by TimeBandit 119 Replies latest jw friends
Well, Not sure, but an admin and a moderator both posted about leaving JWR recently. Looking back, I know why....
Surely someone could have taken over for the ones who wanted to quit. Pass the torch. A lot of people were looking to them for help....
TB-
The decision was prompted by the two admin deciding they wanted to move on and become ex ex JWs. They needed the site "gone" for themselves and did not want to pass it on both for personal and practical reasons such as security of other people's data.
That site filled a niche and I think it's a great loss but at the end of the day any forum is the property of the owners not the members. That site was set up in response to Simon deciding to close this one, a decision he ultimately reversed. I don't think the admin the wanted to throw themselves open to pleas to keep it going when it wasn't the right thing for them.
Let me state that JWR was kept in the air for eight years by a small group of admins. It was a tough decision, as we see the support JWR has offered to many, but we all really reached the breaking point were we want to leave everything JW related behind us and move on with our lives. We had some discussion among the admin group and felt it was time to bow out.
The perceived sudden closure is thus not so sudden, but had been brewing for quite a while.
I understand the sudden cut-off may not be elegant, but we contemplated on a lot of fall-out, if we had made an announcement well ahead of time. This was the group decision of all admins and moderators.
I will stay on here for another week to answer any immediate questions and am then bowing out here too. Out for eight years, two Children (teen and preteen), a demanding job - time to move on for me.
I agree that the site "belonged" to the ones running it and that transferring the "ownership" in a secure manner would have taken time BUT can a community really belong to any one person? It was such a helpful resource for so many, especially young ones. It was easy to find exactly what YOU needed for your situation. I disagree with the way things were handled and I think it will set back some who may be struggling which is sad since they were dedicated to helping people wake up...
Mickey: That being said, Seems like reasonable reasons for closing it down and the people's data and privacy thing makes good sense, BUT, people who might have really needed to stay in touch and had no other connection are shit out of luck. On the other hand, they might find each other here.....
And I do feel that if a little more time and consideration had been given and possibly made an open discussion, that there would have been many people ready to step up to the plate and take responsibility. Just such a sad thing to see such an amazing and comprehensive tool base gone. I wonder if it would have been possible to make it an inactive site, where no new posts could be made but remaining ones could be accessed for reading only. I don't know if that particular host offered that option but it would have been a very reasonable alternative. Then again I didn't have to physically run anything so I can't judge or sit in anyone's position
I understand the sudden cut-off may not be elegant, but we contemplated on a lot of fall-out, if we had made an announcement well ahead of time.
I totally understand the desire to move on.
But really, it would have been nicer to give a weeks notice so people could exchange contact details.
Could you not just close the forums for any future postings and re-open the site for a week to allow people to pick up contact details and take note of important research threads?
Please?
Wizzstick I echo your thoughts completely. The information and the way it was organized just made it so much easier to navigate especially for those who needed specific information, such wealth of knowledge lost
Well, I'm past fretting about JWs...But recently I decided to start posting in the ex jw community again to show support for those who need it. Those people who turned off JWR say they are doing it to move on and forget all things JW. But they are still going to think about JWs, their own ordeals, and the community they unplugged without notice. There IS NO moving on completely when every day there could be a reminder...It will be with some of us until we pass on. I do hope that with JWR gone, and their ties severed from "all things JW" that along with the relief of freedom will also come a twinge of guilt for the abrupt and selfish way they handled 'Bowing out"...
TB-
Agreed!
and I guess, I'll call here home now and maybe sharing here can help someone struggling and hopefully continue my own positive journey out as well...
