OPINION: Personal responsibility in a public forum
Paul Prusakowski
Description
Collection
Title:
OPINION: Personal responsibility in a public forum
Creator:
Paul Prusakowski
Date:
2/21/2008
Text:
Occasionally there are some postings on the listserv that cross into
boundaries that may be considered inappropriate to some of the subscribers.
My goal has always been to maintain an open uncensored forum that behaves in
a professional manner within some boundaries of established and accepted
guidelines. Ultimately professional responsibility must be taken by those
who choose to post to this forum or respond to any questions that are posed.
The following are my expanded thoughts on this topic that may be of
particular interest to those of you who chose to post to the listserv.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
-Paul
When I started the oandp-l listserv in 1995, my intention was to create a
global forum for the free exchange of information between practitioners.
This forum was intended to provide the individual practitioner with a
platform to communicate with colleagues around the world within seconds.
This forum, as well as many other electronic forums that emerged in the mid
1990’s in just about every other field of study, changed the way that
professions and professionals communicated. Instead of having to wait for
an annual or regional meeting to discuss issues of importance with
colleagues, these forums provided instantaneous access to an entire audience
of other professionals.
The introduction of these communication forums during the internet age
flipped the paradigm of professional communication upside down. This was
done by shifting the flow of information from a top-down model, where
individuals were primarily dependent upon the dissemination of information
from industry organizations and corporations to the more progressive
“peer-to-peer” model where the voice of the individual can now be heard just
as loudly and clearly as that of the traditional information source. This
dramatically changed the way the world began to operate and was a
significant catalyst in what was dubbed the “Knowledge Economy” in the late
90’s where information flow and information management was rapidly being
recognized as the most valuable contributor to extremely rapid
globalization.
It has always been my opinion that oandp-l needed to be an independent
forum, free from the influence of individual organizations or corporations
so that information is not filtered or censored to advance an agenda or
prevent any unfavorable discussion from occurring in the forum. During my
involvement on the Academy board, it was often painful and difficult to
approve messages that outwardly challenged the actions of the Academy, but
that was what needed to be done to continue to provide a forum of free
speech for the subscribers and to keep the Academy board on its toes. In
addition to clinical questions, this forum was originally intended to
provide the opportunity for the individual clinician to challenge the
establishment and influence positive change through more open communication
and information exchange. As we have seen throughout the years, this forum
has stimulated many heated debates that went far beyond the listserv and
ultimately affected policies and decisions that were made for the field. We
also recognized that there is a professional manner of exercising personal
responsibility when deciding to use the listserv in this capacity, yet this
has not always been the way people have chosen to act.
My thoughts on personal responsibility go a bit deeper than the list of
rules in the guidelines suggest from just the surface. The guidelines
establish some basic parameters on which to judge the appropriateness of
postings that are sent to the listserv, but then again there is the letter
of the law and the spirit of the law that must be observed and chosen upon
by the individual who posts to the forum. The guidelines really only
establish some basic parameters to help keep the peace and prevent explosive
battles from occurring online. The guidelines do not go into the level of
detail that should prevent an individual from having to very carefully
consider what the implications of his or her posting may be when released to
a global audience. To be more specific, as someone who posts a message to
the listserv, you should be well aware of your personal responsibility for
the questions you ask, how they are posed, and what the impact may be. Just
as important is the personal responsibility for posting a compilation of the
responses that you received. Just because an individual sends you a
response, you have the choice to either include that response or not, and be
well aware that ultimately it is your posting even if someone else made an
individual statement that you are including. Summaries of responses in
certain cases may be best just summarized in a very professional manner
rather than including all of the details that may not be very helpful.
The oandp-l listserv is one of the most effective tools available for an
individual practitioner to voice concerns or ask questions that can make
changes in the industry, further the profession, and ultimately enhance our
ability to treat patients. Careful consideration must be taken by any
individual who chooses to post to this global and public forum because the
impact of your posting may have further implications than you had originally
intended, and ultimately it is you who are responsible for your words and
actions.
As moderator, I will continue to keep oandp-l open as an independent and
free forum for professional discussion. My job is made easier when the
subscribers take personal responsibility and care in what and how they
choose to post.
Paul E. Prusakowski, CPO, LPO, FAAOP
Moderator, oandp-l
boundaries that may be considered inappropriate to some of the subscribers.
My goal has always been to maintain an open uncensored forum that behaves in
a professional manner within some boundaries of established and accepted
guidelines. Ultimately professional responsibility must be taken by those
who choose to post to this forum or respond to any questions that are posed.
The following are my expanded thoughts on this topic that may be of
particular interest to those of you who chose to post to the listserv.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
-Paul
When I started the oandp-l listserv in 1995, my intention was to create a
global forum for the free exchange of information between practitioners.
This forum was intended to provide the individual practitioner with a
platform to communicate with colleagues around the world within seconds.
This forum, as well as many other electronic forums that emerged in the mid
1990’s in just about every other field of study, changed the way that
professions and professionals communicated. Instead of having to wait for
an annual or regional meeting to discuss issues of importance with
colleagues, these forums provided instantaneous access to an entire audience
of other professionals.
The introduction of these communication forums during the internet age
flipped the paradigm of professional communication upside down. This was
done by shifting the flow of information from a top-down model, where
individuals were primarily dependent upon the dissemination of information
from industry organizations and corporations to the more progressive
“peer-to-peer” model where the voice of the individual can now be heard just
as loudly and clearly as that of the traditional information source. This
dramatically changed the way the world began to operate and was a
significant catalyst in what was dubbed the “Knowledge Economy” in the late
90’s where information flow and information management was rapidly being
recognized as the most valuable contributor to extremely rapid
globalization.
It has always been my opinion that oandp-l needed to be an independent
forum, free from the influence of individual organizations or corporations
so that information is not filtered or censored to advance an agenda or
prevent any unfavorable discussion from occurring in the forum. During my
involvement on the Academy board, it was often painful and difficult to
approve messages that outwardly challenged the actions of the Academy, but
that was what needed to be done to continue to provide a forum of free
speech for the subscribers and to keep the Academy board on its toes. In
addition to clinical questions, this forum was originally intended to
provide the opportunity for the individual clinician to challenge the
establishment and influence positive change through more open communication
and information exchange. As we have seen throughout the years, this forum
has stimulated many heated debates that went far beyond the listserv and
ultimately affected policies and decisions that were made for the field. We
also recognized that there is a professional manner of exercising personal
responsibility when deciding to use the listserv in this capacity, yet this
has not always been the way people have chosen to act.
My thoughts on personal responsibility go a bit deeper than the list of
rules in the guidelines suggest from just the surface. The guidelines
establish some basic parameters on which to judge the appropriateness of
postings that are sent to the listserv, but then again there is the letter
of the law and the spirit of the law that must be observed and chosen upon
by the individual who posts to the forum. The guidelines really only
establish some basic parameters to help keep the peace and prevent explosive
battles from occurring online. The guidelines do not go into the level of
detail that should prevent an individual from having to very carefully
consider what the implications of his or her posting may be when released to
a global audience. To be more specific, as someone who posts a message to
the listserv, you should be well aware of your personal responsibility for
the questions you ask, how they are posed, and what the impact may be. Just
as important is the personal responsibility for posting a compilation of the
responses that you received. Just because an individual sends you a
response, you have the choice to either include that response or not, and be
well aware that ultimately it is your posting even if someone else made an
individual statement that you are including. Summaries of responses in
certain cases may be best just summarized in a very professional manner
rather than including all of the details that may not be very helpful.
The oandp-l listserv is one of the most effective tools available for an
individual practitioner to voice concerns or ask questions that can make
changes in the industry, further the profession, and ultimately enhance our
ability to treat patients. Careful consideration must be taken by any
individual who chooses to post to this global and public forum because the
impact of your posting may have further implications than you had originally
intended, and ultimately it is you who are responsible for your words and
actions.
As moderator, I will continue to keep oandp-l open as an independent and
free forum for professional discussion. My job is made easier when the
subscribers take personal responsibility and care in what and how they
choose to post.
Paul E. Prusakowski, CPO, LPO, FAAOP
Moderator, oandp-l
Citation
Paul Prusakowski, “OPINION: Personal responsibility in a public forum,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 5, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/229041.
