The (Mis)Adventures of DrMom

Dear Fellow Step 1 Blog Readers:

I recently posted a message on an online forum (SDN) with a link to this blog. I was shocked to discover, that, within hours, not only was my message deleted, but my account on that forum was also removed by an rather heavy handed moderator with the screen-name DrMom (I can only assume this is not her legal, given name). In my defense, I posted another message on the same forum, which, within minutes, was promptly deleted. It reads:

Dear DrMom,

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I do, however, take offense to your removal of my SDN account without any notification or method of appeal. It is this sort of heavy handed moderating that makes the sharing of information unduly difficult.

Granted, my original post had a link to my blog, which for all intents and purposes has no products or services for sale, and serves only to provide timely information for students such as myself who are currently in the process of preparing for the USMLE. This is where I believe the SDN policy is inconsistent. What difference does it make if the link to my blog is within the message itself or within my signature? In both cases, users are still able to reach the same end point. Furthermore, the content of my original post contained no offensive, libelous or defamatory comments, and was well within the spirit of this forum.

I registered on SDN because I have found it to contain valuable information in many areas important to the medical student. I also registered in order to share what information I have gathered, in this case, with respect to the USMLE, and not simply to “register on SDN in order to promote my own website”. Unfortunately, I have been denied a means to make further contributions to SDN.

Kind Regards

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DrMom's explanation for the deletion was as follows:

SDN's policy is to close accounts of anyone who registers for the sole purpose of advertising something in the regular forums. We do not give warning because it is a blatant violation of the Terms of Service for the site. We consistently count webpages in the same category as a product or service. I don't even usually send an email, so you got more consideration than most.

As you can see, she fails to understand the underlying issues at hand:

i) What difference does it make if you post a link in your message or beneath it, in your signature? Why does one constitute a violation of the terms of service, while the other, is an acceptable practice?

ii) How can you determine if the sole purpose of registering to the SDN was for advertising if you summarily deleted my account, denying me the opportunity to make any contribution, advertising or otherwise?

However, I do feel quite humbled that I, a lowly medical student, deserved the consideration of an electronic correspondence from her magnificence. How privileged I feel to have received this email from DrMom (according to her publicly viewable signature, a 4^th year student from the world renowned Oklahoma State University-College of Osteopathic Medicine, and… the “Official Mom of SDN”).