Cpaptalk.com vs Apneaboard.com

[stevezoller]

I am curious about the difference(s) between these two groups, cpaptalk.com and apneaboard.com. I’m interested in learning but there are a lot of posts on each website and I’m not sure I’m interested enough to follow both. Is there a good reason to follow one versus the other? Thanks.

[Pugsy]

Your choice. Which group of people seem to meet YOUR needs the best?
What I find interesting is that we don't censor "apneaboard forum" at all here. Go try to type in "cpaptalk" forum and see what happens.
BTW...a lot of the forum members here are active over at the apneaboard forum. Some with even same ID names. Easy to spot.

[greatunclebill]

both places have basically the same sets of questions and answers. so you should get the same correct answers at both places. the main difference is that this forum has everything in one forum where theirs is a series of about 4 sub-forums. personally i like it all in one forum like it is here.

[palerider]

Personally, I think the main difference is that apneaboard is tightly moderated, and they care more about feelings than correct information.

If someone says something foolish, then everybody except the heavy handed moderators has to delicately tip toe around it lest they hurt someone's feelings.

Over here, you're more likely to get the correct info quicker.

Just see which place 'feels' more like your preferred environment.

[sptrout]

I read both boards, but prefer this one. The Apnea Board is a non-profit organization and because of this they are highly restricted on what they can allow to be posted. Just try to post a "link" to anything that may have something to sell somewhere on that site. You will get slammed quickly (I know from experience) and your post edited or removed. They apparently have no choice but to restrict posts to be able to maintain there non-profit status, but this restricts the flow of information that may be helpful on other sites. Freedom always provides the best results, but sometimes comes at a cost (bad or rude posts, etc.).

[Wulfman...]

I am curious about the difference(s) between these two groups, cpaptalk.com and apneaboard.com. I’m interested in learning but there are a lot of posts on each website and I’m not sure I’m interested enough to follow both. Is there a good reason to follow one versus the other? Thanks.

Well, I've followed this forum since early 2005 and joined in July of that year.......and have never been a member of that or any other CPAP-related forums. I can probably count on one or two hands the number of times I've peeked into that forum. Well, I just did again and found that the administrator LOCKED your thread after he posted to it. I think that should be a big fat clue as to how they treat folks who wish to discuss other forums and posting links.

http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread ... -CPAP-Talk

Edit to add: Not only did they lock it, they "moved" it to where nobody else (non members) could see the discussion.
Lookss like pretty heavy-handed administrating to me.

My loyalty is and has always been to CPAPTalk.

Have a nice day.


Den

.

[jnk...]

This bar, although basically still under the same management, has in the last several months undergone some punctuated equilibrium. (Big thanks to Pugsy.) It has always had a lot of good people with some great information, but in the old days the music sometimes got too loud to talk over, and scuffles over nothing could erupt that could spill your beer. These days things have calmed down quite a bit, but there is still a nice informal feel that allows for freeform discussion and helpful fellowship that is welcoming and relatively easy for newcomers to figure out. Other boards/bars can sometimes be an exercise in form over function, and not everyone feels like meeting their dress codes.

[klv329]

You can sell new or used cap and supplies here, but not at apneaboard.com.

[ShinRyoku]

Your choice. Which group of people seem to meet YOUR needs the best?
What I find interesting is that we don't censor "apneaboard forum" at all here. Go try to type in "cpaptalk" forum and see what happens.

Good point. Also evident in the fact that the admin there locked the thread about this topic, whereas the thread here is allowed to continue.

The supposed reason why links to CPAPTalk aren't allowed at Apnea Board is that it is against the rules since CPAPTalk is owned by a DME. That is just a lame excuse, IMO. Their actual reason for disallowing links to CPAPTalk is more likely that Apnea Board is a for profit site, and CPAPTalk is competition.

I think it's also worth mentioning that the Apnea Board admin took the low road in responding to the thread over there. There is no need to bad mouth other sites.

[ShinRyoku]

Another key difference between the sites, in my brief experience on both, is that there are some voices which dominate conversations there and that some of the oft-repeated dogma issued by those voices isn't well founded.

For example, there is a strong push there for someone with CSA to be put on ASV to the point where it is prematurely suggested that a doctor is clueless or ill meaning when they don't go straight to prescribing ASV. Other myths which seem to be prevalent there are that clusters of OAs are always due to chin tucking or that ResMed devices are simply more effective than Respironics ones.

The voices which carry the most apparent authority on this site (eg, Pugsy) are, IMO, more thoughtful ones. Less dogmatic. More balanced.

I've learned a lot on both sites, and I think there is a lot of good on each of them. But those are my observations.

One last observation is this that Apnea Board's concept of "fair use" allowing them to copy resources in total and post them there is completely wrong. This is directly from their rules:

Internet links sometimes change or are lost over time. When posting a link to an off-site article, we encourage members to copy or quote either the full text or the relevant portions of that article into forum posts. Apnea Board is an educational website and re-posting the text of articles, manuals, news and information is deemed "Fair Use" under U.S. copyright law.

Basically they don't understand what "fair use" is and think it lets them post anything.

[Pugsy]

Edit to add: Not only did they lock it, they "moved" it to where nobody else (non members) could see the discussion.
Lookss like pretty heavy-handed administrating to me.

Not only non members can't see it...members can't see it either. I just looked. It was totally removed....I am a member over there...joined it about the same time as I joined here but I quickly realized that my personality and the camp dictators would never get along so I don't post over there and I don't even bother to go read it unless I am looking for something specific.
They serve a useful purpose and I will recommend a visit over there quite often...they aren't so kind about us here. I once tried to post something and my comment included the word "cpaptalk" and it promptly was edited out and I got a message not allowed and I hadn't even clicked on submit yet.
That's taking censorship a bit too far IMHO. I don't care to be a party to a place that does that heavy handed censorship.
The link thing...I can understand that but to not even be able to type "cpaptalk"...way over the top IMO.

This bar, although basically still under the same management, has in the last several months undergone some punctuated equilibrium. (Big thanks to Pugsy.) It has always had a lot of good people with some great information, but in the old days the music sometimes got too loud to talk over, and scuffles over nothing could erupt that could spill your beer. These days things have calmed down quite a bit, but there is still a nice informal feel that allows for freeform discussion and helpful fellowship that is welcoming and relatively easy for newcomers to figure out. Other boards/bars can sometimes be an exercise in form over function, and not everyone feels like meeting their dress codes.

Good analogy. Not long ago (pre the recent changes) I told Carolyn this forum was becoming an ugly biker bar and not a bar that I felt comfortable visiting.
Now rough and tumble biker bars have their place...I just don't want to go sit down and have a few drinks in one.
I much prefer this bar...yeah it can get a bit rowdy at times but nothing like a rowdy biker bar and nothing like a stiff stuck up yuppie bar where I would feel out of place (like the apneaboard).

And FWIW...I really haven't done anything here to tame the crowd. Everyone has done it themselves. Pretty much all I do is spam patrol and I block the spammers swiftly....no more waiting to get Carolyn to do it.
I think the removal of guest posting stopped a lot of people posting just to stir up trouble and the removal of the main member offender pretty much has cleaned up the bar without my really having to do anything except watch.
I think the only real moderating I might have done was remove one post where the offender spewed so much profanity (and that's all he said) that it sickened my stomach and it takes a lot of profanity to turn my stomach. I did lock one thread that was getting out of hand...they started talking about guns and shooting people (each other) instead of the original topic...so time to bust up that fight.
That's been the extent of my "moderating" except for real spam removal. The overall atmosphere here...that's all from you guys behaving like adults and not 3 yr olds. You have yourselves to thank...not me.
And yeah...we all know that there will be some disagreeing and sometimes it will get a bit heated but if we just remember to attack the message and not the messenger...it will be a much more fun place for everyone to sit down and have a drink and chat.

Edit...I just saw what SuperSleeper said....talk about taking the low road...so I decided to take a bit higher road and removed my Nazi comparison in my post here. So it looks like the thread may be back even if locked.

The cpap world is a big place...there's room for many forums. I participate over at Jason's forum (freecapapadvice.com) also as well as this one here. Mainly because my personality jives well with his...like it does with Johnny's here. I stay where I am the most comfortable and where my way of helping people ends up helping more people. Is my way the only way...of course not but it is the only way I know. If someone doesn't like my way then go find another way...pretty simple and I for one won't lose one little bit of sleep over it.
Some how or other I just imagine if I were to sit down at the bar and have a drink and chat with someone...I don't see myself having a particularly good time with SuperSleeper but I do with just about everyone here...and Johnny and Jason....
There are other forums related to cpap besides these 3 but I only have so much time to devote to this stuff. I prefer to stay and drink where I am the most comfortable. Doesn't mean the other bars aren't good bars...just that I can only "drink" so much.

No place is going to be a perfect fit for everyone...that's life. So pick the "bar" you enjoy the most and give them your business when you can.
And I am talking interaction business...not the material dollar business that cpap.com has.

[HD4me]

FWIW, I just went there and it says it's been moved but still opens if you are logged in. As far as the difference in forums, some people like living in a gated community, some do not.

[jnk...]

I really haven't done anything here to tame the crowd. Everyone has done it themselves. . . . The overall atmosphere here...that's all from you guys behaving like adults and not 3 yr olds. You have yourselves to thank...not me. . . .

Well, in the past, Mom and Dad, understandably so, sometimes seemed a little too busy with work to do much to keep this a safe haven for all of us kids. You are the fun, wise aunt who has thankfully been given full babysitting authority, and your presence and example, just by your being the nonjudgmental fair-minded person you are, has made all the difference in setting the right tone, in my opinion.

So, you may think of yourself as not doing much to make the difference, but from where I sit, my knowing that you are here taking a stand as a voice of reason has made all the difference for my feeling comfortable posting here again, myself. So I stand by my giving you much of the thanks for the present state of affairs around here.

[palerider]

This bar, although basically still under the same management, has in the last several months undergone some punctuated equilibrium. (Big thanks to Pugsy.) It has always had a lot of good people with some great information, but in the old days the music sometimes got too loud to talk over, and scuffles over nothing could erupt that could spill your beer. These days things have calmed down quite a bit, but there is still a nice informal feel that allows for freeform discussion and helpful fellowship that is welcoming and relatively easy for newcomers to figure out. Other boards/bars can sometimes be an exercise in form over function, and not everyone feels like meeting their dress codes.

That's a very good way of putting it.

freecpapadvice.com/forum is another good place, without the restrictions of apneaboard.

[palerider]

Your choice. Which group of people seem to meet YOUR needs the best?
What I find interesting is that we don't censor "apneaboard forum" at all here. Go try to type in "cpaptalk" forum and see what happens.

Good point. Also evident in the fact that the admin there locked the thread about this topic, whereas the thread here is allowed to continue.

Yeah, cpaptalk.com is in their *dirty word filter*!