a community of practitioners

The focus of this online aromatherapy group is primarily on utilizing aromatherapy rather than promoting a specific brand of essential oil

The purpose of this group is to offer massage therapists an opportunity to connect and network to share information about aromatherapy and massage.

The majority of group members seem to prefer focusing on utilizing aromatherapy rather than focusing on marketing one brand of essential oil over another.

So, to the best of our abilities, let's stay focused on utilizing aromatherapy rather on brand promotion.

Of course, some discussions will naturally evolve regarding favored brands, and that's understandable. Let's just do our best to respect the opinions of others and keep brand marketing to a minimum.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kelly Sanders, LMT on July 24, 2011 at 6:28pm

good point Ariana, but please remember as group leader and starter, massage therapists as well as aromatherapists each have their brand or technique loyalty. Of course in any discussion anywhere, there will be dissenters, debate and a variety of other comments. Many have heard all their lives" The loudest bark is heard, if not loud then a consistent woof woof will get noticed. Those of use loyal to our particular brand will continuosly woof woof the brand we're loyal to. So while nasayer remarks are expected not one person moderator, lobbyist or advocate can control anothers speech.

Kelly Sanders

Permalink Reply by Katharine Koeppen on July 24, 2011 at 7:31pm

Thank you, Ariana, and I appreciate the thoughtfulness of your post. Brand preferences will certainly come up from time to time, hearing about them is helpful to many members, and everyone should be allowed an opportunity to express their views within reason. However, I do wish you would enforce these rules with certain members of the group who continually hammer their MLM sales message across in every post in every conceivable way, especially when those posts may contain misleading or disingenuous information. MLM devotees deserve to have their voices heard, but not when those voices are only concerned with sales and cult-like repetition of brand names. When it becomes obvious that an aromatherapy chatroom, listserve, or social networking site is allowed to become co-opted by MLM distributors, it loses both membership and credibility. I've seen it happen with many groups and I'd hate to see it happen with this one.

Permalink Reply by Kat Farber on July 24, 2011 at 8:06pm

Thank you, Ariana and Katharine. I have left discussion groups myself before because of these interactions.

I just find it to be disheartening sometimes, when no matter how much science or evidence you put forth, people can be so loyal that they will shut their eyes to it. So I end up leaving the groups because it's not a discussion at that point; it's just the barkers. I love discussing the therapeutic use of essential oils. I don't care for being barked at or sold to.

I really appreciate your desire to keep a open discussion, not based on a product.