Ulc Forum: Members, Friends, Or Customers?

[BrDevon]

I never would trust a restaurant whose mascot is oversized vermin.

[kokigami]

Many businesses run successful models built around attracting loud, obnoxious drunks who cause a lot of trouble. While these are places I do not choose to frequent, there are obviously lots of people who want to do so. So the question is not necessarily about what it takes to be successful so much as what kind of success you want to have. Because a successful dive bar, a successful chain restaurant, a successful night club, and a successful church will all be doing very different things to attract the sort of customers who will be interested in the services they provide.... In terms of this forum, we would have more posts and more posters if the conduct standards were looser, but the majority of those posts would be things that Brother Kevin does not want to store on the servers he pays for. So, in my opinion, quality is a better goal than quantity.

on the internets, 4chan might be seen as this kind of establishment.

There are lots of them.. actually.

[Youch]

~ Happy, are you volunteering to ta hang-out at Wal-marts & other various congregating locations to solicit membership & participation?

... That could be rather precarious at certain locales

Do be careful, OK Hon?

I don't believe that would be an effective way to expand participation.

Your question makes me think of a television show I was watching this past week, where experts come in to a hotel, restaurant, or in the case of this episode, a nightclub, because the business is going "off the tracks" or not bringing in money, etc.

Granted, this forum does not require financial participation, but the ideas are similar: you want to bring in a large number of guests who are going to return and bring additional business. You want your guests to be comfortable and to feel welcome to use the amenities (in our case, making posts).

What you do not want is guests beoming intoxicated, loud and obnoxious, making other guests uncomfortable (similar to those who make posts only to be disagreeable, those who choose not to follow the terms of service, those who lack restraint when they post sensitive topics, and so on).

It's a delicate balance, and like a night club, we are a people place, and the survival only comes from having a good crowd of good people.

Management (admins, moderators) can only do so much. The facilities are clean, the lighting is good, the food has been rotated, the beverages are stocked and fresh. The rest comes from the patronage and their interactions. Their behavior and interaction drives the mood which brings in the business or chases it away.

I would love to see an active crowd who enjoys being here. I realize, though, that it does not just happen. It has to develop and like most things, has its up and down cycles.

I agree with some of those comparisons.

Okay, so how do so many other forums, by the scores, ney thousands, have so much more active participation? It may have to do with the marketing that comes with/from banners and links and the like, but to the extent that content (or, to your point the quality and taste of our well-stocked shelves) has something to do with it, is there anything we (meaning everyone) can do?

Or, is that not the desire? I have read that most of the current ULC Forum population considers this a nice, little, cozy, personal community, and that most folks likes it just the way it is!!! If that is true, then the current population has indeed created a nice, little, cozy, personal community which perhaps from time to time some of us may pop in to say hello.

and ,

PS: I trust my motives for bringing all this up are properly understood.

[Brother Kaman]

Are these scores, ney thousands, of other forums religious in nature? So much of what is discussed here are Christian topics and it certainly limits my participation and I would imagine it would limit others, as well. It could very well be that it has become cozy and new members or guests can see that it has a "private club" feel to it, if indeed it does.

[Dorian Gray]

Which is why I am sadden when I see pagan and "unpopular" Christian (ie the non universal kombaya type) leave the forum. We, in my sole opinion as a fellow member of the site, as members have become a bit of a mutual admiration society where everyone has to say "I agree" or "me too" and those individuals that fall outside of that group feel they don't belong here and leave or just don't post.

This isn't an admin issue or a mod issue. It is a member issue. Are you tolerant of others beliefs that are contradictory to your own? Can you discuss your beliefs and have someone point out an inconsistency without blowing up and reporting the person for "attacking" you and your beliefs?

There was a time several years ago that was possible, people didnt have to walk on eggshells and could discuss AND debate beliefs without anyone throwing a hissy fit and taking all thier marbles and going home. During that time we had upwards of 50 ACTIVE users with another score of pop ins.

Again, this is a member issue not an Admin/Mod issue.

[SalemWitchChild]

I don't post often because it's all been discussed before. I don't think there are a lot of Pagans on the forum. When their are they don't stay long because of the attitude of some members. I know if I don't feel welcome then certainly new members won't. I guess I check in once in awhile for sentamental value.

[mark 45]

i just don't let people bother me.

[Youch]

Which is why I am sadden when I see pagan and "unpopular" Christian (ie the non universal kombaya type) leave the forum. We, in my sole opinion as a fellow member of the site, as members have become a bit of a mutual admiration society where everyone has to say "I agree" or "me too" and those individuals that fall outside of that group feel they don't belong here and leave or just don't post.

This isn't an admin issue or a mod issue. It is a member issue. Are you tolerant of others beliefs that are contradictory to your own? Can you discuss your beliefs and have someone point out an inconsistency without blowing up and reporting the person for "attacking" you and your beliefs?

There was a time several years ago that was possible, people didnt have to walk on eggshells and could discuss AND debate beliefs without anyone throwing a hissy fit and taking all thier marbles and going home. During that time we had upwards of 50 ACTIVE users with another score of pop ins.

Again, this is a member issue not an Admin/Mod issue.

I think this is a very large part of it, for sure!

[Qryos]

~ Well, for a while it was rather rambunctious... We had members that disagreed quite vigorously without calling names & it was really cool

Those type of folk are evidently difficult to come by.

{ & even the brilliant ones we had did get frustrated... That's the problem with a lively debate that lasts several months. I just gets peevin'! }

Perhaps it could be the 'be civilised' rules that are restricting more active participants. May be that 'rules of debate' aren't taught or learnt anymore.

Don't know.

Certinaly hope Christians & Pagans & Jews & Atheists & Satanists & Agnostics & Everyone still feel WELCOME here!!!

[BrDevon]

It seems there has been a shift in the way members relate to each other on the forum:

That was then:

"That's an interesting take on it... personally I see it this way...."

This is now:

You're WRONG.

That was then:

My rituals (worship/practice/insert your word here) are done this way....

This is now:

Cute. When you're done pretending, you should do it for real, like me.

There is more posting with a need to be "right" or superior, and less of a tone of "your path works for you, mine is for me."

No one needs to agree with all paths (frankly, I don't think it's possible. At some point one path will contradict with another), but all paths are welcome in the ULC, even the ones we don't like. What we need is for the spokespersons for the less common and less popular paths to be welcomed to be the different voice without having to be concerned that different will be called "wrong" or otherwise judged.

Short of advocating blatantly illegal activity or harming others, just because one person likes music and another likes incense, or one dances in the woods and another prefers formal words from certain books is no reason to think of oneself as "better." If it's not hurting anyone or denying their rights, one means of worship is as valid for one as another way is for the next.

And one does not even have to have a path. We welcome those who choose not to believe and those who question -- without question. The day any person's path is seen as superior to the next is the day we cease to be the ULC that Kirby Hensley created.

[Zequatanil]

Well I have to say that the problem present here is generally present everywhere. I was on a mission to make a difference. My way was to bring different religions together--like in Assisi way back. --so I joined, one or two groups, where different faiths discussed and got to know each other.. Went well for a while then in almost all cases all hell broke loose.

I even had my own group--it went well for a year or so--then the Catholics started preaching to the Baptists, the Hindus drew back, the Muslims started fighting the Jews--the Buddhist just kept trying to keep the peace. We had no atheists--but one agnostic a number of pagans, native Americans, lightworkers and that was it. We had close to 180--it was great in the beginning. People just left, got bored and tired--of fighting. The place is still standing--I have even forgotten my password--it still has close to 50 people registered.

Sadly it is hard to put ingrained ideas aside--but to tell you the truth--though I am a Christian, it was the Christians that caused all the problems.Also I approached a number of Catholic prayer groups to join--they banned me, and from many I got nasty e-mails....LOL. All I asked them to come and discuss and pray together at a specific time. --so this is the legend of my crusade.

To tell you the truth--there should be some kind of law as not to preach an exclusive belief--all should be inclusive-. You`re a --a theists , agnostics, pantheists, pagans of all deliberation...LOL, a Vodoo doctor, a Wiccan, a gnostic, Scientologist or a Zen monk--kodoos to you lets help each other deepen our own belief systems--we don`t have to abandon our own faith. We say we are open minded, accept all--but do we? Really? I always have tried--and a number of people in my group--that is why he wrote`Wildflowers`. When I said a few words about Hermano--a few people were a little offended that I said `he was a true mentor and a holy man`--well the truth is --he is .And I am no Hindu--but I respect and acknowledge his faith as well as all the others--and I have learnt a lot from him in a little time, each time he writes a paragraph. All faiths, religions are all equal in the eyes of God--it all depends how we live that faith. I respect all the fundamentalist Christian as well as the pious Jews or the atheists--but if one is in a plural faith group, it can only go so far with exclusivity--.

Christianity is not a religion--it is a way. Sure--religions if you have one strengthens it, but not needed to be saved. We can all learn from each other--when our new pagan friend joined the other day--a question was put to him; Do you pick and choose what you like, what works for you --something to that affect--well actually we should do that! Everybody has something to teach and everybody has something to learn--that is why we are here--if we weren`t meant to be here then we would be floating around on high with a halo and in white robes --or wherever Nirvana is.

The bottom line is in truth all should be banned who are really pushing it, be it whatever religion or no religion.I disagree that people should walk on eggshells--one can state their truth, but it is their truth `not the sermon on the mount`. We should actually have a place in the forum to understand the different sacred books, writing, religions--for truth be told, we don`t know much apart from our own.

I would love to learn and understand more about the way of Christianity, of Jesus--we all know the Bible to some degree--let`s try and get more into things we don`t know-- Thomas` Gospel, Judas` Gospel, the gnostic teachings-- the nordic pantheon--as well as the Greek--the Vedic writings, the Koran--, the Tanakh--, Native spirituality, all the latest Universal Baptist views,-about `we are god`, -about the coming age--and some metaphysical beliefs from the darkside- as well as the lightside--there so much more, and there are people here who really know much about these things. We don`t have to accept it, but respect it-- but there maybe an `aha moment` at times. Much can be said by some atheists, scientists, pantheists, I know I have left some people out--forgive me but you are all appreciated.--whomever has whatever to offer--wow we have so much here enough for 20 lifetimes and not be bored. There is much to be learnt from the past as well as from the present--. This is the age of Aquarius, the age of enlightenment yet we are still in the dark ages--no better then the crusades when it comes to accepting each other.

And why can`t people just start a thread even if it sounds strange or different--we don`t have to discuss the existence of God all the time, or whether we go to hell or not--you either believe that or you don`t--can`t convince me, so let`s move on. Maybe I am just one ignorant dreamer that we can have peace in the world--and love one an other.

Probably said too much and true I am guilty of getting into stuff I swore I would not, and even start threads I shouldn`t. Somebody was getting ready the popcorn the other day...LOL waiting to watch the fight...LOL. I mean is this what we are about?? I hope not.--

I cast my fate at the wind , hoping I will not be banned.--and long as well--and bad , bad grammar!Oh--BTW somebody, I truly forgot whom told me if I want information about different religions I should go on the internet--well we can do that also--or simply fight if that is better choice--but we can also leave and not discuss anything except differences of thinking and disagreeing.

blessings and peace,

Edited October 6, 2012 by Tündér

[Zequatanil]

--oops (my emoticons are out of commission for some reason--God is punishing me..LOL)one thing, just a thought;

Maybe we should be a little more spiritual and less religious!--and maybe this will be the model group for coming together of different faiths. They say there is always an exception--perhaps, maybe this is it!

Of the groups that I was a member--one is still going--but they are `new age indigos--lightworkers` group--and are doing very well--and they do have very few religions on board--but some. I am the resident Catholic...LOL! That is my original group, there has never really been a fight--they just send out the light--the `reiki energy workers`, or some protective spell, or crystal energy or some chant--LOL and all passes. I really learnt much there through the years. But really--this is the only group to have succeeded to some degree.

namaste-love and light,

Suzanne

[Dorian Gray]

Suzanne, isn't what your suggesting by "being more spiritual and less religious" just another way of saying that everyone should "Kumbaya" and just become a mutual admiration society?

[BrDevon]

I think we need a bit more of the old saying: "we can disagree without being disagreeable."

[Brother Kaman]

I think we need a bit more of the old saying: "we can disagree without being disagreeable."

Agreed.

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

Agreed.

Yes.

[Zequatanil]

I see there is a lot of agreement to what seems to be the right way of being in this forum

A mutual admiration society is better than fighting, disagreeing and demeaning each other--woudn`t understanding be a better alternative?I am a bit stunned at the response of some as this is ULC, but it seems it is far from universal. --well I still think that the world would be a much better place perhaps if we did live the meaning of `kumbaya`--but the meaning seems to have taken on a rather cynical interpretation which is rather sad. But then we are mere mortals--with free will and chose our paths.--so keep on disagreeing,- everyone has a free choice.

blessing and peace,

suzanne

[Kimmy]

To tell you the truth--there should be some kind of law as not to preach an exclusive belief--all should be inclusive-.

Which is your belief. So, everyone should believe what you believe? That is exactly what the so-called "exclusive" religions preach.

[Dorian Gray]

One does not have to be "fighting" or "demeaning" to disagree. I would take respectful diversity (it REAL univeral) rather then everyone drinking the same kool aid ® and just "me too"ing everything. If everyone agrees and believes the same thing, how do you learn about other to find common ground?

Suzanne, have you read any of the writings of our founder Kirby Hensley? From your posts, it seems like you haven't.

[Brother Kaman]

I wholeheartedly disagree with much that is written in the threads of this forum but I also wholeheartedly respect everyone's right to what they say in the threads of this forum. I will never understand why people believe the way they do so I am a long way from the "understanding" of other's beliefs. I do not think that any of that matters a bit as long as we remain respectful with our discussions.