by Philip Bayles
For a little more than a year I served as "host" for the on-line Support Group of the Quit Smoking Network. This report consists of an introduction and overview of the project, some general observations, and a description of my personal strategy in hosting the site.
The Quit Smoking Network or QSN is a research project of Oregon Research Institute consisting of a suite of Internet related tools, and an extensive World Wide Web Site, all created to provide information and direction and assistance in smoking cessation, and to study the effectiveness of these tools and assistance.
The QSN Support Group, a part of the qsn.ori.org web-based smoking cessation site, has been in operation on the Internet for just over one year. During that time over 900 people has visited the Support Group, and of those visitors, several hundred have actually participated and posted about 5500 messages.
During this year I have served as "host" for this bulletin board style interactive message area created to assist people support each other in their efforts to quit smoking.
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
Over the course of the first year, nearly 5500 messages were posted by many of the 900+ people that linked onto the Support Group page of the qsn.ori.org site. These participants were all in various stages of their struggles to become smoke free. Some were smokers wanting to quit. Some had set a quit date. Some had already quit for a few days, weeks or months. The participants were (and are) using all manner of methods and aids in quitting: cold turkey, nicotine replacement patches and gum, zyban or welbutrin, and others. Many participated in other smoking cessation programs and chat groups on the internet.
The quality of messages posted is quite notable. There is a supportive seriousness and focus throughout. Many of the postings are extraordinarily intimate and personal. A number of the participants became well acquainted with each other. Discussion often included details of family, relationships, diet, exercise, spirituality, and life style, and almost always related to how these issues affected the desire to remain smoke-free. Many of the participants made real progress with their smoking cessation, and credited the support group as a significant help.
Also notable is the deeply passionate, emotional, and expressive quality of many of the postings. Many individuals approached their quit dates with great fears. During the first few days there is often great distress. Later there is considerable grief, anger, and depression. It is remarkable how candidly and intimately participants would share these feelings, and support each other.
Having participated in several on-line smoking cessation projects in my own efforts to remain smoke-free in the past, I was quite impressed with the QSN participants. People were supportive, attentive, focused, cooperative with each other. Participants were and are eager to help each other, and full of ideas and encouragement.
HOSTING STRATEGY
The following remarks are my own personal strategies for hosting the QSN site. I am not a scientist nor an Internet/computer technician, and I needed to clarify that with many participants. My main qualifications are simply that I have experience and enthusiasm for the Internet tools and their potential to help people in real life, and my own experience with Internet assistance with smoking cessation. I had no particular instruction or protocol in hosting beyond "be a good host", so as the site gradually became active I invented the following procedures to go about it.
1. Read every message, within 12 hours of posting. This involves logging into the site several times per day. I do not try to answer each and every message that is posted, however I will post a response in the fairly unlikely event that no other participant responds to a particular question or concern.
2. Greet every new participant to the site. On a typical day there will be a few new visitors to the site. (this can be determined from the "Today's Users" option on the webboard) Of the new visitors, many just look around, but do not post. If they post, I write a brief welcome message: welcoming them to the site, letting them know that there is a diverse and supportive group of participants in all stages of their struggle to become and stay smoke free, inviting them to read and post often. As with other messages, I try to make each greeting message unique, responding to the posters original comments if possible. Typically a new poster will also be greeted by a number of other participants.
3. I will almost always write a congratulatory note when a participant is celebrating another month or week or even day smoke free. Again, it seems desirable to make this note unique and specifically responsive to whatever the participant has said.
4. I usually post a note to folks who are discouraged, or experiencing difficulties. Often, such a participant will express the idea that since they have not yet quit, or have not stay quit, they are not so helpful or welcome on the site. I will let them know that they are more than welcome at all times, even if they have not yet quit, or have relapsed.
5. I attempt to maintain a tone that is both welcoming, and fairly neutral. Participants are often quite curious to know my exact role in the project. In particular, they want to know if I am "studying" them. I need now and then to assure participants that I am not a scientist, nor an expert: I am a part time helper, on the site to host, help and welcome participants: chosen because I am specifically interested in the possibilities of internet tools to help peoples lives, and because I too am an ex-smoker who has used a variety of Internet tools to quit and stay quit. I also reassure them that I use and "see" the site in exactly the way that they do. I am not privy to any additional information about them.
6. In general, I do not criticize participants for anything nor do I participate in disputes. It is I think more important to simply stay out of the way or express an ongoing welcoming of everyone's input and viewpoint. I do however express my personal opinions on smoking related issues, making it clear that these are personal opinions, and that I am not an expert nor a scientist.