DiscussMormonism.com

I've posted here through thick and thin, so I think I have some authority to speak.

We're bleeding and I fear it may be terminal. People are disappearing, some of them without saying goodbye.

I'm tired of all the threads about Prop 8. I'm tired of all the threads about gays. I'm tired of all the personal threads about Daniel.

And if we can't come up with some threads that have nothing to do with gays, nothing to do with Prop 8, nothing to do with personal attacks on Daniel, I'm liable to be one of those who just disappears.

C'mon, people. We can do better than this.

harm,

Of course it's bleeding and of course it's terminal. How many times on Z did people refer to it's "Golden Age"? I myself was part of the golden age on another board When I think in terms of the golden age of a board, I think of stimulating discussions of thought or belief that focus on specific topics and issues, and where the community is academically and culturally diverse.

This board has not had a golden age and it will never have one.

The reasons, in my opinion only, have to do with the limited topical matter and the lack of united purpose of the community. Let me explain what I mean.

How much mileage does anyone think can be had from Mormon related issues? There was some remark made by someone to me that due to my post count here, I spend more time than that person on Mormonism.

To that I say, huh?

There are very few LDS related topics on this board at all. Unless you consider poking Daniel or 10 year old FARMS issues around as a topic.

I also think that because the general focus is on Mormonism, the board naturally draws LDS and ex-LDS (and a few fringey Never's like myself), everyone already knows the topics and whatever related issues/information that support or defend it.

I've always thought, and I know this is because of my first experiences on a board, that inquiry is the key to stimulating discussion. That is to say, someone posts a question about a topic and others join in to discuss it and/or beat it to death. :-) And people learn from that.

In my observation, people here aren't interested in learning about Mormon related topics because they, like myself, already know the topics either from their participation in the religion or engaging the topics on a board like this. Heck, marg and I both know the theological/historical/cultural topics and neither of us have ever been LDS.

When the main focus is central to one essential topic, Mormonism, how much is there to discuss?

When the focus is so narrow and the folks involved in the community already know the issues, what is there to discuss?

The narrow focus draws a narrow collection of posters. If you look at the poll thread I did about the make up of this community, you will see 54 response votes.

54.

54 posters who already know the related issues can hardly pull off a golden age and my guess is that the lack of intellectual stimulation is one of the reasons why the threads devolve into personal remarks/attacks which are entirely worthless to me insofar as to how I prefer to spend my time and what I prefer to spend my time on.

Idle hands, devil's workshop. Or in this case, idle minds.

There will be no golden age for MDB.

I would love to hear something from marg on this thread since she has had the experience of a diverse community and full range of topics, as I have had.

marg?

harmony wrote:I'm tired of all the threads about Prop 8. I'm tired of all the threads about gays. I'm tired of all the personal threads about Daniel.

And if we can't come up with some threads that have nothing to do with gays, nothing to do with Prop 8, nothing to do with personal attacks on Daniel, I'm liable to be one of those who just disappears.

I respectfully disagree when it comes to threads about Prop. 8. in my opinion, the Mormons became the face of Prop. 8 (not just locally, but primarily from SLC). From my perspective, this is the worst I've seen come from the Church institution since at least the ERA. When it comes to talking about Mormonism, I think Prop. 8 is the most important issue right now, simply because the Mormon organization played such a huge role in bringing about one of the greatest constitutional crises in history (well, at least in CA constitutional history). How can someone decide to leave a bb altogether because the biggest issue in Mormonism today is a hot topic and debated among many? If you don't like those threads, then don't read them, or start others and participate in them. Why should a few threads or topics sour you on the entire bb? I just don't get it. If I see a thread that doesn't interest me, or that I think has been beaten to death, I don't bother with it and go on to others.

Who cares?

Oh dear! Are we approaching another goodbye from you? Quick! Let's hold a board fast and prayer!

Good god get a life. Is interaction in this virtual room that important to you?

You wanna discuss Mormon topics in a non critical sappy forum to the point of ad nauseam?? , head over to yonder litter box at the MA&D house, and besides, you are still an active tithing temple lovin Mormon.

Or here's an idea, start a thread in the celestial forum and nurse it along.

The reason for discussing prop 8 and gays is that it is CURRENT news for LDS INC. K?

in my opinion the only bleeding going on here are either those who popped a vein from excessive strenuous posting or those who choose to cut themselves.

Spend some time outside, the weather is changing.

Rollo Tomasi wrote:I just don't get it. If I see a thread that doesn't interest me, or that I think has been beaten to death, I don't bother with it and go on to others.

Exactly. This is the Mormon discussion board, not the Keep Harmony Entertained board.

Wanna discuss something about Mormonism? Great do it here. Otherwise spend some time outside, the weather is changing.

harmony wrote:I've posted here through thick and thin, so I think I have some authority to speak.
We're bleeding and I fear it may be terminal. People are disappearing, some of them without saying goodbye.
I'm tired of all the threads about Prop 8. I'm tired of all the threads about gays. I'm tired of all the personal threads about Daniel.
And if we can't come up with some threads that have nothing to do with gays, nothing to do with Prop 8, nothing to do with personal attacks on Daniel, I'm liable to be one of those who just disappears.
C'mon, people. We can do better than this.

We can do better than what?
Isn't it easier to ignore those threads which bug you? Just skip them.
I think it is very important to expose DCP & his clones. If the boards like these
facilitate that opportunity, more power to them.
Consider posts regarding them as "Peer Preview", which they (FARMS&MAD&b) sorely lack.
I don't think we're talking enough about Prop 8 considering they got away with murder killing
ERA 25+years ago.

somebody's gotta speak up, that's for sure. If you don't like it, por favor, stay away.
No malice, disrespect intended.

solo,

I support that you think it's important for people to speak on on various issues however, on a board like this you're preaching to the choir. I also think the items that I listed and have referred to in recent posts such as limited focus, the nature of the board, lack of diversity in the community and lack of thoughtful discussion are worth noting.

This board has been online for two years now. The pervasive conditions of this board have been here from the start and likely aren't going away any time in the near or distant future therefore, I see no reason personally to rise to Shades continued challenge to make MDB what you would like to see it become.

The very fact that Porter has to advise harmony to post a topic in the Celestial and "nurse it along" is telling in and of itself.

My 2 cents.

Jersey Girl wrote:
I would love to hear something from marg on this thread since she has had the experience of a diverse community and full range of topics, as I have had.

marg?

Well that board died as well. It's a matter of individual costs versus benefits whether people participate. Most people if their costs are greater than their benefits will choose an alternative. But what the benefits and costs are, will vary from individual to individual.

Personally I've lost interest and it's a function of many factors, but I still think Mormonism is an important interesting topic to discuss or to take an interest in. I disagree with Sam Harris that critics are all angry and should move on. It's not a topic which should be ignored, as the Church obviously has an impact on society politically and will continue to do so, so I haven't completely lost interest, but the amount of time I'm willing to invest in non-productive discussion is limited.

The 2 main weaknesses in this board in my opinion are no threaded format and the Celestial is not really moderated to encourage productive discussion absent tactical diversionary ad hominems. Elimination of swear words isn't enough. But even if those were put into place that's no guarantee the board would have high activity of productive discussion. People do move on to other interests.

Jersey Girl wrote:delete

This is a great demonstration of the absurdity of the “rule” that “You cannot delete your posts in this forum.”

That “rule” joined with “You can edit your posts in this forum” effectively negates “cannot delete.”

JAK wrote:

Jersey Girl wrote:delete

This is a great demonstration of the absurdity of the “rule” that “You cannot delete your posts in this forum.”

That “rule” joined with “You can edit your posts in this forum” effectively negates “cannot delete.”

Where is it stated that you cannot delete your posts? I'm not following you. Am I not seeing something that's directly in front of my eyes?

Wouldn't be the first time...