only if you have enough followers.

Whenever someone mentions a new sensible drug/supplement that they claim to be a cure on Twitter or Reddit, I can use the PR search function to find that it was already tested some 10 years ago.

I think the initial review process for new members really helps this site. Someone has to put a small effort into becoming a member. I feel that alone prevents some of the spammy nature we see on the other websites. I believe that even the fact that the website doesn't look fancy or like a social network, but looks like a website from the two-thousands is helpful in that aspect.

 

[bertiedog]

I would like to thank Cort for coming back to add his knowledge to the forum. I notice I have been here since 2009 but I thought it actually started before that but maybe I am getting confused with another ME forum. I remember how much I learned from the much missed Rick Van K as well as Cort so hope I can continue to learn more helpful suggestions.

Although I am 75 years old now my brain is still eager to follow all the research and also its implications for possible treatments!

Pam

 

[Cort]

well, Great news then.

There will no longer be a board?

Right - there will no longer be a board. Having a board is a requirement for a non-profit and having a board is no easy thing. When I was running PR we had a small board and always wanted to bulk up the board but it was always very hard to find people willing to do that. So while having a board does allow for more input in some ways it's easier this way.

 

[Cort]

I would like to thank Cort for coming back to add his knowledge to the forum. I notice I have been here since 2009 but I thought it actually started before that but maybe I am getting confused with another ME forum. I remember how much I learned from the much missed Rick Van K as well as Cort so hope I can continue to learn more helpful suggestions.

Although I am 75 years old now my brain is still eager to follow all the research and also its implications for possible treatments!

Pam

Hi bertiedog - I remember you. For those who don't know Rich (who died of a heart attack) played a huge role on the Forums and enormous threads were devoted to his hypotheses and treatment suggestions.

 

[bertiedog]

Hi bertiedog - I remember you. For those who don't know Rich (who died of a heart attack) played a huge role on the Forums and enormous threads were devoted to his hypotheses and treatment suggestions.

That's very nice Cort, I have been following you at HR btw. I still remember the methylation stuff that Rich was so hot on and even now incorporate it into my daily regime, especially the importance of folate and B12 (and for me high dose B2 as well). I think it was around 2005 when we started talking about methylation of the cell and its importance in ME.

I hope everything runs smoothly for you and PR from now on.

Pam

 

[Sushi]

I hope we can find a way to re-invigorate the Forums. I believe they are still the best means of communication available - they are the only venue that I can think of that provides the capability to track conversations and learn from them. I think that's terribly important.

Agreed—a good health forum is an incredible resource—Facebook groups are hopeless in comparison. This forum and other special focus forums have sort of saved my life.

And Rich—how we miss him. Every time I pick up a bottle of folate or B12 I remember him. Friends ask me how I learned so much about methylation and I think of him.

It is great to see all the 2009 members turning up on this thread!

 

[waiting]

I can't express how happy I am to hear this news. I think Phoenix Rising, Health Rising, and all its members will benefit greatly from this new development. It's something I've waited for for a long time, and now feel things are returning to their "rightful' place. Welcome back @Cort, so happy to have you back at the helm!!!.

Well said, Wayne! I could not agree more. This is a very positive new chapter for Phoenix Rising. It's the first website I actually joined as a member since contracting ME 20 years ago, with Health Rising being the second website. I recall immediately being impressed by the tenor of the in-depth conversations here by thoughtful PR members and followed Cort to HR for his incredibly well written articles. I'm so happy PR is now being managed, alongside HR, by @Cort again - it does indeed feel 'right'.

And thank you to this most recent board and to the moderators who kept it going in his absence.

 

[Zebra]

My hope is to find ways to integrate Health Rising and Phoenix Rising and find ways to grow both. Some small changes have been made to PR to freshen it up a bit and others will be made. I will outline those in a future post.

I am looking forward to those future posts, Cort.

I have noticed less activity on PR in the past 2+ years, and I hope that your return to the helm will reinvigorate the platform.

I also want to opine that Health Rising and Phoenix Rising have two very distinct cultures, and there's a reason why I joined PR, and not HR, almost a decade ago.

I do hope that differences between the two platforms will be respected, supported, and maintained throughout the evolution of PR.

 

[Emmarose47]

My sincere gratitude and thanks to everyone who has been involved and who now will be. I appreciate you all soooo much.

This forum is the best I've been on for such rich resources, dedicated patients and provides such a lifeline of support for those of us who otherwise would feel more alone. I know I certainly would.

It's the one place I feel heard and understood