GoutPal Interactive

The gout forum has a ranking system that applies a badge to contributors depending on the number of posts they make.

I have toyed with the idea of dropping this completely, but I believe most people welcome it. One problem is that current rankings can be confusing to new forum members. The main problem is that the rankings now do not make sense. They rise in severity of goutiness as you post more. But this does not make sense – the longer you contribute to the forum, the better your gout should be.

Another problem has surfaced (unnoticed I think) as our most prolific and respected poster has passed the top rank that I set. His unique style deserves to be celebrated, but at the moment, the rank simply drops to ‘Member’. Of course, I could just increase the top number, but I think it is time for something better.

My first objective is to improve clarity. Therefore the new suggestions will be a little longer, and include a link to an explanations page.

My suggestions are:

1 – 5

Gout Forum Newbie. Please be gentle.

6 – 20

Gout Forum Settler. This place is just swell.

21 – 49

Gout Forum Regular. I like this joint.

50 – 499

Gout Forum Expert. Alas poor Uric! I knew him, Allopurino, a fellow of infinite pest.

500 – 4999

Gout Forum Guru. Crystal clear – I love it here.

5000 – 49999

My name is zip2play

Please vote for the gout forum ranks you like or dislike. Please add your suggestions below.

As discussed in the forum recently, I am upgrading this website, and giving the look & feel a makeover to make it easier to read, and to unite, where possible, different parts.

There will be 3 separate sections to air your views, share your experiences, ask gouty questions and generally interact with fellow gouties so that we can all learn and understand more.

I’ve also had a heads-up on surveys, so I’ll start a new section on this just as soon as you tell me it is important to you.

As new suggestions are made here, I will add them to the GoutPal Interactive Improvement Poll, and you can vote for the improvements that are important to you. Each improvement is presented as an answer, and you simply vote up those that you want to see. Very rarely, you may see an improvement that you really think is a bad idea. You can vote this down, but it would be nice if you could also add a comment here to say why you think it is a bad idea.

Please check out the list of potential improvements to GoutPal Interactive, and vote up those that you like. Please think about any other things you would like to see, and add them as comments below.

Please note that this is for interactive pages here at gout-pal.com. I have a separate discussion for improvements to the main gout reference site, GoutPal.com.

I am constantly on the lookout for new information to add to GoutPal.com.

I also like to improve the way the information is presented wherever I can to make it easier for you to find the gout information that you need.

I have recently started to add discussion topics here to talk about issues raised by specific pages. This page is for discussing topics that are missing from GoutPal.com, or for suggesting improvements to layouts and features.

As new suggestions are made here, I will add them to the GoutPal Improvement Poll, and you can vote for the improvements that are important to you. Each improvement is presented as an answer, and you simply vote up those that you want to see. Very rarely, you may see an improvement that you really think is a bad idea. You can vote this down, but it would be nice if you could also add a comment here to say why you think it is a bad idea.

So please check out the list of potential improvements to GoutPal.com, and vote up those that you like. Please think about any other things you would like to see, and add them as comments below.

Sorry for some delays at the moment, but I’m moving home.

Boring affects on my gout sites are:

• Can’t access email at blueyonder. If you’ve sent anything to that address recently, please send again via goutpal.com. If you don’t have my private email address, send a message via my contact form (but see next point also)
• My internet access is hit and miss, so I can’t answer private emails everyday. Public emails are also slow (e.g. contact forms, forum private messages), simply because I don’t have much internet access time
• Comments may take a few days for me to approve, but if you register, they should appear straight away.
• Gout Forum posts may take a few days for me to approve, but if you register, they should appear straight away.

Most unfortunately, I will probably not have time to do any research. If your question is straightforward, I’ll try to answer it straight away. If not, it will probably get caught up in the backlog. If you don’t get an answer within a couple of months, please try again. Remember, it is always best, and quickest, to post your gout questions in the Gout Forum.

Gout information is vital to all gout sufferers. See what most people find important, and add your needs to the gout information wishlist.

Rumours of my demise are exaggerated.

Not only am I still alive and kicking, but I’ve resurrected this blog.

There’s hope for a bright future on a new server. Thanks to all who’ve helped with this – I’ll write more soon.

In the meantime, there are a few bugs that have crept in during moving this site. They may also affect links on GoutPal.com.

If you spot anything, please let me know.

Also, please let me know what is most important to you. I always give priority to your needs.

We all need relief for gout. At last someone is starting to think about how we might get it – but is it enough?

Reliable shopping cart software is vital for webmasters – especially those with gout.

I keep a lookout for gout research, or any type of interesting gout news. I usually mention it here on the blog, or in the gout forum first, but sometimes I put it straight onto GoutPal.com or into my newsletter.

Lately, I’ve been keeping various bits of gout news in different places, and losing track of it. Then I realized that the easiest way to keep track, and keep you informed at the earliest opportunity, is to post the details on the gout forum. I’ve enlisted the help of my good friend Al O’Purinol to post these little snippets for me.

One downside of this is that the jargon is very strong in a lot of these reports. When I do my articles, I try to replace some of the more obscure terms with better-known phrases. Now that you see the gout research abstracts in their original form, I am concerned that some of the jargon makes them very difficult to read.

Step forward a brilliant plug-in for WordPress called Hover. I’m using it to start a glossary of gout terms that you can see just by moving your mouse over the term.

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Make The Most Of Your Gout Forum

The GoutPal gout forum is the best place to ask questions about gout.

It’s also a great place to share your gouty experiences and opinions.

Anyone can join in – you don’t need to register before you post, though it will be easier for you if you do. Registered gout forum users can save some information to make posting even easier, and you do not need to wait for posts to be approved (after your first one).

I check the gout forum whenever I switch my computer on, so you will get a much faster response than you would by sending messages. Also, you get the benefit of other experienced gout sufferers.

Gout Forum Structure

I’ve divided the forum into several different areas (or boards). This helps to keep similar discussions in one place, and it helps visitors find answers to questions that other gout sufferers have asked before.

However, if you are desperate for help, there is no need to study each forum before you post. Just ask your question in Please Help My Gout.

Gout Related Forums

Gout Cures

What works for you? Discuss gout medications and treatments for pain relief or uric acid lowering.
Click here to start a new Gout Cures discussion.

Gout Diet

Discuss all aspects of gout food and gout diet.
Click here to start a new Gout Diet discussion.

Gout Related

Discuss how other conditions affect gout and how they can be affected by gout.
Click here to start a new Gout Related discussion.

Gout Symptoms

Discuss gout symptoms, causes, diagnosis and triggers.
Click here to start a new Gout Symptoms discussion.

Please Help My Gout!

If you’re in despair, and don’t know where to turn, leave a message here. Don’t bother searching for the right place to post – just ask here.
Click here to start a new Gout Emergency discussion.

Uric Acid

Discuss the nature of uric acid and how it affects gout.
Click here to start a new Uric Acid discussion.

Other Forums

Tech Stuff

Anything about using the GoutPal and Gout Pal Interactive websites.
Click here to start a new Gout Website discussion.

Water Cooler

Got something on your mind that isn’t gout related? Talk about it here. Still no spam though!
Click here to start a new General discussion.

Wish List

What extra would you like to see on GoutPal or Gout Pal Interactive? What should be removed. I appreciate all suggestions for improvements.
Click here to start a new Wish List discussion.