I'm a long time contributor at the www.support4xjws.org board.
It's interesting to compare two boards with similar purpose.
I would say this board is more theistic and has a more International mix.
Tishie's board is more atheistic and mostly American... at various points I have been the token Brit, but thankfully have a handfull of compatriots now.
I think support boards such as these are where extraordinary care and concern for people can be shown.
They can also be little bitch-fests. Sorry for the gender specific nature of that, it's meant to apply to both men and women in the way I am using it.
They also go through cycles; I'm new here, but Tishie's board was truly great (the only place you could go at the time where you could meet with other xjws who weren't going to try and sell you a new religion) during its golden age, and is on a strong upwards thrust at this time. I don't see any logical reason why this board would be any different.
You have trouble makers come and go, or come and learn not to make trouble and stay. You have people who aren't trouble makers but are too deep in what they're going through to react well all the time, people whose mindsets are still heavilly influeneced by the Borg perhaps without them realising it, people who are bitter and angry, people who go potty if people express theistic beliefs, people who get upset if people comment critically on their beliefs. People who are, let's face it, not that smart, people who are totally up their own arses, people with breath-taking breadth of knowledge, wise, wise people who can say everything the way you wish you had said it as they say what you wanted to mean. Nice people, nasty people. It's all here, whereever here may be. And then of course you have the misunderstandings, the baggage people bring with them, blah blah, and of course, blah.
I really think it's totally unsurprising that a board for people going through transitions gets a little stormy at times. These boards cannot realistically be expected to be nice little tea-parties with erudite and stimulating conversations all the time.
My posting has varied (on Tishie's board) from multiple daily to once every few months. Sometimes it's 'cause I get tired of seeing it all happen over again. Oh god, not ANOTHER thread about the (insert topic here).
I know what I think about things, I've moved on, I have a wonderful life, and although I am still affected by my life as a Witness I have moved on. I am 'over' it.
Why do I still post? I can understand the point made in Step's post about moving on. Well, I still post as I love spiritied discussion.
And I post as there were people who were further along the road than I am when I started to post, some of whom I've 'caught up with' or 'passed' (not that it's a contest), some who have stopped posting, but people helped me when I needed it and I would like to do the same.
I don't think that's a big deal, or anything that big, it just seems the right thing to do.
I do not imply that those who stop posting don't care. I very rarely take anything personally, and can ride out storms without it bothering me... although I do make a fool of myself at times by getting holier than thou when I think someone is being picked on...
Some people really get bothered by that sort of thing, and maybe they need to move on. The last thing I think anyone of us really wants to do when someone moves on is stab them in the back...
... if we did we'd just be doing what the JW's do when someone turns away from them, and I don't think there's one person that wants to do that, not if they really think about it.
If that's me being holier than thou, well, holy away, my ass is graa and thou art lawnmowers!
Happiness
Abaddon
