thelerner Posted February 28, 2009 It would be cool to have a once or twice weekly skype session for interested bums. There is already a little used taobums section in facebook. I envision each 'meeting' involving a preselected lesson. Twenty or thirty minutes listening to a favored podcast or guided meditaiton and some time afterwards for discussion. If we had enough people it could become self sustaining. I don't know much about skype or how to set up membership, or if people would be interested. But if they did and there was a nice nucleus it would be great. Learning and discussing live with each other!!! What do people think?? Michael Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
forestofsouls Posted February 28, 2009 It would be cool, but look at the book club or the chat room and how little the Taobums can get something up and running. It would take a core of dedicated followers to meet each week no matter what to get in going. Worth a try. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mal Posted March 1, 2009 but look at the book club or the chat room and how little the Taobums can get something up and running Things move slowly here, I guess many have full lives and are busy doing other activities. Time zones could be an issue as usual. Also I sound stupid enough when I have time to sit back an compose my thoughts. Live would be much worse However Skype is definitely impressive & it would be nice to talk and hear everyone's voice, or just multi text chat. Group calls with more than one person with a mic on seems too much for skype currently, perhaps we could say "over" like the old days !!! I think you would need one person to drive it, then it it could work. I'll nominate Michal since I remember you posting a few requests to chat. Or perhaps Sean since he encouraged me to do the Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha thread but no posts from him IN the discussion yet Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
doc benway Posted March 1, 2009 It would be cool to have a once or twice weekly skype session for interested bums. There is already a little used taobums section in facebook. I envision each 'meeting' involving a preselected lesson. Twenty or thirty minutes listening to a favored podcast or guided meditaiton and some time afterwards for discussion. If we had enough people it could become self sustaining. I don't know much about skype or how to set up membership, or if people would be interested. But if they did and there was a nice nucleus it would be great. Learning and discussing live with each other!!! What do people think?? Michael I don't know anything about skype but it sounds like a cool idea. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
forestofsouls Posted March 1, 2009 I don't know anything about skype but it sounds like a cool idea. Skype is a free computer program that lets you call other computers. You can do audio or audio/video. Essentially, we can a free conference call. What we could do, essentially, is send some one like Michael our Skype IDs and he could call all of us at an appointed time. It would be nice to hear the voices behind the Bums. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stigweard Posted March 1, 2009 I have been involved in quite a few discussion/conversation groups and there are some excellent formats to follow to make such sessions productive and effective. The first to come to mind is this: "Around We Go and Around Again" 1. A specific topic is chosen 2. A facilitator is appointed, their job is to time keep and to designate the next speaker 3. The first designated speaker has 3 minutes to talk uninterrupted about the chosen topic 4. Then the group may ask the speaker questions about what they have said with only the current designated speaker answering those questions 5. The next speaker is designated and the same procedure is followed 6. When everyone has spoken we go back around the group this time each person in turn speaks about what they heard everyone else say. Another one that could be interesting and fun is "The Fishbowl", but it would require us to use the taobums chat room: 1. A specific topic is chosen and a time limit set for the session i.e. 60min 2. A facilitator is appointed, their job is to keep tabs on who is in the fishbowl (see below) 3. Four 'chairs' are arranged in an inner circle. This is the fishbowl. Three participants either volunteer or are selected to fill the fishbowl. One of the 'chairs' is left open. 4. Members of fishbowl speak freely about the topic. 5. Any member of the 'audience' can, at any time, occupy the empty 'chair' and join the fishbowl. When this happens, an existing member of the fishbowl must voluntarily leave the fishbowl and free a chair. I said we would have to use the chat room because when a person wants to come into the fishbowl they would type "I'm in", and the outgoing person would type "I'm out", the facilitator would then have to type who were the three people in the fishbowl. EG In the fishbowl we have forestofsouls, xuesheng, Mal. thelerner wants to come into the conversation ... so: facilitator: forestofsouls, xuesheng, Mal thelerner: I'm in forestofsouls: I'm out faciltator: xuesheng, Mal, thelerner and so on and so on... 6. When time runs out, the fishbowl is closed and the moderator summarizes the discussion. Of course we can record the conversations and when our benevolent moderator finally installs the forum MP3 player we can post the recordings up for everyone to enjoy and discuss. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stigweard Posted March 1, 2009 Actually there is a voice chat function in the TaoBums Chatroom ... perhaps we should check that out first? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Seth Ananda Posted March 1, 2009 What a cool Idea! it may put to an end the "your 12 years old" accusation as well if we have skype video as well I think i have been guilty of that one as well Sethism Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kathyli Posted March 2, 2009 It's a good / cool idea. If the "skype" time is in the beginning (no moon) or middle (full moon) of each lunar month, it sounds more cool. Traditional daoists do worship on those two points of each month. What a cool Idea! it may put to an end the "your 12 years old" accusation as well if we have skype video as well I think i have been guilty of that one as well Sethism Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thelerner Posted March 2, 2009 Actually there is a voice chat function in the TaoBums Chatroom ... perhaps we should check that out first? Great point. I tried to 'go audio' in Live Chat w/ Scotty, didn't work. Need to try again soon. Other people should try too. Post a New Topic, that you're heading for Live Chat(or bump an old one) and if you can get others online try out Audio and report back. Michael Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
