Is aspiesforfreedom our rival?

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they have over 16000 members and they too, like WP, started in June 2004. Our goal should be to double their members soon.

That site is.. different. I poked around there back when people here kept telling me that the moderators were mean and scary and arbitrarily banned people.. But I later found out that that wasn't the case anyways, there's just some people who are nasty to them and then pout that people they're mean to don't like them.

But anyways, that site has like 12 zillion subsections, and it's hard to keep track of things.. I dunno, I just didn't find as much conversation there as I've found here. I think they consider themselves a rival to WP.. much of the population there has been banned from here.

eh, wouldnt worry about them. i mean d others do. idc about autism speaks. so wat if everyone else does? not worth my time...

and we have well over 20,000 members

I would suggest that we should be careful about a discussion of what goes on at another website.

One of Alex's rules is "Personal attacks against people or other sites are not permitted. If you have an issue with someone, talk to them about it somewhere other than our forum."

I have no wish to see a inter-aspie website war breaking out, so it might be best for all if we think before we post.

_________________
Health is a state of physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity I am not a jigsaw, I am a free man !

Diagnosed under the DSM5 rules with autism spectrum disorder, under DSM4 psychologist said would have been AS (299.80) but I suspect that I am somewhere between 299.80 and 299.00 (Autism) under DSM4.

Thank you, Woodpecker - well said, and very appropriate.

This isn't high school football; there aren't any 'rivalries' that I am aware of, other than the personal opinions that members of each site may have regarding the others. Getting help and support isn't a competition - some places are better fits for different individuals than others.

Congratulations to AFF for their success in their endeavors, as well as a thank you and congratulations to all the members here at WrongPlanet who contribute to making it one of the most popular resources for those on the spectrum and those close to them.


M.

It's been over a year since I been a member there. I have you know, mods aren't my reason for leaving.

Thank you woodpecker and I third your suggestion. As long as we think that our peers are our rivals, we will be truly divided. AFF is a more militant group when it comes to the rights of all with autism than all with WP and that is fine with me.

My dictionary (M-W) has four definitions for rival (as a noun):

1 a : one of two or more striving to reach or obtain something that only one can possess b : one striving for competitive advantage
2 obsolete : COMPANION, ASSOCIATE
3 : one that equals another in desired qualities : PEER

As for definition #1a, no--each site can exist independently of the other.

For #1b, I don't think so--there is no "competitive advantage" at stake. (Simply having more members is not an advantage; it may even pose a slight disadvantage.)

Definition #2 is obsolete.

As for definition #3, perhaps, but I'm not an AFF member so I cannot compare its "peer" presence to WP's in any meaningful way. Their homepage spells out their aims in detail, which seem laudable, although pro-cure folks will probably not be happy with their anti-cure stance.

It is yet another resource, and I see no reason why it should not coexist peacably with WP.

That being said, I have seen here in the past some posts which are downright hostile to AFF, and borderline libelous to its moderators. Mak is correct--that is in violation of WP's rules and a definite no-no. I do not want to see an internet war erupt between the sites, as I've seen the carnage that can result from such. It is counterproductive and foolish.

I suggest this thread be locked immediately if it appears to gravitate in that direction.

I go to both. My impression is that WP is more focused on daily life, AFF more on activism. Really don't see why more people don't frequent both sites.

In my opinion, having other sites similar to the WrongPlanet strengthens the WrongPlanet. Even though they may be competition---the sites would thrive off of each other. It's like the amusement industry of Coney Island, New York years ago. In the early 1900's there was Steeplechase Park, Luna Park, and Dreamland all within a few blocks of each other. And they thrived (although Dreamland wasn't as popular). When people visited one park, they tended to go to the other parks. So the combination of competitive parks pulled more people in to experience the other parks. It's like the downtown Main Streets of yesteryear (before Wal-Mart). There were many shops selling similar things, but people walked up and down the street visiting many shops and buying from many shops. So even though they were competitors, they helped each other. I see this same thing with the autism sites. The more sites there are, the more likely people will have in discovering them and the others. Right now, just by the mentioning of this other site on this thread, I bet several of our members have visited it. And it's possible they might join it, but I imagine they will remain a member here too. There is no rule that says you can't shop at competitor stores, nor be members of two or more online groups like WrongPlanet. And, I have now begun attending two different churches on Sunday morning.

Shouldn't it be like, peopleforfreedom?

I visited both sites for a bit, but my time is limited & I had to choose one. While both sites (AAF & WP) have their strengths & weaknesses, I felt more comfortable here.