You Who Have Been on the Board For Awhile - What Are your Concerns ?
by flipper 176 Replies latest jw friends
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flipper
Wow! Thanks for all your responses ! A lot of subjects were covered and because of the number of responses- I think this time it would take me 2 hours to respond individually so I'll just kind of mirror or sum up what I've noticed you have said up to this point .
A good portion of you are concerned for sure that we show newbies the caring, kind considerate welcome that each of us were shown . I call it respecting the dignity of man, and or woman .
Also Hilary Step emphasized the need to see how diverse all of us are. We really don't know each others backgrounds. Truth can be much stranger than fiction at times , and some on the board might have serious psychological problems that need attention. Maybe some have depression or substance abuse. Or, have been sexually abused or physically abused. To me this is all the more reason to be courteous, careful in our responses as we would not want to send someone over the edge , as Mouthy said , we hear occasionally of people wanting to off themselves getting out of the witness religion. I would venture to say- we would want to throw them a life preserver rather than push them off the edge of a cliff- so to speak.
And some of you mentioned ideas that could be used to be a little more forthcoming in our avatar representations of ourselves - all the while keeping in mind that some have to perhaps be more careful than others due to having family who are still witnesses- but respect their fading position ! So, great ideas everyone- thanks, and keep the ideas coming ! We are all ears ! Peace out, Mr. Flipper -
Hortensia
leave the avatars alone, they express the inside person.
more jokes
make it your own responsibility to protect your identity
more stories - I like hearing what people are doing, their histories, etc
more jokes
more fluff
no one welcomed me, that I remember, I just jumped in with both feet. Felt rejected a lot - my problem, not JWD's. However, I agree, wait a page or two before calling someone a troll.
minimus should ask more questions
no name calling until the 50th post or so on any individual thread
more people should send me a pm
I like the vigil (sad emo)
I like the different categories on the home page - lots of different possibilities there
I like everyone to speak out and say what's on their mind - but it should all be forgiven when the brouhaha is over
more bigfoot experiences
no one is allowed to leave JWD - none of those farewell threads. If you don't want to participate, don't. Just check back now and then to see if anyone missed you. I don't deal well with loss, so you aren't allowed to leave. -
Twitch
Good topic, Mr Flipper
Yer ok in my book,.....:)
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Abandoned
Pencil me down for what Hortensia said.
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flipper
HORTENSIA- Very good thoughts ! Well, you don't have to worry at least about Mrs. Flipper and i - we are here to stay. We like it here, it is warm and cozy ! We like your thoughts too ! Good thoughts ! P.S. My son and I will try to get more Bigfoot stories for ya O.K. ? LOL! It's not like catching that beast is like going after butterflies with a net , ya know !? Peace out, Mr. Flipper
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hillary_step
Flipper,
Truth can be much stranger than fiction at times , and some on the board might have serious psychological problems that need attention. Maybe some have depression or substance abuse. Or, have been sexually abused or physically abused. To me this is all the more reason to be courteous, careful in our responses as we would not want to send someone over the edge , as Mouthy said , we hear occasionally of people wanting to off themselves getting out of the witness religion. I would venture to say- we would want to throw them a life preserver rather than push them off the edge of a cliff- so to speak.
I understand what you are saying, as we have discussed this issue in all its dimensions many times in the past on this Board and I used to think as you do.
The point that I was making above is that given the enormous mix of elements that make up this Board, it is unfair for people to expect this Board to become a 'good witness' to those looking in. It is just a discussion board, and all the bangs and knocks that we receive come with the territory. These Boards are not for the faint-hearted, and even Mouthy has toughened up over the years. ;)
If we feel uncomfortable posting here because people express their opinions in a thousand shapes and shades, then perhaps we are not ready to experience the joy of having our own opinion and being able to freely express it. This is what freedom to an emerging JW is, giving voice for better or worse to feelings and opinions that have been stolen from us for so long. We have silenced our mouths so often just to give a 'good witness' that it is unhealthy to suggest that we should move from a Kingdom Hall scenario to a Kingdom Board one.
Most JW's who stumble upon this Board, have as I have noted, been reading for months if not years. They know what to expect, and what not to. Putting on a Kingdom Smile is not going to help them one little bit.
HS
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WT=watchtrouble
Agree with most of you. Biggest concern is the way some are doubting newbies within their first few posts!
hillary-step:
Putting on a Kingdom Smile is not going to help them one little bit.
If we aren't pleasant to new ones, they are likely to feel that the borg is right about worldly peeps, internet sites etc. I disagree with your statement. I guess by thinking back to when you first were exiting this cult how you felt emotionally, how hard was it? Usually it takes a lot of courage to make your first post on this site. Lets be nice to newbies and not knock them back down while they are weak.
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wanderlustguy
My only suggestion, the golden rule for me...
Imagine the person you are talking to here...imagine their face, their eyes, their hands...now imagine you are speaking to them, in person.
If you can say it then...it's ok to say now.
That's it.
WLG
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flipper
TWITCH- Thanks, I appreciate it .
ABANDONED- Cool bro, Peace.
HILLARY STEP- I understand what you are saying . We need freedom of speech on this board, I agree. I'm not expecting anybody to become a " good witness " as you phrase it or give a " good witness " here . But, I think most of us expect people to show common decency and manners to others when communicating on the board and to show courtesy and be civil to other people when we post. That has nothing to do with whether we are a Jehovah's Witness or an ex-Jehovah's Witness. I think it's not asking too much of people to get their points across in a mature, civil manner.
There is a difference in freely expressing our opinion in a way that people will feel motivated to listen as opposed to pounding them into submission verbally . So, I wasn't talking about putting on a " kingdom smile " as you phrased it, I'm just talking about being civil to everybody, including new ones .Make sense ?
WT TROUBLE - I agree with you.
WANDERLUSTGUY- I will always post here like I would talk with you face to face . What you see here with me - is what you get . there is no difference