Sign in to follow this  
Earl Grey

Town Hall Meeting on Self-Governance for TDB Re: No Mods or Sean Currently

Recommended Posts

I find there’s something a bit fun and refreshing about the dynamic here sans moderation. Kind of like Trump’s USA. People showing their true colors, the darkness being explicit rather than lurking under the surface. Ego bluster, bullying, self-aggrandizement; we truly seem to be a microcosm of the Western world.

 

The downside is that it’s not a very supportive environment for sharing personal experiences or precious teachings. To be honest, even when we were heavily moderated, it wasn’t a very supportive place anyway.

 

Some of us take ourselves way too seriously here and the ugly tendency to treat each other with little or no civility or mutual respect seems nearly inevitable in digital communication. If we think we are reaching high levels of cultivation but we remain closed minded about differing systems and are quick to temper or quick to hurt strangers out of some movement of ego, we need to pause and look at ourselves a bit more critically. 

 

I’ve seen all levels and styles of moderation here during my tenure and there have always been similar problems. My preferences regarding the forum are closest to Luke’s. Be nice, show respect, keep an open mind, or find another place to play. I don’t expect that sort of moderation to be enacted but it would be necessary to create the sort of atmosphere I’d be most drawn to.

 

At the end of the day, if we want a place to interact with others who share common interests here, we simply need to exercise a little restraint, show each other some kindness and respect. When things start heating up, we need to recognize it as an opportunity to look at why I am so attached to MY opinion, not so much worry about who’s right and who’s wrong. We need to learn how to let go and move on, how to put people on ignore. If someone is foolish enough to get their spiritual education and training from anonymous members on a message board, the consequences are their own. We can offer a warning, once or twice, but we are not going to save the world from WMP or OAAD’s... Maybe we can save some folks from energetic abuse but that’s for another thread...

 

Rant off...

Peace y’all

  • Like 6
  • Thanks 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My partner is sensitive to negative news stories so I tell him not to watch.  Why put oneself in a position to get worked up?  I´ll occasionally talk with him about conflict here and he offers me similar advice: just stay away.  Touche!  I don´t think I need to quit the board entirely (so many good people here), but I could stand to be more discerning about the threads where I put my energy.

 

One thing I notice is that I like a fight.  I try not to participate directly but I like to watch, often while telling others to pipe down. (This doesn´t make me look good, I know.  Thankfully, I´m not claiming any kind of perfection here.)  I spent a lot of time on the recent levitation thread.  I´ve spent a lot of time on threads dedicated to the alledged misbehavior of particular Bums -- most recently Gendao and Jeff.  A new thread in this vein recently popped up to warn people about ChiDragon.  That should be a good one!  When Trump Talk was active, I was right there.  

 

Spectator fights are entertaining but they aren´t good for me psychologically or spiritually.  I notice the same thing with my reading and TV watching habits.  Once, I told a friend that I only like to read fiction where someone dies.  That´s not entirely true but there´s some truth in it.  Unfortunately, something icky happens to my mind if I load up on crime stories.  

 

It´s not possible to completely avoid negativity and still be a member here -- conflict and strife infuse even the most "spiritual" of topics.  Still, I could choose to guide my viewing in directions that are likely to be congruent with my goals as a Bum.  There are people posting here, even now, who are capable of informing me, inspiring me, uplifting me. May I spend time in their company.  

Edited by liminal_luke
  • Like 8

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
21 minutes ago, liminal_luke said:

My partner is sensitive to negative news stories so I tell him not to watch.  Why put oneself in a position to get worked up?  I´ll occasionally talk with him about conflict here and he offers me similar advice: just stay away.  Touche!  I don´t think I need to quit the board entirely (so many good people here), but I could stand to be more discerning about the threads where I put my energy.

 

One thing I notice is that I like a fight.  I try not to participate directly but I like to watch, often while telling others to pipe down. (This doesn´t make me look good, I know.  Thankfully, I´m not claiming any kind of perfection here.)  I spent a lot of time on the recent levitation there.  I´ve spent a lot of time on threads dedicated to the alledged misbehavior of particular Bums -- most recently Gendao and Jeff.  A new thread in this vein recently popped up to warn people about ChiDragon.  That should be a good one!  When Trump Talk was active, I was right there.  

 

Spectator fights are entertaining but they aren´t good for me psychologically or spiritually.  I notice the same thing with my reading and TV watching habits.  Once, I told a friend that I only like to read fiction where someone dies.  That´s not entirely true but there´s some truth in it.  Unfortunately, something icky happens to my mind if I load up on crime stories.  

 

It´s not possible to completely avoid negativity and still be a member here -- conflict and strife infuse even the most "spiritual" of topics.  Still, I could choose to guide my viewing in directions that are likely to be congruent with my goals as a Bum.  There are people posting here, even now, who are capable of informing me, inspiring me, uplifting me. May I spend time in their company.  

 

The level of maturity in people, their personal practice, willingness to be open to feedback, and all that help allow conflicts to be healthy

 

Like people witnessed, yes, I blew up and insulted gendao and he provoked me, but we resolved things privately and then amicably openly here. 

 

Unhealthy conflicts are when abuse come up--need I remind people of the Trump thread? All the gaslighting and favoritism were a serious issue. 

 

One thing I would like us to consider is how to deal with unhealthy conflict here when some bums need to address it, such as with the personal threats that have gone on here and the stalking. 

  • Like 4

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

When a thread devolves into multi-page insults, the mature should state there truth, maybe a rebuttal, then walk away. 

 

<Maybe the best that can be done is wait a few days.  Start a new thread on a similar subject but with a more thoughtful opening; finding and giving some common ground.   >

Edited by thelerner
  • Like 5

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hmm another few suggestions:

 

- regular check-ins to update what is up, sort of like a summary or newsletter of major events or threads of notice, especially as some members hang in one section but don't know that something of interest to them that is going on that they are not aware of, also as a way to highlight current issues worth noticing for discussion or debate

 

- more Town Hall meetings summoning everyone to make it more of a community rather than just people in a pub at their favorite tables and not really understanding who is who or what is going on around them

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
17 hours ago, Earl Grey said:

Well, if psychic skills are one suggestion, @gendao, list down some questions and a couple volunteers ask on behalf of us all.

 

I will volunteer my Akashic skills and someone can volunteer tarot or i-ching, and someone else can just sit and meditate.

 

Lets us put forth some questions here and the volunteers can bring what their sources said in response to our scrying.

 

@Nungali can also use the New Age Bullshit Generator if he wants because we know he’d love that.

Well, I've known 2 truly-gifted psychics before - both women.  They just had it on tap, and I could tell stories about all the relevant stuff they could just spontaneously pick up around them in real time.  Interestingly, one was blind and the other came from a curandera lineage.

 

That said, I'm not sure how accurate they could be if you asked them a specific question.  I never did.  I think they were most accurate as receivers who received whatever messages they were meant to get at the time? 

 

So, with that in mind, I don't think asking a question about guessing a number or something might be the best test...  Since that has no real relevance (not that some psychics couldn't do that, either).

 

A better question might be to be able to scan chakras or the subtle body for various issues?  Problem with the former is that it would be hard to verify.  The latter might be a better question, but is rather open-ended.

 

Maybe some people with pets could ask the candidates to describe their pet...and then post their picture later for comparison?

 

I think good questions would not demand too much specificity, but not be too general either, and must be verifiable.


I dunno, any better ideas for a good vetting process to verify someone like this?  Any conflict is always just 1 sided of a coin...cathartic healing is the other.  But only deeper, authentic insight (TRUTH) can flip the coin from one side to the other...

 

Edited by gendao

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
4 hours ago, gendao said:

Well, I've known 2 truly-gifted psychics before - both women.  They just had it on tap, and I could tell stories about all the relevant stuff they could just spontaneously pick up around them in real time.  Interestingly, one was blind and the other came from a curandera lineage.

 

That said, I'm not sure how accurate they could be if you asked them a specific question.  I never did.  I think they were most accurate as receivers who received whatever messages they were meant to get at the time? 

 

So, with that in mind, I don't think asking a question about guessing a number or something might be the best test...  Since that has no real relevance (not that some psychics couldn't do that, either).

 

A better question might be to be able to scan chakras or the subtle body for various issues?  Problem with the former is that it would be hard to verify.  The latter might be a better question, but is rather open-ended.

 

Maybe some people with pets could ask the candidates to describe their pet...and then post their picture later for comparison?

 

I think good questions would not demand too much specificity, but not be too general either, and must be verifiable.


I dunno, any better ideas for a good vetting process to verify someone like this?  Any conflict is always just 1 sided of a coin...cathartic healing is the other.  But only deeper, authentic insight (TRUTH) can flip the coin from one side to the other...

 

 

The kind of questions I ask aren't to "test members coming in" actually. 

 

What I was thinking of was asking the kind of questions like this as I would to the Akashic:

 

1) What are some things we can do as a community to positively grow?

 

2) Show us how to manage problems such as trolls, threats, and scamgong.

 

3) Show us what to do when there is conflict and how to resolve it in the best way possible for those involved.

 

4) Show us what is the nature of The Dao Bums forum and its highest potential.

 

5) Show us the biggest obstacles for growth.

 

6) Show us the problems we aren't aware of or aren't able to see at this time. Show us how to address them collectively. Show us what each individual can do on their own to deal with it. 

 

I would recommend you and everyone else come up with other questions and run it through tarot or through i-ching, or psychic channels, whatever you have to come up with additional questions and whatever answers and insights come through. 

Edited by Earl Grey
  • Like 5

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
10 hours ago, Apech said:

 

petmd-cat-litter-location.jpg

 

 

DOUBLE  toilet    you got going there  ?  

 

Wow Man !   Must have a LOT  of  ....    to get rid of ?

 

 

Spoiler

 

;)

 


 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
14 hours ago, Apech said:

 

F**k that!  Let's have a fight.

 

 

Have you been  out drinking with Aussie women   again  ? 

 

 

bec-rawlings-8252018-bkfc-ftr_1n0q5ksx79

 

Bec Rawlings won the Bare Knuckle FC diamond

title Saturday, defeating Britain Hart via split

decision in the main event of Bare Knuckle

Fighting Championships 2 at the Mississippi

Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Miss.

Edited by Nungali
  • Like 2
  • Haha 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
32 minutes ago, Earl Grey said:

 

The kind of questions I ask aren't to "test members coming in" actually. 

 

What I was thinking of was asking the kind of questions like this as I would to the Akashic:

 

1) What are some things we can do as a community to positively grow?

 

2) Show us how to manage problems such as trolls, threats, and scamgong.

 

3) Show us what to do when there is conflict and how to resolve it in the best way possible for those involved.

 

4) Show us what is the nature of The Dao Bums forum and its highest potential.

 

5) Show us the biggest obstacles for growth.

 

6) Show us the problems we aren't aware of or aren't able to see at this time. Show us how to address them collectively. Show us what each individual can do on their own to deal with it. 

 

I would recommend you and everyone else come up with other questions and run it through tarot or through i-ching, or psychic channels, whatever you have to come up with additional questions and whatever answers and insights come through. 

 

I could do a tarot consultation on each point  ..... if you like

 

Not as a solution or anything  .... let's say ,    ' as an experiment '   .

 

 

Edited by Nungali
  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
12 minutes ago, Nungali said:

 

I could do a tarot consultation on each point  ..... if you like

 

Not as a solution or anything  .... let's say ,    ' as an experiment '   .

 

 

 

Let's get a full set of questions from everyone this week first and do it this weekend. 

 

I'll repost all questions I can think of and everyone else's suggestions compiled into one post, you can do the tarot, I can do Akashic, and whomever else will volunteer can do so. 

 

A good experiment and good insight too. 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 2/10/2020 at 3:41 AM, moment said:

I believe that sean has been overwhelmed, by numerous circumstances, in his personal life--anyone with more information please step forward!  We need to offer him all of our support and take care of ouselves (through community building) in the mean-time.

 

Yeah you know what else would be great if we had a river near by this town hall so we can make a ceremony for him and support him with a canoe so when the weather gets tough we let him drift away down with the river with farewells as so many times by now :D

 

He will be fine no worries!

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thank you, Wizz!  I have enjoyed your, unique sense, of humor many times in the past.Your way will balance other ways and maybe, we will come up with a viable middle road.I have no idea what the future has for sean or this site.  I do believe that it is much more art than science.  I have seen art created by good will though, and bad.  I much prefer the former.

My intuition tells me that, this time is considerably different than other times in the past, both here and with sean.

Edited by moment
  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Woah! Well this is unexpected.

 

Daobums has gone old-school? No Mods? When did that happen? January 1st?

 

No Modding - that's the way it was in the early years. :D

 

Having seen how it works with and without each have their pros and cons but I think the way it's done now - very limited mod power over one's own thread - seems to be a decent compromise between the two.

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Mid-week reminder! 

 

Please post your questions for me to ask Akashic about what you'd like to know about how we can self-govern without Sean and how we can be the best forum and community that we can be. Nungali will also do draws for tarot for the same questions, or at least the spirit of the same question.

 

Anyone willing to volunteer their own methods like i-ching are welcome to join as well.

 

Questions will be taken until Friday night. Saturday night is when I will ask and post results around Sunday. 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 2/10/2020 at 12:36 PM, Earl Grey said:

One thing I would like us to consider is how to deal with unhealthy conflict here when some bums need to address it, such as with the personal threats that have gone on here and the stalking. 

PSYCHONEIGONG Lesson 1:


One technique I just came up with yesterday...was in response to a "curt" text.  Instead of just formulating a reactive reply to quickly negate that feeling within myself...I instead chose to really sit in, accept, and feel that feeling it had "generated" in me...before replying.  IOW, really FEEL THE BURN...  Because otherwise, I would be missing this spontaneous micro-opportunity to feel my sh*t and release a little more of my own baggage in the real-time, organic moment!


Funny thing was, right after I was done processing that emotion, I received a subsequent text apologetically clarifying the previous one.  So, conflict resolved entirely internally!


I mean, I'm still all for speaking your peace regardless, but I'll at least be giving myself a little self-therapy if I acknowledge my feeling first...


And then I got triggered even wayyyy more strongly today from a separate incident...and practiced the very same technique with some deep breathing.  Whew...felt that one from my gut.  Resolution is still TBD, but the other party has at least been very conciliatory.  I'll probably sit with it some more, first...


I think this method can also not only be used when triggered, but also just when dealing with any other chronic dysfunction in our lives that has simply become our new norm.  Granted, those issues will probably take a lot longer practice to unwind, of course...

May the truth be with you all! B)

Edited by gendao
  • Like 6

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
28 minutes ago, gendao said:

PSYCHONEIGONG Lesson 1:


One technique I just came up with yesterday...was in response to a "curt" text.  Instead of just formulating a reactive reply to quickly negate that feeling within myself...I instead chose to really sit in, accept, and feel that feeling it had "generated" in me...before replying.  IOW, really FEEL THE BURN...  Because otherwise, I would be missing this spontaneous micro-opportunity to feel my sh*t and release a little more of my own baggage in the real-time, organic moment!


Funny thing was, right after I was done processing that emotion, I received a subsequent text apologetically clarifying the previous one.  So, conflict resolved entirely internally!


I mean, I'm still all for speaking your peace regardless, but I'll at least be giving myself a little self-therapy if I acknowledge my feeling first...


And then I got triggered even wayyyy more strongly today from a separate incident...and practiced the very same technique with some deep breathing.  Whew...felt that one from my gut.  Resolution is still TBD, but the other party has at least been very conciliatory.  I'll probably sit with it some more, first...


I think this method can also not only be used when triggered, but also just when dealing with any other chronic dysfunction in our lives that has simply become our new norm.  Given, those issues will probably take a lot longer practice to unwind...

May the truth be with you all! B)

"One technique I just came up with yesterday...was in response to a "curt" text.  Instead of just formulating a reactive reply to quickly negate that feeling within myself...I instead chose to really sit in, accept, and feel that feeling it had "generated" in me...before replying.  IOW, really FEEL THE BURN...  Because otherwise, I would be missing this spontaneous micro-opportunity to feel my sh*t and release a little more of my own baggage in the real-time, organic moment!"----  Admirable!   Cultivate some favorite physical releases while you are at it.

 

Edited by moment
  • Like 3

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The worst thing about run-on angry threads, the ones that devolve into personal insults is that they form vendettas and cliques where the animosity creeps into other threads.. poisoning them. 

 

Lately we've had 2 or 3 of them open.  The board needs new members, with new ideas and perspectives.  Are these threads and the state of the board, keeping members from joining?   Recently a new member wrote about weather magic and was jumped on repeatedly by several members here.  As if we're trying to chase people away.  

 

Lets be careful.  The danger of going moderatorless is that bad behavior becomes a norm.  When a few warnings (or suspension or temporary ban) could have stopped it. 

  • Like 7
  • Thanks 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
46 minutes ago, thelerner said:

Recently a new member wrote about weather magic and was jumped on repeatedly by several members here.  As if we're trying to chase people away.  

 

He knows he elicits that kind of reaction and he does it on purpose.  Similar to me in some ways.  it looks like he handled it well enough and it has calmed down now.

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
15 minutes ago, Starjumper said:

 

He knows he elicits that kind of reaction and he does it on purpose.  Similar to me in some ways.  it looks like he handled it well enough and it has calmed down now.

He does it because that’s who he is, he was bullied because that’s what bullies do. Own it.

Plenty of people didn’t attack...

  • Like 3

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 2/11/2020 at 2:12 AM, liminal_luke said:

My partner is sensitive to negative news stories so I tell him not to watch.  Why put oneself in a position to get worked up? 

 

Hi LL,

 

My best regards to your partner.

 

- Anand

  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
9 minutes ago, steve said:

He does it because that’s who he is, he was bullied because that’s what bullies do. Own it.

Plenty of people didn’t attack...

 

For someone trying to be fair to him, the context was already explained as to why some of us were already on alert when he came in, especially when a former member, boerwoers came in with absolutely no humility and was met with reciprocity for his hostility to feedback for his own questions. Josh, however, is good humored, and that was demonstrated quite well and is part of why he is now a welcome member because of, not in spite of, his idiosyncrasies. 

 

I owned my original hazing and apologized already, and welcome him. I still stand by being on alert due to recent events too. 

 

The point you bring up, however, is still valid as is thelerner with how to deal with things, but I will have the final wording based on the spirit of the intention of what some people are asking, because their phrasing isn't quite clear for the purpose of tarot or Akashic. For discussion, it is good, but for direct questions, it needs more refinement.

Edited by Earl Grey
  • Like 4
  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 2/11/2020 at 9:56 PM, JustARandomPanda said:

Woah! Well this is unexpected.

 

Daobums has gone old-school? No Mods? When did that happen? January 1st?

 

No Modding - that's the way it was in the early years. :D

 

Having seen how it works with and without each have their pros and cons but I think the way it's done now - very limited mod power over one's own thread - seems to be a decent compromise between the two.

 

 

Good to see you around again Serene.

 

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
12 minutes ago, Starjumper said:

 

Aww, ain't they sweet.  Coochie coochie.

 

Lordy asked a question.  I answered it.  Then we went on for a whole page with him saying I didn't want to answer, so I was teasing him about that.

 

Maybe there's something you need to own Stevie.

 

... and don't fucking tell me what to do.

 

 About what I expected. You are a bully. You’re unable or unwilling to see it or own it. You’ve been banned for your endless abuse before and, if moderation comes back, I’m sure you’ll be banned again. It’s just your nature. What names would you like to call me next, Stevie?

💋

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Sign in to follow this