Too gone for too long:(

by Wendy 32 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Undecided

  Hi Professor,

  Enjoyed the music.

  Ken P.
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  Wendy

  I am sorry if those of you misconstrued what I was attempting to say. I have been here ages, and have seen the tide high and low. I have personally benefited from the friendships I have made, and I hope others have benefited from knowing me. It is really hard to witness what has become of this forum though. I KNOW the old timers have had the same thoughts I have put into print. I have even seen the posts they made in reference to that including Simon and Ang.

  If this was my place at the time and place I was in last night after reading several threads here, I would close this place down. I liken it to opening a coffee house and returning in a few years and seeing junkies shooting up on the tables you once had great conversation and friendships bloomed. I obviously don't run it, yet feel a deep affection for this forum. Last night I was just ranting.

  I do not mean ill will. I am an outsider now looking in, and see things much different. After my son was born in March I was able to be a silent observer here. I saw the changes made, and it did not affect me as much as it would have if I was actively posting. So in that respect, I don't blame the active posters for raising their feathers and strutting about what good is still to be found. Even Gopher, one of the most sweetest and caring people I have met is still willing to turn a blind eye to the mayhem. I have changed...the forum has changed.

  I know the continual influx of newbies will continue. I hope that too many are not lost in the shuffle. The support and friendship here is needed by many, and more everyday. I just hope that Simon is able to step back and look with a wide lense at what has occured. Please see what mistakes Rick made...you are heading there now. I say that Simon with the most upmost respect for you because I know what you WANT this place to be. I am sure that all of you can recall a poster who you haven't heard from in awhile. Someone who left and never returned. The newbies won't know them, but you do and I do. There is a loss that can never be replaced.

  With much sadness and regret I have decided that this is not the place for me anymore. I know the cofee house will never return. They have had too many raves here already, I see the needles in the bathroom and I am bailing.

  I have met many wonderful people here. I ask that you email me so we can continue our friendship. Perhaps one day a female will start a DB and then we can get a comparision of how it should be done That was a joke all lol

  Mucho love,

  wendy
• 

  Simon

  You are mistaken Wendy

  The junkies (as you put it) who tried to turn this place into a "seedy place" have been turfed out and we are serving coffee again and will continue to do so (maybe the odd beer as well). You seem determined to make out this place has really gone downhill for some reason ?! No doubt you will find somewhere else more to your liking.

  I think the only mistake Rick made was putting up with people for too long.

  Of course new people join and some people move on - that is the nature of a board like this. As I've said before many times: for some people we are just a stepping stone.

  Edited by - Simon on 25 August 2002 19:18:29
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  plmkrzy

  I love this place.

  I've met friends here and I never thought that possible to do on-line of all places. Not only that but I have friends in other countries that I never would have met just visiting other countries on a vacation. Now when I visit other countries on vacation (I hope) I have friends I can look up. That is the coolest thing.
• 

  teejay

  It is really hard to witness what has become of this forum though. I KNOW the old timers have had the same thoughts I have put into print. I have even seen the posts they made in reference to that including Simon and Ang.

  If this was my place at the time and place I was in last night after reading several threads here, I would close this place down. I liken it to opening a coffee house and returning in a few years and seeing junkies shooting up on the tables you once had great conversation and friendships bloomed.

  Wendy,

  I think I understand where you're coming from. Every single time I go back home to Arkansas, to the little town I left almost twenty years ago, it's like a different place.

  I still remember this: My Uncle Nip has been gone for twenty years. He owned a lot of land out by the river and when I was a kid we used to go out there for picnics and to pop firecrackers on the Fourth. Driving out there always seemed like we were going far out of town but in reality, it's maybe ten minutes and it's well within the city limits now.

  Well, on this visit I was just driving around my hometown. I was in this brand new neighborhood with all these high-dollar houses. Village Harbor, they call it. Fabulous homes. Then it dawned on me. THIS IS UNCLE NIP'S LAND!!! Oh, NO!!! The little farm I remembered visiting so many times was gone. I cried. If I let myself, I can cry about it right now. It was very sad, the change I saw right in front of me. But ya know, change is what life is all about.

  I don't blame the active posters for raising their feathers and strutting about what good is still to be found. Even Gopher, one of the most sweetest and caring people I have met is still willing to turn a blind eye to the mayhem. I have changed...the forum has changed.

  "Raising their feathers and strutting." Interesting mental image. There's nothing wrong in seeing good in ANY place. And who says Gopher is "turning a blind eye"? Gopher may very well be aware of the little problems here but realizes that, for them, this is an okay place. Just because people stay doesn't mean they are "blind."

  I am sure that all of you can recall a poster who you haven't heard from in awhile. Someone who left and never returned. The newbies won't know them, but you do and I do. There is a loss that can never be replaced.

  To a point, you are right. There are several that haven't posted here in a while, but what does that prove, if anything? Besides, it's not that they "never returned" but they "haven't returned yet." Even if they never post another single word, isn't that like life??! People come and go. Move on. People also change -- lose interest in some things, gain other interests. That's life!

  Really, to be honest, this place SHOULD only be a point on a long journey, not a destination. On our way to recovery from what happened to us in the Borg, this place serves it's purpose very very well -- better than any other online forum I've *ever* seen. Once it's done it's work, though, people have the strength to move further down the Road to Freedom and get on with other aspects of rebuilding their life. That's just as it should be. And, just like it was with the Underground Railroad there are those here who were always free (or have been for many years) who wish to stay behind-- HERE --to continue to help those that are making their first precarious steps toward a better life. There's nothing wrong w/ that.

  With much sadness and regret I have decided that this is not the place for me anymore. I know the cofee house will never return. They have had too many raves here already, I see the needles in the bathroom and I am bailing.

  I'm sorry that for all the very obvious good this place does all you choose to focus on are the one or two negatives. Oh well!

  Before you go I must say this: You don't *now* and you may *never* have the strength of character to admit it, but if you were more honest with yourself (and us) you'd have to admit that you played YOUR part in making this place what it is. Despite your apparent viewpoint that you are blameless--that you've been above it all and are now SHOCKED to see the shambles and have played NO part in slinging dirt in the past--not *all* of your contributions to JW.com were admirable. Hardly! I won't mention them all, but a couple immediately come to mind:

  You said (and allowed to stand) some very unkind (even wicked), not to mention unfounded and totally invalid, comments about Emyrose.

  Imo, though, you hit your personal all-time low in letting others influence you in the matter of Zazu and Larc, revealing private information that you should never have made public. Remember? We do, too. When called on it by virtually everyone, you stood by your acts rather than seeing your error and trying to make amends like you should have.

  I must tell you... I'm nauseated by the tone of these two posts of yours in this thread. I get the sense that you see yourself as a little better than us, that you are all of a sudden too good for this place. That's cool, if that's the way you see yourself. You're just wrong, Wendy. Way wrong.

  It's one thing to no longer find interest in a place or activity that you once enjoyed. In life that happens to us all, all the time. But to brush this board off so condescendingly as you have here after all it has done FOR YOU is really pathetic. But fitting, imo. Very fitting. May this thread remain in the archives of JW.com as a living testament to the "new" Wendy.

  Btw, if there *are* needles in the bathroom, would you kindly take the ones that YOU left behind? We'd appreciate it. We're trying to keep the place up as the Beacon it is, ya know.

  Thanks.
• 

  Gopher

  Teejay,

  Thanks for pointing out that I have not lost my sight!! LOL

  When the chat room was going all to hell that fateful afternooon when Simon shut it down, I was in there for the better part of an hour watching it happen. And I knew what was happening wasn't good.

  I also knew it was just a couple of shite-stirrers trying to incite problems and draw attention. I have no problem with THE WHOLE FORUM just because occasionally it draws a shite-stirrer or two.

  I stand by my original comments that overall the forum still attracts people who need information and/or support, and (may I add) I believe it will do so as long as we have Simon standing as sentinel for the operation.

  It's not blind loyalty, I just feel loyal to a place that has helped me so much. Every rose has its thorns, don't concentrate on the thorns.
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  bigboi

  Simon, if this is too much to handle for you, and IMO it is, shut it down. How much good can come from this? I personally have met some wonderful people, and to this day engage in their REAL lives. This fighting bickering, deleting, moderating...is this what you intended it to be?

  This is what u say today of course. Like many u also seem to have fallen victim to a case of blatant hypocrisy.

  Yeah, I know, I know, u'll say like so many others that things have changed since then. However, anybody with an ounce of integrity knows that what u and others are saying about this man and the condition of this site is totally untrue.

  Remember this?

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.aspx?id=17782&site=3

  Here Here Simon well said!

  There is no reason to have to "listen" to another poster if they refuse to "discuss" anything. There are many here who will make accusations, and throw out their opinions and never back them up, they do not get deleted. To use more than one personna(which it has been requested we do not)and throw out one liners and never come back to discuss them is not only waste of space, but it serves no purpose.

  BTW DW, this is Simon's home, he created it, he provided it, and he allows us to be here. He even allows us to disagree with him. But what it boils down to is he is the final law, don't like? Well as he put it so eloquently, feel free to request a full refund of your membership fee.
  wendy

  Edited by - bigboi on 25 August 2002 17:46:44

  Edited by - bigboi on 25 August 2002 17:48:33
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  BeautifulGarbage

  *Peeks in on thread and darts eyes back and forth*

  Excuse me, everyone?

  *Leaning way over and reaching into the bathroom*

  Those dirty needles belong to me.

  *scoops up needles with one hand and quietly backs out of thread*

  Thank you.

  *Off to find another fix*

  Andee
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  larc

  Mommy/Wendy, I have known you for a long time, and you are not as pristine as you present yourself. I have to agree with Teejay and bigboi. You have done your share to create a problem. Your hands are not clean. I could mention other things about you besides the ones that have been mentioned so far. Things that you can not answer.
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  plmkrzy

  outloud@BeautifulGarbage