Mormon Dialogue board on the verge of death?

[_lostindc]

The topic of the Mormon Dialogue board on the verge of death has been broached in this forum before. I did not believe this was/is possible. Due to the recent board shutdown I visited this forum. It has been quite a period of time since I have last visited said board and it appears that the decline in posters is striking. I am afraid said board is on the verge of a near-death experience. Why is this occurring? I theorize that moderation and unhealthy regular posters on said board has caused a great deal of TBMs to leave the site.

Another observation I had, during the SGW shutdown, was birthed when I visited the New Order Mormon board for the first time. The NOM board is alive and thriving. It appears that activity is well above the Mormon Dialogue board. Why is this the case? Are more becoming NOMs than TBMs? I postulate this is likely the case.

Lastly, this board appears to have more activity than the Mormon Dialogue board. Another piece of evidence that the Mormon Dialogue board is on the verge of abandonment. Will the MI let this happen to the Mormon Dialogue board? Is the MI working to establish a different forum to spread ideas?

[_Polygamy-Porter]

I'd venture to guess that the majority of active Mormons are simply doing it out of duty to family.

NOMS existed long before the internet. Being NOMish makes being a active Mormon easier.

Like it or not the Mormon church is getting watered down more and more.

Mormonism is much like smoking cigarettes. If you don't get them used to it in their teens chances are they will not continue doing it as adults, nor will adults pick up the habit.

I have yet to hear about children of families who exited the Mormon church that miss ANYTHING related to the church. Sure they miss what they perceived as friendship, but soon they find real friends.

My kids hated attending church. So did I, both as a child and an adult; it was boring.

My son is attending college this fall. He will not waste two years of HIS life being a high pressure door-to-door salesman pushing Joe's Myth. Even being a NOM, I am sure the social pressures would have pushed him into a mission. I am, as is he, that we are out of the cult.

[_Joseph]

Banning posters who put up something you don't like makes for few who can post.

[Guest]

Their mistake was banning so many people for disagreeing with the church (and closing so many threads for being critical of the church, and especially church leadership). Ban enough people like that and all you have is a TBM echo chamber. Boring.

[_3sheets2thewind]

Yep they have banned enough people to cripple the site, to make it very uninteresting. Though some of the bannings were good, as a few posters could not even try to be civil.

And yes, when you have a group of many self righteous who can not even begin to compute that one thing or another might be even the slightest amiss, you end up with a very boring board.

[_Chap]

I have been over to have a look at the MAD board on several occasions since MDB was temporarily down - it is a very long time since I participated there.

I really do have the impression that it is a rather moribund place nowadays. I suspect that is the result of the aggressive 'rather dull than dangerous' policy of the MADmods.

[_jon]

Mi brief impression of that board was that it is purely and solely aimed at faith promotion NOT dialogue nor discussion.

The moderators would allow discussions as long as the Mormon side of the debate was seen to be winning. As soon as the tide turned BANG the thread was gone.

It is purely a propaganda outlet and only deserves to be ignored.

[_zeezrom]

I really do have the impression that it is a rather moribund place nowadays. I suspect that is the result of the aggressive 'rather dull than dangerous' policy of the MADmods.

here is my visual impression of MAD:

An older gentleman dressed in a white temple suit with a long beard. The beard has food stuck in it and his pits are yellow.

[_Kishkumen]

Look, you can't move all the time and expect everyone to find you with each move. You also can't continue to treat people as though you were their abusive older sibling enforcing parental rules and expect them to love you and want to hang out with you. Them's just the facts.

[_Bond James Bond]

All That's Left Is You
----------------------

On the first day of the message board everyone could post
Everyone was free to argue, banter, and tease, and boast

But once a troll went much too far, they said a few bad words
And the mods got together, decided to ban those trollish turds

You’re banned! They said in text of red and everyone cheered
Discourse improved with this new tool, critics were less feared

But something scary happened as the critics got out of hand
Guess the more outrageous ones deserved a little reprimand

Ban them! And more critics were gone. Apologists yelled “hurray”
The mods knew their choice was just, banned more the next day

Ban the outrageous! Ban the provocateurs! Then things will be fine
A board of apologists and nice critics would be absolutely divine

But things didn’t go as planned once all the bad apples were all gone
And the moderates became outrageous with all the banning going on

Ban them! Was the cry, and soon the moderates were ghosts
And the mods told the remaining ones “Next you’ll be toast”

But something didn’t go to plan, the nice posters began to drift away
Not a problem said the mods, without them the board will be okay

But then the apologists began to gripe and argue with each other
The exasperated mods said “you’re banned” to another and another

And soon there were only a few posters left to argue and debate
“Least there aren’t any critics”, the mods said , “all they did was hate”

But without any critics and apologists to fill the board with life
The posters left began to drift away to a board filled with strife

And so the bannings backfired, censorship was the a hidden curse
For the without critics to bring new ideas things were much worse

And so a message board fades away as all boards will do
Ban the first, next, ban the last and all that’s left is you