Iv4fer ( what does that mean ? )
I welcolme your post very much and i agree you have made a pertinent point.
As an active JW, i can say with a certainty that the vast majority of web surfing and curious JW'S would come to this site and conclude that as you have assumed, ' bunch of apostates associating and crapping on about incidentals '.
The problem with JWD AT THE MOMENT, as i see it, is that it doesnt encourage or challenge JW's to discuss / defend their way of life unless that JW is prepared to experience a wave of what he would class as persecution and abuse from the other posters.
IMO most of the board members have really meaningfull, constructive things to say, but as i see it, have been draged down the redundant highway by the minority that have only hate and lack of substance to share with the others.
Hence this 'good' majority do not have opportunity or reason to exibit their finer qualities.
I believe that is why most of the intelectual posters, the ones that would address a question and attempt to answer it in a way that would encourage further meaningfull discussion, have left.
E'mans appointment as moderator is a proof that some here cannot conduct themselves without overly offending the majority, and that is not a good thing IMO for a forum that was created for the purpose of creative interaction.
Then again if you go to JWO forum, which is uncensored, the WORST side of our personalities are openly displayed. I mean people that post here in a respectfull way are tramping themselves over there.
It was not always like this I4.
Also if you go to Staffords site, which i will not advertise out of fear that it will dis-please the gods of this domain, the content and scope of the posts are highly intelegent, relevant and important to both XJW's and current Dubs.
Simon, i would humbly advise that if people want to talk about tits and arse, thats ok, but direct them to yahoo chat where they can satisfy their desires amounst similar ones there.
If this board stops behaving so badly, maybe then those posters that we seek for intelectual intercouse that are offended by the current content, may be invited back to a 'happy place', thats when you will see lurker JDubs come out of the framework.