Creation of Additional Major Categories

[Letalis]

Could we have the link to the staff forum discussion where he decided this?

There is no link. It was discussed via PM.

I can't say I really got involved in the discussion whether to give LDS/JW Congregational forums on either side, but to give them Congregational Forums and then take them away seems particularly cruel to me.

Those forums were never opened and was made clear from the beginning that they were in question.

I gotta say - the way this was done - this is bad form. VERY bad form. ESPECIALLY since you KNEW the wiki existed and that it was LOCKED. Now we know why it was locked. VERY bad form.

I had nothing to do with locking the discussion on that Wiki.

 

[Joykins]

This is disgusting.

 

[drstevej]

There is no link. It was discussed via PM.

Please Ask Erwin to post the PMs discussing this. It seems PMs are a way to say staff discussions are open yet have hidden caucus rooms.

 

[Apex]

This is disgusting.

I agree.

I want to see Erwin himself say these supposed PM's occurred. And if they did he has completely gone back on what he said the reforms would bring.

 

[drstevej]

And if they did he has completely gone back on what he said the reforms would bring.

Apex, he said there would be no non-Christian moderators as long as he was webmaster. Later he said he changed his mind.

PS I know a forum where some really sweet LDS ladies post and fellowship. Maybe that's an alternative. Tell them Sally Mae and Frannie sent you.

 

[Gwenyfur]

This is disgusting.

I agree....it completely conflicts with Erwin's 7-7-07 announcement...

 

[drstevej]

 

[dignitized]

I'm gonna pretend like I did not see this and go back to the wiki.

 

[Joykins]

IMO JW and LDS have beliefs that are not within what I personally think of as orthodox Christianity, but you don't tell these people you consider them Christian and make Congregational forums for these people and just snatch it all away, that's just as wrong.

 

[Letalis]

Please Ask Erwin to post the PMs discussing this. It seems PMs are a way to say staff discussions are open yet have hidden caucus rooms.

Erwin's aware of this thread.

 

[Gwenyfur]

IMO JW and LDS have beliefs that are not within what I personally think of as orthodox Christianity, but you don't tell these people you consider them Christian and make Congregational forums for these people and just snatch it all away, that's just as wrong.

agreed...

 

[drstevej]

Erwin's aware of this thread.

Good. Perhaps he will explain. I agree with the decision but also agree that this is really confusing at best.

 

[Letalis]

I'm gonna pretend like I did not see this and go back to the wiki.

Unless I'm told otherwise, this is what we're going forward with.

IMO JW and LDS have beliefs that are not within what I personally think of as orthodox Christianity, but you don't tell these people you consider them Christian and make Congregational forums for these people and just snatch it all away, that's just as wrong.

This is new for me as well.

At the moment, it's unclear and confusing how this all works. Mistakes are made and things are rethought.

 

[Joykins]

At the moment, it's unclear and confusing how this all works. Mistakes are made and things are rethought.

Maybe things should have been thought through *before* implementing them!

Here's some feminine advice: don't lead a guy on if you don't intend to sleep with him. Feel free to extend the metaphor.

 

[Letalis]

Maybe things should have been thought through *before* implementing them!

I'm sorry, but I don't think you're in a position to see what went into this and what hasn't.

The previous arrangement was accepted. I went forward with the forum organization that you, the members, came up with. This was approved by Erwin.

It was later brought up by several members and staff that had concerns about congregations for unorthodox members, and a new setup had to be enacted.

 

[drstevej]

I'm sorry, but I don't think you're in a position to see what went into this and what hasn't.

If you used staff fora rather than PM we would see.

 

[Joykins]

I'm sorry, but I don't think you're in a position to see what went into this and what hasn't.

The previous arrangement was accepted. I went forward with the forum organization that you, the members, came up with. This was approved by Erwin.

It was later brought up by several members and staff that had concerns about congregations for unorthodox members, and a new setup had to be enacted.

So in other words the forums were created before a consensus was reached?

There should be no RUSH to consensus. It's OK to wait for a longish time rather than do something that needs to be undone later, not to mention getting people's hopes up and all that--very cruel.

I am also concerned that private communications were used to undermine the public consensus process that we were supposed to be using.

It's Erwin's site--and he has every right to do what he wants with it. But if he's got some ground rules that CAN'T be negotiated, it's really quite unfair to tell people that it CAN, KWIM?

 

[Erwin]

The idea was to come up with a solution that would be acceptable to both the conservative Christians and members of these non-mainstream churches. It does not look like this is going to be possible.

I'm happy to hear any alternative suggestions or arrangements. If none can be achieved, then we will just not have these subforums.

 

[drstevej]

BTW, Joykins. That is Sally Mae not Sallie Mae.

uC

 

[Erwin]

This is why Letalis posted this FIRST before implementing it - to gauge the response. Since the response has been uniformly negative, it's not going to go ahead (at least not the JW/LDS part) until we can get a resolution about it.