Dear Dr. Shades :-) Board Business

[Res Ipsa]

I doubt many if any of the TBMs from MD&D will come here. This is after all the board that cannot be named. Most ran away from here a long time ago. I suggest you try out what you are looing for on the Celestial forum as others have. See how it goes.

I don't know. I talked to a handful a posters over there privately and I think there would be some interest in finding a place that would give them more freedom but still not overwhelm them like some of the forums here.

When you say "overwhelmed," what do you mean?

[canpakes]

I don't know. I talked to a handful a posters over there privately and I think there would be some interest in finding a place that would give them more freedom but still not overwhelm them like some of the forums here.

When you say "overwhelmed," what do you mean?

I have the same question.

If, say, five regulars from MD&D showed up here and began regularly posting and conversing in Celestial, and assuming that they have similar opinions on the veracity of Mormonism and will support each other, then how will they be overwhelmed, and by whom?

[canpakes]

I doubt many if any of the TBMs from MD&D will come here. This is after all the board that cannot be named. Most ran away from here a long time ago. I suggest you try out what you are looing for on the Celestial forum as others have. See how it goes.

I don't know. I talked to a handful a posters over there privately and I think there would be some interest in finding a place that would give them more freedom but still not overwhelm them like some of the forums here.

Mike, if your faith generally aligns with the Church’s truth claims, then what is preventing (or has prevented) you from having these sorts of interactions with these same participants over at MD&D?

[Res Ipsa]

And as a follow up, when you say "some of the forums here," which ones are you talking about?

[dastardly stem]

When you say "overwhelmed," what do you mean?

Having spent much time with the posters there, I think I can answer this, but I also don't think it'd be hard to imagine. When they peak in over here, they aren't peaking in on Celestial nor Paradise forums. They likely follow the activity. They peak into the Terrestrial and read along. In so doing, as I said, I don't think it'd be hard to imagine why they'd be overwhelmed. They likely expect upon showing up and posting, that some posters will continually think they are liars and trolls and will relentlessly tell them that. That upon one post or question they may get an eager handful of posters challenging them. They likely expect that no matter what they post, they'll be treated by a few posters here with a great deal of animus. Any slip-ups they imagine might come out of them, would likely, as they see, put them on an eternal list of shame among the majority of posters here. I can certainly imagine a number of posters over there thinking "I'd like to participate there, but when I imagine actually singing up and participating it's pretty overwhelming imagining the degree of backlash I'd likely get".

[MG 2.0]

When you say "overwhelmed," what do you mean?

Having spent much time with the posters there, I think I can answer this, but I also don't think it'd be hard to imagine. When they peak in over here, they aren't peaking in on Celestial nor Paradise forums. They likely follow the activity. They peak into the Terrestrial and read along. In so doing, as I said, I don't think it'd be hard to imagine why they'd be overwhelmed. They likely expect upon showing up and posting, that some posters will continually think they are liars and trolls and will relentlessly tell them that. That upon one post or question they may get an eager handful of posters challenging them. They likely expect that no matter what they post, they'll be treated by a few posters here with a great deal of animus. Any slip-ups they imagine might come out of them, would likely, as they see, put them on an eternal list of shame among the majority of posters here. I can certainly imagine a number of posters over there thinking "I'd like to participate there, but when I imagine actually singing up and participating it's pretty overwhelming imagining the degree of backlash I'd likely get".

This.

Regards,
MG

[Res Ipsa]

When you say "overwhelmed," what do you mean?

Having spent much time with the posters there, I think I can answer this, but I also don't think it'd be hard to imagine. When they peak in over here, they aren't peaking in on Celestial nor Paradise forums. They likely follow the activity. They peak into the Terrestrial and read along. In so doing, as I said, I don't think it'd be hard to imagine why they'd be overwhelmed. They likely expect upon showing up and posting, that some posters will continually think they are liars and trolls and will relentlessly tell them that. That upon one post or question they may get an eager handful of posters challenging them. They likely expect that no matter what they post, they'll be treated by a few posters here with a great deal of animus. Any slip-ups they imagine might come out of them, would likely, as they see, put them on an eternal list of shame among the majority of posters here. I can certainly imagine a number of posters over there thinking "I'd like to participate there, but when I imagine actually singing up and participating it's pretty overwhelming imagining the degree of backlash I'd likely get".

So, it's not the lack of a place where they can discuss their religion that is heavily moderated (celestial), it's the reception they anticipate in the forums where most of the action is?

[Xenophon]

I understand what you are laying down Stem but how much of our time spent here comes down to personal responsibility? If some at MD&D wish to post here but fear being overwhelmed they can take steps to avoid it. For me all of your issues are mostly addressed by our choices. We all choose what we post, who we respond to, what forums we post in, what topics we engage on. Even non-believers can feel overwhelmed here at times when they find themselves disagreeing with the majority. It is up to them to choose how they respond.

I'd also point out that every thing you talk about happening here happens to other parties over at MD&D. It doesn't remove our responsibility to engage in a way that is fulfilling to us.

In the end it comes down to the value proposition for your participation. If you think there is value to be had here you'll have to weigh that against the cost of participating and tailor your approach for it to make sense for you.

[canpakes]

So, it's not the lack of a place where they can discuss their religion that is heavily moderated (celestial), it's the reception they anticipate in the forums where most of the action is?

I don’t know that I’d refuse to go into a great eatery simply because the alley behind it was a bit dangerous.

[dastardly stem]

So, it's not the lack of a place where they can discuss their religion that is heavily moderated (celestial), it's the reception they anticipate in the forums where most of the action is?

I don't think they think of it as separate forums. There's little reason to consider celestial because the activity there is minimal.

On Canpakes point, if they felt "safe" as in no one was going to harass them, 5 of them could get together and decide to come and post in Celestial and they may feel nothing overwhelming about that. But then, it's kind of like, what's the point? no one's there to participate with--the main activity that would be interesting is in the Terrestrial...and that brings a whole host of overwhelming thoughts.