As CLICK4HP "Health Promotion On-Line" discussion approaches it's six month anniversary, Liz Rykert & Alison Stirling [your friendly co-facilitators] think it is time to remind ourselves why the list exists, what it is useful for and what it should *not* be used for. CLICK4HP is: (a) an electronic venue for discussing how the Internet can be used for health promotion in Canada and around the globe; (b) an electronic site for posting related health promotion information; and, (c) a virtual workspace for health promoters to work together. The dialogue on how organizations and individuals use electronic information technology (IT) and the Internet for health promotion involves 325+ participants from around the world. Building our skills together is an underlying theme of the effort. CLICK4HP uses a shared facilitation approach to animate and organize the discussion online. ************************************************************* CLICK4HP Topics have included: - what is 'real' health promotion - favorite web sites on health - heart health risk assessment tools - working with virtual & literal communities - electronic work spaces - evidence based HP practice - creating supportive environments - community mobilization & advocacy - smoking cessation programs - health promotion and population health - behavioural change theories - capacity building & empowerment - conferences, symposiums, books and program announcements. ************************************************************* A comment from "a participant". >I feel that CLICK4HP listserv should be used as an international source of >networking, support and as a resource for a professional group of people >working within the context of health promotion. Sort of an international >group of colleagues in a cyber-workplace. Seeing that I'm working >independently now, I really value the opportunity to bounce ideas off of >colleagues from all over the world, and get help with work I am doing. The co-facilitators for this list have received some comments supporting the September 11th "Working Guidelines for Posting" (which focused on advertising products and general suggestions for posting). An equal number of comments have come in that they need to be expanded, regularly published and include guidelines on content and appropriate uses of the list. There have been concerns expressed about the nature of some of the postings that have occurred on CLICK4HP. The concerns are that some postings are using this list as a vehicle for local organizing and advocacy. ****An International Resource**** As this is an *international* e-mail list, we need to consider carefully which issues should be posted broadly, and in great detail, and which ones should not be posted at all. We are all our own information filters. Using brief announcements (five lines at most) to ask people to contact individual members of CLICK4HP to follow-up on local issues is very appropriate. In most cases there are a number of other list-servs and electronic conferences that are directed to advocacy and political action in your local areas. Pointers or references to these efforts could be included if people want to follow up. ****Sharing Perspectives & Approaches on Health Promotion**** The value of collective space is to benefit from each individual's perspective in a way which helps to contribute to our collective wisdom. Diversionary postings as part of wide broadcasts fail to accomplish this. This list is also about discussing the "how to's" in health promotion. We believe the list would be better used to discuss *how* to use advocacy in health promotion. There was an example of this type of posting in early October with the query on "policies on political advocacy" and how organizations had developed them. Another comment sent to the facilitators >Perhaps a parallel example is helpful; for instance, discussing health >education as a health promotion strategy is a reasonable topic for the >listserv, however, using the listserv to do health education is not. Both >health education and political action are health promotion strategies. But >there is a big difference between discussing how to employ these strategies >and actually using the listserv as a vehicle to do them in. Our question to subscribers is whether participants should be discouraged from engaging in education or advocacy on CLICK4HP? And, a repeat of the final notes in the "Working Guidelines for Posting" ****Minimum Standards of Respect and Personal Conduct**** Demonstrate respect for the ideas of others in your replies even if you do not agree. Debate and discussion are welcome and encouraged. Do not send email when angry or upset. When attempting humour or sarcasm always clearly indicate this with the use of an emoticon such as :-) or ;-) commonly referred to as smilies. One last thought: As we make the transition to online health promotion work ,new participants will join and need opportunities to learn and become oriented in the online workspace. CLICK4HP's online facilitators are here to provide assistance and orientation, and to animate discussion and debate. When in doubt you can always contact one of us for advice, or with suggestions. If you have problems with your subscription options, please contact one of the facilitators directly! Liz Rykert <[log in to unmask]> Alison Stirling <[log in to unmask]> Sam Lanfranco <[log in to unmask]> *********************************************************************