Re-evaluating Walled Garden approach

[Francis king]

well, being new too, I can say that the walled garden approach reminds me to be mindful of what I say where... I have been deliberately inflammatory here once, mentioning hitler invented the great slogan work shall set u free... I then apologised... they had been flippant, and my retort, although to me equally as flippant, was to them, poor form...sometimes things get lost in translation...

I like to be able to read about other faiths, and maybe participate if I feel the desire to, even if I do sometimes try to be funny and it goes awry... on the flip side, some ppl take things way too seriously, and I have felt that if u do not toe the partyline of a specific board u are attacked subtly and pushed out of the nest... but I suppose that's the way of the world...

yeah, theres a few minor skirmishes here and there, apart from that the place seems neat and tidy, the ppl are usually intelligent and friendly, and if some ppl want to sit on their own side of the wall and not bother with the others then that's fair enough...

 

[iBrian]

"
Anyhoo, for what it is worth I am completely boycotting the whole of the Comparative-Religion forums

9 posts to date and all you've achieved is a multiple personal attacks, and insults to forum staff.

I have therefore aided your boycott by suspending your account.

Anymore silliness and it's simply the IP that get's blocked from the site. I don't have time for forum trolls.


path of one - I think the key principle of the Walled Garden was simply to be mindful of other's opinions, even when in disagreement. I have no intention of abandoning that first principle - it's pretty essential to CR.

I think my unease with the Walled Garden is that it developed it's own distinction. Instead of saying "Please take your shows off before entering the temple", it became "Troublemakers get lost" - leaving some poor souls wondering whether even asking questions was troublemaking.

 

[Paladin]

As long as there are positionalities there will be boundaries to protect them. I often wonder to myself just what is being protected, a universal truth or a cherished opinion? Be that as it may I still find it untoward to enter a community for no other reason than to cause dissent and division, and as long as there are those whose intent is less than pure a walled garden is necessary. If a community rejects ideas beyond its usual thrust and scope who really cares? Only individuals will advance and in so doing uplift the whole, and those whose spiritual curiosity leads them forward will move outside their previous boundaries in search of their hearts desire. Personally I find no reason to bring enlightenment to any other group, it is as irrational as blaming a tree for being a tree, or to be dissapointed that a stone is a stone.

Peace
Mark

 

[China Cat Sunflower]

Personally I find no reason to bring enlightenment to any other group, it is as irrational as blaming a tree for being a tree, or to be dissapointed that a stone is a stone.

I was just thinking about that today. You know, I was born in Pakistan, and I went to first grade in Japan, and graduated eighth grade in Kenya. I've travelled in Europe. I understand about getting along and enjoying different cultures. I like to go cheap and avoid the tourist traps. The internet is different. I don't feel compelled to take of my shoes on the web. I'm an entity here. I'm a commodity here. I try to be a person here, but I'm aware of the distance between who I really am and the stuff I write.

Chris

 

[Dor]

I think my unease with the Walled Garden is that it developed it's own distinction. Instead of saying "Please take your shows off before entering the temple", it became "Troublemakers get lost" - leaving some poor souls wondering whether even asking questions was troublemaking.

People show real fast if they are seriously asking or causing trouble.
Let everyone post everything anywhere but let people in that forum call a spade a spade.

 

[Snoopy]

Let everyone post everything anywhere but let people in that forum call a spade a spade.

oooo-err will we be issued with blanks or live ammunition?

 

[Dor]

oooo-err will we be issued with blanks or live ammunition?

Hey I didnt ask for guns or bullets. Just the ability to tell people they are wrong or they are passing off garbage. Only ammo I need is my handy dandy pocket KJV bible to thump on.

 

[China Cat Sunflower]

People show real fast if they are seriously asking or causing trouble.
Let everyone post everything anywhere but let people in that forum call a spade a spade.

There you go!

It's all well and good to be makey nicey, but wouldn't you rather people be real? I would. I'd rather knock the varnish off and see what's really there. With that in mind, I don't see why Bible thumpers shouldn't Bible thump. That's real. I expect it.

Chris

 

[lunamoth]

There you go!

It's all well and good to be makey nicey, but wouldn't you rather people be real? I would. I'd rather knock the varnish off and see what's really there. With that in mind, I don't see why Bible thumpers shouldn't Bible thump. That's real. I expect it.

Chris

The staff here have never stopped anyone from thumping their Bible if that is their style.

In my understanding, the gardens are not to keep viewpoints or opinions seperate (or out!) but to organize topics for discussion.

Reasonably good manners and avoiding personal attacks are expected in all the boards here.

2 c,
luna

 

[Prober]

The staff here have never stopped anyone from thumping their Bible if that is their style.

In my understanding, the gardens are not to keep viewpoints or opinions seperate (or out!) but to organize topics for discussion.

Reasonably good manners and avoiding personal attacks are expected in all the boards here.

2 c,
luna

After recently examining several other sites, I can see how much more organized this one is. It really does make it easier to find topics.

Other than for that point, I wouldn't care...

 

[Dor]

The staff here have never stopped anyone from thumping their Bible if that is their style.

In my understanding, the gardens are not to keep viewpoints or opinions seperate (or out!) but to organize topics for discussion.

Reasonably good manners and avoiding personal attacks are expected in all the boards here.

2 c,
luna

I would have to disagree with this I can give a list of names but I dont think I really need to anyone can go back throught the Christianity board.

 

[Snoopy]

It's all well and good to be makey nicey, but wouldn't you rather people be real? I would. I'd rather knock the varnish off and see what's really there. Chris

Hi Chris,

Are real and makey nicey mutually exclusive? Can a person be real and makey nicey, not needing anything knocking off?

s.

 

[lunamoth]

I would have to disagree with this I can give a list of names but I dont think I really need to anyone can go back throught the Christianity board.

I was referring to the staff here, the mods. I've not seen it but maybe you mean me?

Added in edit: unless you are referring to the fact that no one is supposed to just post long passages from anywhere (Bible included) or make posts that amount to just a link to another site. I've not seen that being an issue lately either, though

 

[China Cat Sunflower]

Hi Chris,

Are real and makey nicey mutually exclusive? Can a person be real and makey nicey, not needing anything knocking off?

s.

Well, maybe without the makey part, eh?

My main point was that I don't understand people being shocked that a Bible thumper would thump. That's what they do. It doesn't bother me, I expect it. Many people here are genuinely nice, that's real too. I'm not one of them, but...

Chris

 

[seattlegal]

I was referring to the staff here, the mods. I've not seen it but maybe you mean me?

Added in edit: unless you are referring to the fact that no one is supposed to just post long passages from anywhere (Bible included) or make posts that amount to just a link to another site. I've not seen that being an issue lately either, though

I'm guilty of this! However, not in the sense of spamming, I hope!
{I try to employ an economy of words whenever possible, and let the scriptures speak for themselves.}

 

[lunamoth]

I'm guilty of this! However, not in the sense of spamming, I hope!
{I try to employ an economy of words whenever possible, and let the scriptures speak for themselves.}

It's a balance seattlegal. Links are allowed of course, especially when you make a short quote from somewhere else and want to reference it. Long cut & paste is a no-no in general, and posts that amount to links with little or no relevance or discussion are also a no no. Links to hate sites or prosyletizing sites also a no no. A little of this the mods would probably let go. A lot of it will get a warning. I've not seen you do any of those things.

 

[cyberpi]

It might require thinking outside the box, but I submit that in the ambiguity there are real differences between people in the interpretation of what a garden is:

What is a garden?
1. A religion.
2. A sect or denomination.
3. A place like a church, synagogue, mosque, etc...
3. A group of people conversing.
4. A sub-forum.
5. A place for gardeners to plant.
6. A place for people to learn about plants.
7. A place for people to learn about weeds and plants.
8. A place for people to be fixed or converted.
9. A place to admire plants.
10. A place to admire gardeners.

What is a gardener?
1. A person that makes a thread.
2. A person that posts.
3. A person that resembles the traits, characteristics, or practices described in a religion.
4. A person that posts something about the traits, characteristics, or practices described in a religion.
5. A person that weeds out posts.
6 A person that weeds out people.
7. A person that posts plants instead of weeds.
8. A person that converted you.
9. A person that loves you.
10. God

What is a plant?
1. A kind of topic.
2. A kind of post.
3. A kind of person.
4. Someone else's weed.
5. Something that makes people feel good.
6. Something that produces fruit.
7. Something that is on topic.
8. What the majority following a religion thinks a plant is.
9. What the majority posting in a sub-forum thinks a plant is.
10. What the moderator thinks a plant is.

What is a weed?
1. A kind of topic.
2. A kind of post.
3. A kind of person.
4. A plant.
5. Something that does not make people feel good.
6. Something that does not produce fruit.
7. Something that conflicts with plants.
8. What the majority following a religion thinks a weed is.
9. What the majority posting in a sub-forum thinks a weed is.
10. What the moderator thinks a weed is.

What is a bible thumper?
1. A person that thumps the bible.
2. A person that thumps other people with a bible.
3. A person that posts a particular type of post.
4. A person that has a strong opinion.
5. A person that tries to judge or separate sheep from goats per the bible.
6. A person that tries to judge weeds from plants per the bible.
7. A person that provides bible verses.
8. A person that says the bible is a book written by the creator.
9. A person that says the bible is the only book written by the creator.
10. A person that says Jesus is God or part of a Trinity.

In the vagueness, the ambiguity, or the metaphor... in the fact that some concepts or parables are already cemented differently for adherents of a particular religion... I see a source of conflict.

Who or what are the walls trying to separate... People? Religions? Forum topics? Perhaps greater clarity by breaking down the task:
1. who or what defines a religion.
2. who or what defines the acceptable topics of a forum or sub-forum.
3. who or what judges whether posts are on-topic.
4. who or what judges acceptable conduct, words, or phrases.