Question to all JWD Old Timers

Big Tex

I've only been hanging around this forum for nearly a year (lurking for a few months and then I started posting in July). Now that this board is 3 years old, I'm curious about something.

How would you rate the state of Jehovahs-Witnesses.com now as opposed to 2000-early 2002?

Do you feel there are fewer personal attacks and/or flame wars now as opposed to then?

Do you feel that the board was more interesting and fun then or now?

What was better about the old days and what was worse?

As I say, just curious.

Peace,

Chris

refiners fire

..."Do you feel there are fewer personal attacks and/or flame wars now as opposed to then?"..

HAWHAWHAWHAW. uh.... yes.

..."Do you feel that the board was more interesting and fun then?"....

It was more exciting a year ago.There was a sudden death aspect that isnt around any more. People watched to see who won the arguements, reputations could be destroyed in a microsecond.

Prisca

Move over Refiner and let a real old-timer answer this!

I was thinking the other day how this board is starting to feel like it was when I first joined it. Back then, we didn't have as many members, there were alot less threads and alot less posts written each day. Because it was smaller, it was more cosy, and friendlier. Bit like a small town where everyone knows everyone else and what each person was doing.

Then we had the H20 crowd join, and well, things became more hectic. Fights started, egos wanted to be fed, and the locals felt outnumbered. It was like a wild-west town - if you raised your head too high, it was likely to get shot at. For a good year, there were personality clashes, insults flew, people tried to "out" others (putting personal info on the board) and it was a rather nasty place. Some people left simply because of the hostile atmosphere.

Now, things are more like the earlier times. Sure, we have many more members, but due to moderating, and a different set of personalities currently posting, things are quieter and friendlier. I feel I can recommend people to this site, whereas I would have hesitated before.

Funny thing is, I am not here as much as I used to. But it's a much more pleasant place to come back to.

refiners fire

It sorta started off like Pastor Russells days,all cuddly, personal, open and warm. Then it went into the wild west Rutherford period, and now its into the Nathan Knorr Robot control and compliance phase. That it Pris??

SixofNine

Good thing you're just curious Chris, 'cuz in discussion forums, as in bedrooms (see LDH's thread, lol), size matters.

As discussion boards grow, they change, much like a city or community changes as it grows. More than anything else, I think that is why new db's attract people; they may say the "attitude" here bothers them, but this place is far to big to even have an "attitude". Many people just really want a "Cheers" type environment, as opposed to a convention hall.

Farkel

Big Tex,

I've been playing on boards for six years, which is a LOT longer than this board has been around.

: How would you rate the state of Jehovahs-Witnesses.com now as opposed to 2000-early 2002?

Jehovah's Witnesses are in deep doo-doo. These boards really DO make a difference. JW.com is thriving for various reasons. Life is good for JW.com and for many of us.

: Do you feel there are fewer personal attacks and/or flame wars now as opposed to then?

Of course not. That is part of life and the board reflect a dimension of life.

: Do you feel that the board was more interesting and fun then or now?

Depends upon your point of view, doesn't it? What is fun and interesting for some folks is totally boring for others. I'm bored to tears most of the time reading all the noise that is now being posted here. But that's only me.

: What was better about the old days and what was worse?

Before the WTS put their "ban" on surfing ex-JW sites on the Internet several years ago, things were much more lively. Dubs were not explicity "cautioned" (read "forbidden") to visit the various discussion boards and not forbidden to defend their religion before then. We have a lot of our current EX-dubs who were in that group and who now post here who saw the truth about the "Truth" during those days.

Discussion boards each have their own special dynamic, and life of existence. It would be foolish for me to speculate how this board should evolve and where it should go. It will evolve as it evolves and go where it goes.

I'm still posting here occassionally, and I currently post nowhere else. Whatever THAT means.

Farkel

refiners fire

..." all the noise that is now being posted here'...

right on brother. Its like a disco where the music is too loud and everybody makes faces and signals like theyre conversing, but they actually cant hear each other.

Prisca

It sorta ...thump, thump, thump, thump, thump-thump, thump, thump, thump thump, thump-thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump-thump.......That it Pris??

Sorry RF mate, I can't hear you. We'll have to talk outside the disco.

Farkel

Prisca,

: Then we had the H20 crowd join, and well, things became more hectic.

Yep. This board finally got some energy!

: Fights started, egos wanted to be fed,

You've never wanted your own ego to be fed, Prisca? Why did you post a picture of Sandra Bullock for so long, then? Why did you allow a post of someone who was not YOU in a black outfit, who was tall and lean-and-mean without ever saying it was NOT you, until you were called on it, then?

If you are asserting that you are one of those people who DON'T have an ego that needs to be fed, then you are either dead, or a liar. Everyone likes to have their egos be fed (in otherwords, to be "validated" for what they say and do).

Therefore, your comment is an ad hominem and you are a hypocrite who pretends to be otherwise.

: and the locals felt outnumbered.

So, you're saying this board has a "Class" system: "locals" versus "not locals?" That makes you an elitist with an attitude. That also make you prejudicial. A sort of "racist" on this board, so to speak.

:It was like a wild-west town - if you raised your head too high, it was likely to get shot at.

Translation: "If you spouted the same bullshit you were used to spouting before, someone actually called you on it, as I am calling you on it now." Therefore, you are saying "before the H20ers came on board and thenceforth, we had this simple agreement: 'don't call me on my bullshit and I won't call you on your bullshit.'"

Yeah, things have changed. This board is has improved beyond that simplistic notion that you cherished so much.

: For a good year, there were personality clashes, insults flew, people tried to "out" others (putting personal info on the board) and it was a rather nasty place. Some people left simply because of the hostile atmosphere.

Some people leave merely because of bullshit, too. You were a moderator on Witless.nuts, weren't you? Didn't you moderate mountains of bullshit and lies there? Day after day. Week after week. There weren't any flame wars there, huh? That's because the moddys with the guns simply deactivated people and deleted all the evidence. So all you had left was bullshit.

In short, you wish for the good old days when there was more bullshit than lively discussion.

You must still be a dub at heart. I forgive you. You've only been out a short while, but dub thinking is still in most cells in your body. When you finally reach the point where you CELEBRATE lively discussions and controvery (and can simply leave those discussions if you don't like them), you will get your official "Apostate Badge of Honor." I would be happy to pin it upon you at that time.

Farkel

unclebruce

well said bro Farkel,

I'm still posting here occassionally, and I currently post nowhere else. Whatever THAT means.
Farkel

pst: It means you're mad - that reminds me - i got pots boiling elsewhere - LOL

Question to all JWD Old Timers

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