dawei

Exist=Created=Nothing=Poop=Live=Die The best thing you can do is: Exist, Create, Nothing, Poop, Live, Die... That is the point. Look at the shrubs growing leaves, flowers, fruit, etc... and they are falling into the ground... seemingly wasted... but can fertilize the soil... and something next grows. A new development was just built along a path I drive everyday... I saw the construction raise up the structure and layout the grass... and then, something unexpected 'arose'... They landscaped the front of the development with a dip which seemed at first glance a true mistake... and in the rainy season, it became a kind of pond... while the adjacent areas were more level and did not collect water. Over time, there emerged swamp like growth as the collected water would not drain anywhere. Today I noticed these had grown to enormous heights... in front of a development... and it looks silly as hell... but yet, I ponder what are the conditions for such spontaneous growth... That is what we are a part of. JMO

I just asked a few questions to see your point. Thanks.

I might say you are the moment; no separation from it. There is no contemplation of moment or separated from moment; there is only one unity with moment... and yet, no moment except as we ponder the point. When a bird glides on high... and the wind lifts it upward to soar and glide effortlessly... there is neither thought nor flapping of wings... there is a sense of being carried in a stream of energy. That stream of energy is the manifest world. That gliding is beyond space/time.

The catholic church divided itself enough to become the protestants... and watered down enough to become cults. Yes, the Great Way will also became the Way of Cults... and already has. It is the Way... of everything and anything. Continuously moving on... So what is the point of being stuck in a label like Philosophical Daoism ?

So there is a 'we' in this age of machines... we made these machines... Is this human [mechanistic] determinism? Human reconstruction in terms of a mechanistic society... I don't think that is the point... but rather the arrogance of human influence. So your point is the influence is MACHINES? Is that a societal influence or a global influence? For example: Does it change the planetary orbits?

I didn't want to say it, but now I understand your point... in bold... I agree with the arrogance aspect and why I related it will happen at due time, regardless of human influence. Maybe we should consider if it happens due to human influence... but is accelerated by the gods who want to just get the human extinction over with

Moved this here I personally am not sure if its worthwhile to devote so much energy to this kind of thing... unless they think it will help the next reboot of humanity should another mass extinction occur. There were many mass extinctions without our help but its possible that we're contributing to the next one... but it will probably happen with or without our help at some point.

The Alpha Test has grown legs. See the new Forum: Wéi Wú Wéi - 為無為 Please read BOTH Pinned Topics to gain an understanding of the expectations of participation and registering for higher level permissions to start and oversee topics.

That Link does seem to be the essence of the idea: Law of two feet Owen explains his one "Law," called the "Law of two feet" or "the law of mobility", as follows: If at any time during our time together you find yourself in any situation where you are neither learning nor contributing, use your two feet, go someplace else. In this way, all participants are given both the right and the responsibility to maximize their own learning and contribution, which the Law assumes only they, themselves, can ultimately judge and control. When participants lose interest and get bored in a breakout session, or accomplish and share all that they can, the charge is to move on, the "polite" thing to do is going off to do something else. In practical terms, Owen explains, the Law of Two Feet says: "Don't waste time!"

I stopped counting my trips to china at 13... The main advice concerns 'connections'; who you know before you go, during your stay, etc. You can smooth out issues and avoid problems with 'who you know'... which means 'who they know'. Negotiations are a tricky thing too... you have to understand why they offered one amount and later claim it should be another amount... EVERYTHING is relative. If you're not up for this kind of gamesmanship, then think hard about whether to go. If you're really open minded to experiencing another culture which is upside-down from your mind's eye... then take another step.

Dan Tian practice is the foundation to so many other practices... for a reason... which IMO suggest in cases like yours that your reading to expand you practices beyond the dan tian. They could be circulation practices (in stillness and/or movement), gate breathing (crown, palms, soles), multiple gate breathing (more than one at the same time (down crown and up soles to meet and mix), or you focus the energy to the next higher center (middle dan tian), or at least use that as part of breathing and circulating practices. Next, would be including the heart... then throat... and then your up to the upper dan tian. Just looking forward a bit.

Custom Code is always better handling of specific/special situations... it just comes with a few implications: Someone has to do it.. and someone has to handle upgrades without losing it. Without custom code, there is more burden/responsibility by each to abide by the use of the permissions... and could create more staff work on some level. There is something interesting to the OP unequivocally owning the thread... and requiring their approval before display seems like it takes care of most later hides and/or deletes... and like you said, maybe folks write more thoughtful... But it is an interruption to the normal flow of members chatting. So it really depends on, what is the ideal sought? My personally feeling would be to not have approvals and let things flow; rely on people to embrace the ideals of the area.

mostly from skills at tinkering with settings at multiple layers of permissions This does seem unnecessary but would be the final form of controlling one's own thread... The problem seems to be anyone within the 'moderating group' will see it anyways. So same problem as hiding. Problem realized in testing... is that anyone with the Anarchist mod permissions will be able to still see it... and can even accidentally unhide it... so seems troublesome. This will have a similar problem to hiding as anyone with the forum area permissions can delete... but this is the one place where likely the 'honestly policy' will really test everyone. You are not supposed to use it unless the thread is yours. This practice would be: Either this or Delete... not really both. So only one action would be taken. The only reason this option is raised is because of the extreme rights to Delete and technically anyone with the right can do it anywhere in that forum. A "Move" was considered as we could still see and retrieve the post as needed. In such a case, a "Trash Can" sub-area would maybe be used... The challenge is that having "Move" actually allows you to move it anywhere in the entire TDB!

Coming back to a few comments above... as we've had a break-through in figuring out how to set it up. Not sure we can do some of the below, but just asking as the thread continues to comment on ideas. There can only be one Highlander [Original Poster] who starts a thread: 1. Should the OP approve every post before it is shown? Otherwise it stays hidden. 2. Should the OP hide posts at will? 3. Should the OP delete posts at will? 4. Should the OP move posts at will? The issue which arises with 'hiding' is that anyone with the same Highlander permissions could really see the hidden thread anyways... not sure if they could actually approve it. Another problem with hiding is that it is not uncommon for someone else with the power to 'see' what is hidden to mistakenly 'unhide' it ! To give 'delete' permissions means any Highlander technically has it... and it is easy to mis-use. And Staff has a harder time to see what was the post removed content (poof... gone). Any further thoughts are welcomed.

The update settings were ok (set to run each hour). The logging was turned off probably to keep down the overhead. I turned logging on and saw it was running each hour. Then turned it back off. It appears to be working since then.

I would be surprised if that was a manual counter to run. That seems like something which out to be in real-time or nightly. I know that some 'count' items are run manually. Interesting find. I'll poke around. One question: Did that new member have an approved post yet? Maybe we'll find it it member group related (?)

The problem now seems to be the limit on the number of moderators. So one open forum with everyone having mod power won't work. It would have to be something like a forum with say 10 subforums... a member could moderate a post in only one of the 10 areas (call it 'home' for that member). They could post in any of the ten as they wanted but could not use their mod power. It only seems to get more messy from a forum structure point of view to do something which ought to be a forum level control. THis software seems to want assignment of 'mods' to create the level of control we're talking about.

Ok... so I am back to understanding it again... it is really forum area open to all but runs like a PPD. If someone starts a thread, they have sovereign rule over the thread. As far as I know, the software does not allow that and probably why PPDs came about too; to give someone control over their own content in their own way. I look a little more at the system controls as I'm curious but not hopeful. The only way I can come up with to get as close as possible to that would be a forum area where EVERYONE is assigned as a mod... with the expressed intent that you are only allowed to use your sovereign powers when you start a post. Your not allowed (ie; trust system) to use powers in a thread you did not start. Someone can report the occurrence and if staff confirms it, that person can have action which includes warnings, expulsion from that area or even being banned for good. There is something interesting in this approach... can people trust themselves to correctly use their power... I still see this as a problem... but it is not going to go away... and I only worry if it causes it to become worse. What if someone is hurt by being kicked out of a thread... they may simply retaliate by kicking the other person out... Is that valid, regardless of their motive? As king of a thread, can you kick someone out because you simply don't want them to post? I was somewhat shocked to find that the 'rating system' (scale was 1-5; bad to good), had the most "1" issued... People rating other people lowest. The next most used one was "5"... People rating folks highest. Very, very, very few 2,3,4. I am not sure if that was suggesting folks don't really view others in gradient beyond black and white.... or given a rating system, they are going to rate rather black and white.

If it had Tarot in the title, I've moved it. Others can be sent to staff in PM (or just report the first post with a note to move it).

I think these comments are along the lines of why I'm getting stuck at understanding how this is really any freer than the normal posting area... reducing it down to one rule is still a rule of conformity... and if you don't conform, your not allowed to post(?)... that seems like less freedom.

Simple enough. Ok... I get it. Sounds good. Is that now when we hear ...."LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE ...."

For the sake of conversation.... this can continue... But what you describe is an-all-together-another-website... not feasible within an existing TDB site... as I know it. This may be getting too big in concept and maybe there is a need to re-focus is how to integrate it to this site.

I think there is a setting to allow editing others posts.... but that seems... just... wrong... but welcome to discuss it in this context.

ok... I did respond there... and I am posting here... so I am already breaking rules So should the OP be able to lock this thread if they post it? If this was a running thread... we would have it open.

By who? WHo is finding those instances? I get what you mean... but the enforcement aspect is not clear in my mind I think you actually cleared up something for me... but it makes it more difficult. Everyone is moderating everyone? If someone deletes your post.... it is gone. How do you appeal or show it was deleted? Appeal to a tribal council ? Then vote who gets put off the Dao Island? How many votes confirm putting someone on a boat and lighting a fire to it? (I'm really ready for the TV series Viking to come back)