WP

[DarkLady]

Are any of you guys also on WrongPlanet? I'm now officially on both.

 

[Ereth]

I'm just here. I used to be a member of Spectrumville before it shut down, though.

 

[Peace]

No

 

[Anon88]

Are any of you guys also on WrongPlanet? I'm now officially on both.

WrongPlanet was actually the first website I came to before this one. But for some reason I wasn't inspired enough to join. Honestly, sometimes I have this problem where if I try to do something and the answer/path isn't revealed to me quick enough my mind just shuts down and I give up and move on. I'm pretty sure that's what happened there. Lol. It displayed this message saying it was checking my browser and that it would take 5 seconds to connect me to the website then when it popped up there was all this info and all these words all over the website. I saw a picture or 2 of some members but before I even really had a chance to register or explore my mind had already shut down from the boredom and feeling of being lost.

 

[King_Oni]

WrongPlanet was actually the first website I came to before this one. But for some reason I wasn't inspired enough to join. Honestly, sometimes I have this problem where if I try to do something and the answer/path isn't revealed to me quick enough my mind just shuts down and I give up and move on. I'm pretty sure that's what happened there. Lol. It displayed this message saying it was checking my browser and that it would take 5 seconds to connect me to the website then when it popped up there was all this info and all these words all over the website. I saw a picture or 2 of some members but before I even really had a chance to register or explore my mind had already shut down from the boredom and feeling of being lost.

Actually, that was a bit of my sentiment as well I think.

I once looked on their website looking for AS forums, but I found the lay-out a bit underwhelming and stale... yup, those are reasons why I wont sign up to a website, lol.

But I quickly found another forum in the form of (the now defunct) Spectrumville (the same forum Ereth is speaking of)... and eventually I ended up on Aspiescentral since I noticed a banner in some Spectrumville members' signatures (and I think most of AC staff where active on SV as well).

I'm on another aspie forum though which is way, way smaller than AC. And I've looked around on a dutch autism forum. Though that last one wasn't really for me. Maybe it just was the crowd there that didn't appeal to me.

So in short, nope I'm not on WP, nor do I think I would end up there. Unless a place like AC would close down and I would struggle to find another forum to hang out with fellow aspies.

 

[Anon88]

Actually, that was a bit of my sentiment as well I think.

I once looked on their website looking for AS forums, but I found the lay-out a bit underwhelming and stale... yup, those are reasons why I wont sign up to a website, lol.

But I quickly found another forum in the form of (the now defunct) Spectrumville (the same forum Ereth is speaking of)... and eventually I ended up on Aspiescentral since I noticed a banner in some Spectrumville members' signatures (and I think most of AC staff where active on SV as well).

I'm on another aspie forum though which is way, way smaller than AC. And I've looked around on a dutch autism forum. Though that last one wasn't really for me. Maybe it just was the crowd there that didn't appeal to me.

So in short, nope I'm not on WP, nor do I think I would end up there. Unless a place like AC would close down and I would struggle to find another forum to hang out with fellow aspies.

I thought the same thing just the other day. If AC every shutdown and I couldn't find another decent forum I'd probably give in and join WP. Lol. And I do agree that the their site seems so stale. Like nothing really stood out or really grabbed my attention.

 

[Saragrl]

I tried it once and found it to be a very negative experience.

Me too. I started off there. They are not very welcoming to self-diagnosis. This forum is way more helpful for people starting their journey (from an adults perspective).

 

[Mattymatt]

I'm a member of both but prefer this one. WrongPlanet is somewhat cumbersome to use.

 

[Adamantium]

Just came over from WP because someone posted a similar thread there.
Seems good here! There is negativity there but that's not all--a lot of good people there.

I do get tired of the small group of people who came claiming that they are the only real autistics and so on. Anyway, good to see another community here.

 

[Flinty]

I went there for a few days once.

It's much, much, much too busy for me to keep up with. It's enough of an effort to keep up with this place.

 

[Peace]

Me too. I started off there. They are not very welcoming to self-diagnosis. This forum is way more helpful for people starting their journey (from an adults perspective).

I like the way you describe what we go through as our journey.

 

[toothless]

Me too. I started off there. They are not very welcoming to self-diagnosis. This forum is way more helpful for people starting their journey (from an adults perspective).

it depends on the user as opposed to the whole userbase.
am originaly from WP and like adamantium came over because of that helpful thread started there.
with self diagnosed members,over the years many have wrote in a way that makes them look like they are looking for a diagnosis,for example they will ask how can they get diagnosed with AS/ASD etc instead of how can they get assessed for it.
we also had a few self diagnosed members become the most vocal on the site,speaking for everyone on the whole spectrum ,making people fed up because they acted as if they were diagnosed, and they came back to tell us they were eventualy diagnosed with something else;it was nice that they had the balls to come back and tell us that but there has been a lot of friction as a result, the worst member for anti self diagnosis has been banned if remember correctly.
will find there are many of us who are very supportive of self diagnosed people but its not worth joining currently because its in a mess-it badly needs updating and its broken in a lot of places,the mods are great-they have their work cut out without the admin regulary there on their side.

 

[Saragrl]

with self diagnosed members,over the years many have wrote in a way that makes them look like they are looking for a diagnosis,for example they will ask how can they get diagnosed with AS/ASD etc instead of how can they get assessed for it.
we also had a few self diagnosed members become the most vocal on the site,speaking for everyone on the whole spectrum ,making people fed up because they acted as if they were diagnosed, and they came back to tell us they were eventualy diagnosed with something else;it was nice that they had the balls to come back and tell us that but there has been a lot of friction as a result, the worst member for anti self diagnosis has been banned if remember correctly.

Oh, I was not aware. I can understand how that would upset people. I was very weary of posting anything here until I was diagnosed. I was convinced after a few misdiagnosis and being told I was normal all my life, that it could all just be in my head.

 

[Adamantium]

we also had a few self diagnosed members become the most vocal on the site,speaking for everyone on the whole spectrum ,making people fed up because they acted as if they were diagnosed, and they came back to tell us they were eventualy diagnosed with something else;it was nice that they had the balls to come back and tell us that but there has been a lot of friction as a result, the worst member for anti self diagnosis has been banned if remember correctly.
will find there are many of us who are very supportive of self diagnosed people but its not worth joining currently because its in a mess-it badly needs updating and its broken in a lot of places,the mods are great-they have their work cut out without the admin regulary there on their side.

This is interesting.
I didn't know that story. I wish they had a section on the major history of the site and threads that made things the way they are today...

I see all that back and forth about self-diagnosis and the people who keep saying that most people who think they are autistic really aren't and it seems a bit mad. Certainly not helpful to people who are trying to figure it out. But I see how the situation you describe would create that.
Looking at those posts in that context changes things.

 

[Mattymatt]

I think a lot of people are searching for answers. There is a lot o negativity out in the world. Maybe we should all be more accepting of each other whether you are diagnosed, self-diagnosed, or neurotypical.

 

[Kuribo]

It was the first forum I ever posted on, back in 2012. I learned a lot there and formed my opinions on various Autism related issues by talking to a variety of people. As time went on though, I grew to despise that site. One of my main problems with it is that people can't seem to be able to hold negative opinions of Autism without forcing them upon everyone else and expecting that they justify not feeling negatively about an integral part of themselves. People have argued that they're simply trying to help people understand their viewpoints, but;
Helping someone to feel good about themselves = GOOD.
Trying to make someone feel badly about themselves = BAD.
Hardly a difficult concept to understand, right?

The general negativity, unwarranted hostility towards the self-diagnosed, and the fact that the mods didn't understand why threads entitled "alternatives to murder" could be harmful to the public's perception of Autistic people culminated in my leaving the site permanently in April.

 

[Mattymatt]

It was the first forum I ever posted on, back in 2012. I learned a lot there and formed my opinions on various Autism related issues by talking to a variety of people. As time went on though, I grew to despise that site. One of my main problems with it is that people can't seem to be able to hold negative opinions of Autism without forcing them upon everyone else and expecting that they justify not feeling negatively about an integral part of themselves. People have argued that they're simply trying to help people understand their viewpoints, but;
Helping someone to feel good about themselves = GOOD.
Trying to make someone feel badly about themselves = BAD.
Hardly a difficult concept to understand, right?

The general negativity, unwarranted hostility towards the self-diagnosed, and the fact that the mods didn't understand why threads entitled "alternatives to murder" could be harmful to the public's perception of Autistic people culminated in my leaving the site permanently in April.

Without having the benefit of knowing what some of the posts under the thread, "alternatives to murder" are, I cannot really offer an opinion. Fox News insinuated a link between AS and violence in its report that Adam Lanza might have had Autism. It spread this fear that somehow people with AS are more violent and irrational. If I had to put myself inside of the WP moderators' heads, I'd say that they didn't want people jumping to the wrong conclusions about people with AS. Still, I never received a particularly warm welcome at WP and have found much more solace and welcome here at AspiesCentral.

 

[Kuribo]

Without having the benefit of knowing what some of the posts under the thread, "alternatives to murder" are, I cannot really offer an opinion. Fox News insinuated a link between AS and violence in its report that Adam Lanza might have had Autism. It spread this fear that somehow people with AS are more violent and irrational. If I had to put myself inside of the WP moderators' heads, I'd say that they didn't want people jumping to the wrong conclusions about people with AS. Still, I never received a particularly warm welcome at WP and have found much more solace and welcome here at AspiesCentral.

I don't think the thread was posted with malicious intent. From what I remember, it was more for the purpose of looking at ways of expressing anger, but posted under the impression that violent crime and Autism are linked. The title undeniably implies that Aspies need to find alternatives to murder because it's a common issue; that was my issue with it.

I'm glad that you feel more welcome here - I imagine that most people would. I spend my time here and on a couple of other small forums.

 

[Ereth]

Fox News insinuated a link between AS and violence in its report that Adam Lanza might have had Autism. It spread this fear that somehow people with AS are more violent and irrational

It's my understanding that he was in fact autistic, yes. But people with autism are rarely violent (and actually, only a very small percentage of people with mental illnesses/conditions are violent). So obviously Fox was just doing its usual fearmongering.

 

[Mattymatt]

I hate Fox News. In their attempts to report news as a business, they don't think of the unintended consequences and whom they might be hurting. In fact, I hate news as a whole and when I want to watch it, I watch the BBC or PBS.