If whole countries such as France are using the HONcode as part of their guidelines, it probably needs government-level funding. Even the most noble cause in the world can be overwhelmed by excess demand.

Bradfield Resident
Sydney, Australia

You raised some very important points. Though I believe HONcode is way too overwhelmed with new accreditation. But this is not the right direction for them.

I hope I can do something different on Webicina.com.

Best regards,

Berci Mesko

I was not satisfied with HON’s 9 September response (http://bradfieldresident.wordpress.com/2009/09/09/from-health-on-the-net-in-response-to-your-complaint-regarding-the-site-httpwww-ada-org/) to my complaint, and replied at length to that email on 11 September (http://bradfieldresident.wordpress.com/2009/09/11/to-health-on-the-net-foundation-australian-dental-association-ada-org-au-honcode-compliance/). There was no response from HON by the time I read your article here, so on 25 October I forwarded my unanswered message (http://bradfieldresident.wordpress.com/2009/10/25/to-health-on-the-net-fwd-australian-dental-association-ada-org-au-honcode-compliance/) to the honcodecomplaint@healthonnet.org address given on the HONcode site under “Policing & Supervision” (http://www.hon.ch/HONcode/Patients/policy.html).

Some five or so days have passed since the resending of that message, and still there is no response.

I am not familiar with the general state of actual HONcode compliance nor other criticisms of HONcode policing/policy for other sites, so find the information from other commentators here to be somewhat enlightening.

Does the HONcode system (or Health On the Net Foundation generally) have some vested or self interest in allowing questionable and/or apparently substandard sites to remain certified?

To me, some of HON’s response to my complaint seemed completely outrageous. That isn’t to say that I am necessarily correct or justified, however, and I would like to hear the opinions of other people with regards to the apparent shortcomings I have identified.

Bradfield Resident
Sydney, Australia

Besides the decleration of ownership, authorization, etc i am really dissapointed when i see HONCode sites publish stories from the newspapers. I mean stories where a journalist took one reasearch paper, made a reference himself but never stated the authentic reference. Exact and serious reference is very important for me whether someone should have or not a “scientific” kind of accreditation.