Joel's Membership

[MarylandQuitter]

Joel ASKED me if he could join up and cautioned me that his presence could cause some discord.  He then asked me how much I wanted him to post to which I told him he could post as often as he would like to.  After all, when you Google how to quit smoking (or related searches) Joel's materials are always at the top of search results so why not allow (not that he ever needed my permission) him to post here?  It would be insane not to, as his materials have helped masses of people from all over the world quit smoking.

 

The notion that his materials are insignificant or somehow illegitimate because he never smoked is preposterous.  The psychiatrist who successfully treats patients doesn't have the prerequisite to have had the same disorder in in which he/she is treating in order to see results.  He or she only has to have empathy, experience, knowledge and most importantly, the data which shows efficacy of treatments.  Through the many clinics that Joel ran through the American Cancer Society and on his own, he gained a vast and invaluable collection of data which came directly from smokers over the course of decades.  He, like the Dr. helping a person cope with the devastation caused by a divorce, losing a job, a spouse or a child does not have to have experienced the same to help the patient.  You know who spoke truth to me about my drug addiction to nicotine?  My Dr.  He never smoked a day in his life yet he knew about this addiction and what it would take for me to quit.  He steered me to a place to get help which led me to Joel's materials.

 

Lastly, those who mentioned that his posts were spam ought to be ashamed of yourselves.  Spam is profit driven or driven for some other nefarious purpose.  Joel has never made a dime from any of his materials.  His time spent here behind the scenes before he ever joined was free.  He has a desire to help people quit smoking and stay quit.  He's never asked for anything and to assume that he posts to drive people to YouTube or elsewhere is bananas.  Do you not realize that ALL of Joel's videos were posted on this site long before he ever joined??  If click bait were the case, he would have never allowed me to do this.  He encourages anybody to use his materials with the goal of helping people save their lives.  Talking about inflicting bodily harm to Joel because of efforts is very telling of where some people are at.

 

Should it get asked, QT is funded solely by me; always has and always will be.  Nothing on this site came to me as free as I have to retain programmers, designers, pay for licensing of the software etc.  Moreoever, QuitTrain is a Registered Trademark which was also not free, but imperative to the longevity of something that myself and few others created (the Moderators) and what was created is protected.  I allow no advertisements and don't take donations etc., even though I've been asked to.  Hell, I don't even allow Facebook logins because in case you didn't know, when sites allow this, they gain access to your friend list and can send adverts etc. to which I want NO PART OF.  I share the same desire as Joel and my moderators to freely give time and money to help ANYBODY quit smoking and stay quit.  To this, you do not have the right to make false accusations regarding the motives of those who take their time and money to help complete strangers save their lives by quitting this deadly addiction.

 

Joel will not be posting here and that is his choice.  However, he will still be in daily or weekly contact with me as he has for several years now.  He has lots to offer and ways to help and I am always grateful for this.

 

QuitTrain® allows free and open membership to anybody who has a desire to quit smoking or help others quit so long as our guidelines are followed.