Dear Dr. Shades :-) Board Business

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

When I saw this here thread though, I finally realized I’m probably hardly the only one with these concerns.

Unfortunately you are seeing some of the worst. To be honest, I’m not sure moderators would actually take down some of he disgusting graphics posted on this thread.

It’s gutter filth.

Regards,
MG

One will note Mental couldn’t seem to find his voice when Atlantic “I’ll -> you in the (*)” Milk dropped various charming threats and heartfelt desires on the board. Also, Mental is the human equivalent of wearing socks with crocs in public.

- Doc

[Doctor Scratch]

What was the final straw that caused Daniel Peterson to stop engaging directly with critics on the message boards? Was it his firing from the MI in 2012?

I know I've seen him post on the old Discuss Mormonism board ages ago.

There were a variety of factors that led to him leaving the board formerly known as MDB--or what is now known as the Discuss Mormonism board. For one thing, he'd had a series of conflicts with people and had made a number of very serious missteps, including meddling in the family life of a poster which resulted in legitimate family conflicts. Long story short: legal action was threatened, tempers flared, and at the end of the day, I think, DCP was just getting worn out and couldn't stand the heat, and so he left--at least temporarily. There have been dozens of times over the years where he has erupted with anger and pounded out a rage-fueled PM or email, or where he's threatened to sue or "go after the board," or whatever else. But he always comes sulking back.

At that time, though, If I recall correctly, he *was* still "engaging" with the board: he would still read it obsessively and would start threads over at Mormon Dialogue and Discussion. There was a period of time leading up to his expulsion from the Maxwell Institute where tidbits began to leak out--e.g., about budget shortfalls at the Maxwell Institute (he later told Bradford that "the Institute leaks like a sieve" despite repeatedly saying on the message boards that all of the rumors were "lies") and that sort of thing. Meanwhile, rumors were swirling that he was being taken to task by the Brethren--or by other Church leaders--who were telling him and the other Mopologists that they needed to cool their jets and quit embarrassing the Church online with their antics.

Eventually he tired of participating on MD&D and decided to launch his blog, and that's where he has stayed--most likely because it gives him more control over who is permitted to criticize him. He is pretty liberal with the blog's "Ban" function. Really, though, nothing has changed: he's still every bit as obsessed with reading the critics, picking fights with them, and so on. The manner by which he does so has changed somewhat (as Dean Robbers pointed out above), but the basic motivation is still the same.

[Canadiandude2]

This you?



This you, again?



Nah, dog. I’m good.

- Doc

Yes, yes, yes, it's all me. And I'm the DEVIL, now kindly remove these straps.

You CAM are my slave, my lapdog, and are just like me -- nasty. Now, what other nasties would you like to post?

Make it real, real, good.

Please no.

[Res Ipsa]

When I saw this here thread though, I finally realized I’m probably hardly the only one with these concerns.

Unfortunately you are seeing some of the worst. To be honest, I’m not sure moderators would actually take down some of he disgusting graphics posted on this thread.

It’s gutter filth.

Regards,
MG

If they are rated R or NC-17, then they would. Once the moderator team is appointed, you know what to do. I understand people are up in arms over all sorts of stuff, but anticipatory complaints about moderators who haven’t been appointed yet? Really?

[Doctor Scratch]

What was the final straw that caused Daniel Peterson to stop engaging directly with critics on the message boards? Was it his firing from the MI in 2012?

I know I've seen him post on the old Discuss Mormonism board ages ago.

Yeah, Gad and Scratch were heavy into that game.

Peterson was addicted to this board and still is.

I think that he's deeply conflicted. On the one hand, he's driven to confront the critics--if I recall correctly, he was commanded to defend the Church in his patriarchal blessing. On the other hand, though, I'm sure he's got enough of a conscience left to know that some of the things that he did were incredibly evil, and he feels ashamed. He keeps looking in on the board in the hopes that this contradiction will resolve itself one day.

[Shulem]

There were a variety of factors that led to him leaving the board formerly known as MDB--or what is now known as the Discuss Mormonism board. For one thing, he'd had a series of conflicts with people and had made a number of very serious missteps, including
Eventually he tired of participating on MD&D and decided to launch his blog, and that's where he has stayed--most likely because it gives him more control over who is permitted to criticize him. He is pretty liberal with the blog's "Ban" function. Really, though, nothing has changed: he's still every bit as obsessed with reading the critics, picking fights with them, and so on. The manner by which he does so has changed somewhat (as Dean Robbers pointed out above), but the basic motivation is still the same.

Those were the days....

[drumdude]

Yeah, Gad and Scratch were heavy into that game.

Peterson was addicted to this board and still is.

I think that he's deeply conflicted. On the one hand, he's driven to confront the critics--if I recall correctly, he was commanded to defend the Church in his patriarchal blessing. On the other hand, though, I'm sure he's got enough of a conscience left to know that some of the things that he did were incredibly evil, and he feels ashamed. He keeps looking in on the board in the hopes that this contradiction will resolve itself one day.

I find it odd that he has to refer to me and other posters, and the board, without using our names. He's even begun to make me a regular on his Hitchens section of his daily blogs, where he claims what I said about one of his links is relevant to every link he posts in the future. He also labels me an atheist as if that is something to be ashamed of. I guess it was in the early 1970s, back when Madilyn Murray O'Hare was the face of atheism.

[Shulem]

Yeah, Gad and Scratch were heavy into that game.

Peterson was addicted to this board and still is.

I think that he's deeply conflicted. On the one hand, he's driven to confront the critics--if I recall correctly, he was commanded to defend the Church in his patriarchal blessing. On the other hand, though, I'm sure he's got enough of a conscience left to know that some of the things that he did were incredibly evil, and he feels ashamed. He keeps looking in on the board in the hopes that this contradiction will resolve itself one day.

Wow. Just wow.

Now that he's retired he has every opportunity to turn a new leaf and move on with his life.

You never know, he may rejoin us yet. I've never given up on that hope. I think the Celestial Forum would be the best place for him to come and rejoin Discuss Mormonism and keep things civil and kind.

What do you say, Dan?

[Canadiandude2]

What was the final straw that caused Daniel Peterson to stop engaging directly with critics on the message boards? Was it his firing from the MI in 2012?

I know I've seen him post on the old Discuss Mormonism board ages ago.

There were a variety of factors that led to him leaving the board formerly known as MDB--or what is now known as the Discuss Mormonism board. For one thing, he'd had a series of conflicts with people and had made a number of very serious missteps, including meddling in the family life of a poster which resulted in legitimate family conflicts. Long story short: legal action was threatened, tempers flared, and at the end of the day, I think, DCP was just getting worn out and couldn't stand the heat, and so he left--at least temporarily. There have been dozens of times over the years where he has erupted with anger and pounded out a rage-fueled PM or email, or where he's threatened to sue or "go after the board," or whatever else. But he always comes sulking back.

At that time, though, If I recall correctly, he *was* still "engaging" with the board: he would still read it obsessively and would start threads over at Mormon Dialogue and Discussion. There was a period of time leading up to his expulsion from the Maxwell Institute where tidbits began to leak out--e.g., about budget shortfalls at the Maxwell Institute (he later told Bradford that "the Institute leaks like a sieve" despite repeatedly saying on the message boards that all of the rumors were "lies") and that sort of thing. Meanwhile, rumors were swirling that he was being taken to task by the Brethren--or by other Church leaders--who were telling him and the other Mopologists that they needed to cool their jets and quit embarrassing the Church online with their antics.

Eventually he tired of participating on MD&D and decided to launch his blog, and that's where he has stayed--most likely because it gives him more control over who is permitted to criticize him. He is pretty liberal with the blog's "Ban" function. Really, though, nothing has changed: he's still every bit as obsessed with reading the critics, picking fights with them, and so on. The manner by which he does so has changed somewhat (as Dean Robbers pointed out above), but the basic motivation is still the same.

That’s fascinating. So if he’s tracking this then he’s likely (or at least possible) that he’s also tracking what these other critical Latter-Day Saint scholars and influencers are saying.

Did the controversy have anything to do with that Kiwi post-member scholar or was that someone else? Or is this the Dehlin thing?

One other thing I think is odd is how unaware the more orthodox apologists seem as to the broader shifts happening within the church outside of the USA.

The respective political cultures in which the church operates from country to country is often so very different from one another. Here in Canada for example, critiques against diversity are extremely taboo, and even the Canadian newsroom pays lip service to its value, even as General Authorities and BYU admins attempt to problematize it or remove it from their lexicon.

Alt-right authorities and authoritarians however are experiencing a renewal of power in other countries and a progressive image sadly might be more of a liability in these areas.

Maybe that’s what all this talk of ‘unity’ or ‘belonging’ is attempting to straddle, but if so, these efforts will fail as such messages are likely to be more easily construed as conservative, and assimilatory than nuanced and accommodating.

[Gadianton]

Maybe this is the right place after all…

There is no question about it. By the way, the old board is called mormondiscussions.com. Dan racked up over 5,000+ posts during his time there. Unfortunately, technical difficulties have undermined that board, but there is hope that we will get that content back online; at least in part. You might be able to get to some of the material if you're curious.

Doctor Scratch is the worlds foremost expert on the History of Mopologetics. I'm Sure Ben Park is a fine scholar and a great guy, but in terms of knowledge wealth relating to scholarly defenses of the Church and these scholars interactions with the public and with critics, it doesn't get better than a peer-reviewed paper by Doctor Scratch.

As for the lewd material you've been subjected to recently here on the Terrestrial forum, I apologize for that, but yes, this is an ultra free-speech forum, and so it goes. A lot of it is against board policy, but we're going through a brief -- consolidation -- in terms of moderating. Hopefully things will settle down within a week or so.

I implore you to consider the patience that Jesus had with the underclass of his society and strive to be like him in patience with us. Feel free to continue asking the great questions you have and sharing your contributions, as signal-to-noise is always the best way to move substance forward.