Jill, blogging and newsgroup posting are virtually unrelated. The former
 is like posting a bulletin board on the front door of your home; the
people who come to it do so on their own volition, expressly to read and
perhaps post on it relative to your topic. They know and accept that it
is a pit of ads to be negotiated and that it may be laden with malware.

Newsgroups in general are supposed to be free of commercial pitches, are
related to OUR interests rather than just the poster's, and are
inherently (almost) malware-free as long as a) people do not click on
unknown links and b) automated signatures such as yours do not provide
malware pathways. Newsgroup regulars are in the group to learn and/or
help others learn, not to make money off ad revenues.

This group in particular possesses several characteristics most
newsgroups don't, including:
1. We stay on topic extremely well, and identify off-topic tangents as
such fairly consistently so purists can avoid the irrelevant
distraction. Our creed could be described as, "What part of
support.cancer.prostate do you not understand"?
2. Our topic is at the very least extremely important, often about life
or death. This ain't alt.ford.vs.chevy.
3. We have some honest-to-God experts in cancer and medical research
here who see right through bogus cancer cures, aka snake oil. Because we
have had several forum "members" die from over-reliance on snake oil, we
resent the hell out of snake oil salesmen and have bo reservations about
eating them for lunch. Pass the ketchup!
4. We are invaded by snake oil salesmen almost daily, which keeps our
carving knives very sharp.
5. While we don't mind companies pitching valid prostate-cancer-related
products here, their posts had better be identified as sales pitches or
it's "Pass the ketchup". Acti-Cuff came in here a year or two ago and
openly pitched a great product for managing mild incontinence; they were
and are welcome, IMO. But the vast majority of pitches for products,
blogs, pyramid schemes (aka multi-level-marketing programs), or purely
money-making websites are misrepresented as topical posts, and they PISS
US OFF.
6. Last but maybe most important and quite unique in USENET
(newsgroups), very little flaming is presented here and it is not
tolerated as readily as it is in 99% of newsgroups. Most of us save our
flaming for people who act, frankly, like you. Discuss prostate cancer
without the commercial spin and you're likely to be welcome here; many
women who love  PC patients are full-fledged "members" here.

I.P.