Just a note to everyone who may be feeling offended.

It's time remember the big picture.

This forum is nothing more than a piece of software. It is the real, living human beings that use it that give it a personality, and what a personality it has been.

For the most part, this has been a warm, nurturing place for people to come and get their questions answered by a group of very knowledgeable people, and as a result, countless people have benefitted. In fact, this forum has more visitors than you can imagine. There are hundreds of quiet, observing, anonymous readers for each person that posts.

With all this in mind, I am asking this of all of you:

(1) I ask everyone to be kind and considerate at all times. What you do reflects your character, not the character of the person you're responding to. What you do also contributes to the collective character of this forum. Make sure you contribute in a way that is truly constructive.

(2) I ask that everyone give everyone else the benefit of the doubt. Don't read negatively into someone else's response. Expect the best from people and, if they don't deliver, let it go. Just move on and keep helping those who need it. If someone meant something harmful, they will be frustrated by your decided lack of perception. If they didn't, no harm will come through false accusations.

I can't count the number of times that I initially felt insulted by what someone posted, but I responded with kindness anyway. Then, was later very glad not to have given in to my emotions because I realized that the poster didn't mean it the way I had originally taken it.

We don't have the benefit of intonation or facial expressions here—all the more reason to give posts the benefit of the doubt; And if there is no doubt that a post indeed has malice, view it as an opportunity to shine. The contrast between this malice and your dignity will be remembered long after the malice has been forgotten.

(3) Understand that the mercury issue is a huge, devastating issue for many people. It is also a potentially enormous legal issue for those who profit from it (and there are many). For this reason, don't be surprised if people come around trying to stir up dissension among us.

Organizations like NCAHF (The National Council Against Health Fraud) is a filthy example of a pharmaceutically-funded disinformation campaign that will pay people to write bad reviews for books or cause dissension in online forums like ours. The NCAHF is also the backing organization for the fraudulent "QuackWatch" website that is full of lies and disinformation that undoubtedly has harmed countless people by deceiving them away from real health solutions. I worked in the political arena for a while and believe me, 99.9% of people worldwide have no idea how crafty and deceiving these monsters can be.

Their main mode of operation has been to divide and conquer. Don't let anyone—friend or foe—divide us. If we do, we loose.

(4) Remember that you're being watched by thousands of people. They will read your posts, judge your personality, and make important decisions based on your conduct for years to come. Let that conduct be as if you were on a nationally televised program making a documentary to be seen by millions in the future.

(5) If you feel you've been assaulted or hurt, try to let it go for the greater good. We've all been hurt by people. Let's not allow ourselves to hurt others by allowing division to win over us. If you defend yourself against false accusations, do so with class and dignity.

Don't give up. Don't divide. Don't let your emotions get the best of you. Often it's better to ignore harsh answers and move on.

If you're insulted by someone else, please don't get up and go. There are people here who need your help who have nothing to do with the person that insulted you. There are people here who only you can reach with your particular combination of experience and style of speech.

If you're unhappy with some of the people here, please don't slander this forum on another forum. If you do, you're only contributing to the dividing and conquering that is being attempted among us.

If we know we are valuable, important, influential, and if we remain determined to help people in our lives, our emotions should never get the best of us.

This forum has been an incredible success in helping people, let's remember that this is the big picture.