A few years ago I used to frequent the above-linked forum. It was founded to discuss etiquette--namely, how to avoid offending others and how to deal with the rude behavior of others without being rude back. In the beginning, it was an interesting discussion.
Over the last year or so, it has gone completely crazy. It was really beginning to trigger my memories of being in a high control group.
- They appointed a bunch of mods who go around correcting everything. Everything.you.say.
- There are unspoken rules, and if you're not
a pioneerin the popular crowd, you will be punished for breaking the unspoken rules, some of which are invented after you break them. - They have a clear hierarchy. They actually even made an offshoot private forum for the most popular posters to discuss how to make the rest of the posters behave. Sound familiar?
- If you
engage in independent thinkingdisagree with someone, even if you do so politely, you aredisfellowshippedbanned. - If you aren't officially banned, the posters are v-e-r-y quick to put you on "ignore", meaning that you are allowed to participate in the forum, but everyone completely
shunsignores you.....making you eventually become inactive because there is no point in going there if no one will talk to you. - Posters are not allowed to
give a bad witnesssay bad things about the forum or they are immediately banned. Eldersforum mods actually visit competing forums to spy on posters, and if they're found even talking toworldly peopleposters from other forums, or gasp! previouslydisfellowshippedbanned people, they get banned themselves or at the very least, get on the "b" list.- At one point (don't know what they do nowadays), they were actually announcing when someone was
put on reproofgagged for a few days ordisfellowshippedbanned, and specifically why. - The
Presiding Overseerforum creator has become a power hungry, raving mad lunatic (as evidenced by the link I shared above).
An interesting study in cultish social dynamics.....
