What is the Purpose of this Site - My personal opinion?

by jst2laws 112 Replies latest jw friends

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  Lady Lee

  The purpose of this board is to provide a safe place for Jehovah's Witnesses, former Jehovah's Witnesses and those interested in them to discuss topics related to JW's that can assist them in their discovery and recovery from facing the truth about 'the truth'.

  Well my turn to jump in. Personally I have to agree with the above. One of the reasons I recently did the survey about the site was to try to elicit ideas from all of the posters about why they came here and why people stay. I think the above statement pretty well encompasses the majority of the statements from those who posted. I do see the need for a mission statement that makes it clear what the purpose of the site is. I am very glad to read Simon is working on it. And I think discussions such as this can help formulate what that mission statement will become. Assisting people can encompass so many things and is a broad category but the focus should be on helping and supporting those who need it. We learn to help each other and learn new social skills, heck new debating skills that were never permitted before.

  Most important I think is the issue of safety. I never know who will read my post. I don't know that the next person who reads might be new here or fragile as a result of their past experiences, or what impact my words will have on a lurker. Because I see myself as a healer/caretaker I do try to carefully weigh my words before posting. I have on occasion been hasty and have felt badly when my words hurt someone. That has never been my intention. But I do make efforts to post respectfully and responsibly. That is for the benefit of others but it is also for my benefit. I feel badly about hurting others and prefer to avoid it. My 2 cents
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  minimus

  ....and Lady Lee, that's why you are so well respected here. You are a gem.
• 

  jst2laws

  smack,

  This help and info has come from all posters, and I'm probably going to get in trouble, but the ones that showed me the most are the ones that have been kicked out. Can't you see that to leave the borg, you have to be different, you have to be a bit firey, you have to stand up and question...and KEEP questioning. This board has all the answers I need, but the source of a lot of that info has been discarded.

  People, why can't you work out your differences instead of deleting, censoring and fighting. I'm not going to say it's like the bad old days of borgdumb because it's not. But you can't discard posters because they don't tow the party line.

  smack, I completely understand. My good friend Farkel, as an example, has been suspended again, demonstrating your point. I think he is brilliant and more knowledgeable about the truth about "the truth" than several hundred posters put together, articulate and funny too. This may be for another thread altogether but there are exJWS you are referring to that are no longer posting here despite the fact they are excellent at exposing WT fallacies. I wish they were still here, but as explained by others these are still, after many years, angry, impatient with the ignorant and refuse to fit in with the objectives of this board.

  That is why I believe this discussion is necessary. I wonder how many of these excellent posters really understood the purpose of this board? I would love to see them to agree to the terms and come post again, but with the determination to keep our unique audience in mind and to keep other issues and differences elsewhere, where they are free to discuss ANYTHING they want to. This is just not the place for fighting and rude behavior. (Again, this is MY opinion)

  Next, I just got to Six, Rayzorblade, Simon, and Eman

  Maybe I should read all of the thread first.

  Steve
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  jst2laws

  Razorblade, Excellent post. Six,

  In fact, I think the genius of Obed at witnet, was that he realized that even with real witnesses moderating and administrating his site, if you let people talk, they will talk themselves out of the "truth"

  I agree. It just needs to stay on the issues and not switch to attacking people. But we can do that.

  smacks row of mods heads

  Ouch.Simon and Six, Six said:

  And moderaters, for god's sake, recuse yourself from any thread on which you express any opinion whatsoever. You just can't have it both ways.

  Simon replied:

  I don't agree that moderators should not take part in discussions.

  The point of the moderators is to be there if something needs to be done, not to be 'patrolling the corridors looking for infringements'. They are volunteers who often do a thankless task. We are not just here to push the buttons for everyone else to enjoy the site !

  I agree with both. I would not last indifinitely if I could not express myself. I'm here to help and share, NOT edit and delete. Thank you Simon for the defense. But, Six, I agree that objectivity can be lost when one is heavily involved in a discussion. I acknowledged that some time ago in a thread where I had expressed my opinion and asked another mod to watch the thread. Then just two days ago I was very involved in a thread and stated although I knew I was expected by my critics to lock the thread, I would not do it. Another mod dropped in and promptly locked it despite what I said. Maybe I suffered a reverse lost objectivity, or maybe I was right and the discussion should have been allowed. What ever the case I am glad Simon does not have a lot of rules for the mods. Six, maybe you have seen things I have not. I respect you comments and experience. Thanks for planting the seeds for thought. Eman,

  My fear was that newbie ex's would find the board so abhorrently anti-JW, anti-Christian and anti any control whatsoever, that no new people would want to stay here. For that reason I have always believed that moderation (with the lightest possible touch) was essential.

  Those issues disturbed me when I first came here. I hope we can diminish those "anti" issues a little more. Steve
• 

  Englishman

  I just wonder sometimes..

  I look back at what I posted 2 or 3 years ago and it seems much more informative than what I post now. So, maybe we do kind of "run out of steam", maybe we have given of our best, hopefully we've given something to a newbie ex that will sustain him through a difficult period of transition.

  Maybe it's people who have done exactly that and "run out of steam" who get uppity and can't let go of their brief moment of writing fame when the world of ex-JW's was laid at their feet? Having said all that was worth saying, do they then find it difficult to let go of their new-found status, and become, instead, the other side of Doctor Jekyll and turn on the very forum that they once found so beneficial?

  Is that why so many established posters become incandescent with rage when they are asked to modify their style of posting to something more appropriate and then huff off to an inferior "abode"?

  Or do they become so desperate for adulation that they curry adoration elsewhere by attempting to act as the antithesis of anything that contains the sightest suggestion of order and decorum, caring not one whit for their gullible entourage of needy devotees?

  Maybe I'm wrong, but it certainly does seem to be that way.

  Englishman.
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  mouthy

  Is that why so many established posters become incandescent with rage when they are asked to modify their style of posting to something more appropriate and then huff off to an inferior "abode"?

  Or do they become so desperate for adulation that they curry adoration elsewhere by attempting to act as the antithesis of anything that contains the sightest suggestion of order and decorum, caring not one whit for their gullible entourage of needy devotees? (posted by englishman)

  Was that for MY benifit love??? Yep I bucked the post because I want adoration(So if you dont mind give it me........Or will I only get it from my GULLIBLE entourage.?????( Walks away thinking I sure can spot those who were ELDERS,MINISTERIAL SERVANTS or who carried the MIKE!!!!! ) Thank You God I can SPEAK without the mike....
• 

  jukief

  Mike said:

  I look back at what I posted 2 or 3 years ago and it seems much more informative than what I post now. So, maybe we do kind of "run out of steam", maybe we have given of our best, hopefully we've given something to a newbie ex that will sustain him through a difficult period of transition.

  I ran out of steam for all things JW long before this site ever existed--in fact, before the Worldwide Web existed. I got that stuff out of my system back in the early 90s, in the Usenet News days when we used to debate with JWs on talk.religion.misc. Maybe that explains why I post to this site so seldom. But others aren't like me. Alan, for instance, has been out quite a long time, and he still hasn't run out of steam (although he has less time lately to post). I think we all move forward at our own pace, and this site provides what some people need and want. I'm just not that interested in JW talk anymore, although--as you can see--I still check the site from time to time.

  All I can say about this topic is that I'm glad I'm not the site owner or a moderator. Whew!
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  Sassy

  ....and Lady Lee, that's why you are so well respected here. You are a gem.

  I wholeheartedly agree with you minimus..
  

  Rebellion, resentment for authority because of the abuse we suffered, you hit on target, SNS.

  If fact I like all of what you said. And I'm glad the board has helped you too.

  Thank you jst2laws. I appreciate that. I am being harassed today by someone who apparently has been over here "spying" and then reporting to other 'active' JWs about my posting at an apostate site. Evidentally, the online JW world, has among their gossip grapevine at the moment the wayword way in which I have gone.. I actually posted a seperate thread about it, so I won't go into depth here.. I was talking to a co worker that has been a good friend to me through out this whole thing and she asked me . why not lay low for a while?? why be at this site if it can bring you stress by people finding you there??" I told her because this site is helping me get out... helping me see the way I was programmed and had no idea.. She is so glad I am out and so when I said that.. she said good.. I don't blame you then..

  My point... well even though for those trying to just fade.. who don't want their names out there to be recognized, may still risk exposure, but the fact of the matter is, the benefits out weight the drama that comes from being exposed..
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  Englishman

  Was that for MY benifit love??? Yep I bucked the post because I want adoration(So if you dont mind give it me........Or will I only get it from my GULLIBLE entourage.?????( Walks away thinking I sure can spot those who were ELDERS,MINISTERIAL SERVANTS or who carried the MIKE!!!!! ) Thank You God I can SPEAK without the mike....

  No, Mouthy, my post was not directed you in the slightest degree. You may have some strong opinions, but you don't use those opinions to hurt others. I've only ever thought of you as caring person, if I've offended you then I sincerely apologise.

  Englishman.
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  Stephanus

  While this is all true, was anyone here swayed to go back to "the truth" by Youknow, SwordofJah, or even Scooby?

  Much as I like Scoob, unless he leads by example, I can't see many following him back to the KH.

  And did the pro-Tower trolls ever have an impact on JWs who were questioning? IIRC, the only ones that complimented the trolls of their deep insights and faithfulness were other trolls. I can recall such exchanges between Fred Hall and Dunscot/Comforter.