Re: A personal reply to someone whose membership application was denied
Quote:
Posted by
viking
IMO he/she should of been invited.
viking
You clearly never read my post #76 above!
---->
Quote:
Posted by
marielle
Anyone who has lurked here over the past few months should know better than to fill out the application with language of ascension, 5-dimension, etc.
High quality replies to this thread -- many thanks, All. I mean that sincerely. They're much appreciated.
I singled out marielle's response above to reply to here because it'd be a misunderstanding to think that all someone has to do is mention Ascension or the GFL to be dismissed. That's not the case at all.
There are many factors to be taken into consideration: literacy, articulacy, background, the open-hearted way the person might express themselves, intelligence, research history, websites or blogs which they run, and their range of personal interests, achievements and aspirations.
Some applications really blow us away, and are lengthy, detailed and fascinating. I'd love to share some of them (but of course, we can't: not without the member's permission). Others are disappointing because of how thin the portait is that's been painted.
In the end it's all of this that we vote on, and rarely if ever do the mods significantly disagree. There is probably something like 80-90% unanimity. When one of the mods has an observation or a comment, it is posted. Each potential new member has their own thread in which their application is considered and discussed if necessary. (You never knew that!!)
One criterion that we often use is simply this: "From the way this person has presented themselves in this application, would we want to invite them to dinner at our house, looking forward to an interesting conversation?" If the answer is Yes, then they're in.
On occasions that an application simply doesn't contain enough information for us to get a feel of the potential new member, then we have a different reply which invites them to write back and say more about themselves. The response to that tells us plenty. Some applicants immediately respond with insults -- while others come back to us with an enlarged portrait of themselves which does them credit. In those cases, we almost always vote them in (GFL or not! :) ). The ones who respond with vitriol, we're pleased to delete. (And there are quite a few of those. Filtering these out in this way is one reason why the quality of the forum is so high.)
Re: A personal reply to someone whose membership application was denied
Quote:
Posted by
Bill Ryan
Quote:
Posted by
viking
IMO he/she should of been invited.
viking
You clearly never read my post
#76 above!
---->
Quote:
Posted by
marielle
Anyone who has lurked here over the past few months should know better than to fill out the application with language of ascension, 5-dimension, etc.
High quality replies to this thread -- many thanks, All. I mean that sincerely. They're much appreciated.
I singled out marielle's response above to reply to here because it'd be a misunderstanding to think that all someone has to do is mention Ascension or the GFL to be dismissed. That's not the case at all.
There are many factors to be taken into consideration: literacy, articulacy, background, the open-hearted way the person might express themselves, intelligence, research history, websites or blogs which they run, and their range of personal interests, achievements and aspirations.
Some applications really blow us away, and are lengthy, detailed and fascinating. I'd love to share some of them (but of course, we can't: not without the member's permission). Others are disappointing because of how thin the portait is that's been painted.
In the end it's all of this that we vote on, and rarely if ever do the mods significantly disagree. There is probably something like 80-90% unanimity. When one of the mods has an observation or a comment, it is posted. Each potential new member has their own thread in which their application is considered and discussed if necessary. (You never knew that!!)
One criterion that we often use is simply this: "From the way this person has presented themselves in this application, would we want to invite them to dinner at our house, looking forward to an interesting conversation?" If the answer is Yes, then they're in.
On occasions that an application simply doesn't contain enough information for us to get a feel of the potential new member, then we have a different reply which invites them to write back and say more about themselves. The response to that tells us plenty. Some applicants immediately respond with insults -- while others come back to us with an enlarged portrait of themselves which does them credit. In those cases, we almost always vote them in (GFL or not! :) ). The ones who respond with vitriol, we're pleased to delete. (And there are quite a few of those. Filtering these out in this way is one reason why the quality of the forum is so high.)
I see no reason for you to repeat yourself Bill or to engage with those who disagree with you. You made a judgment call in your mind to prevent this forum from becoming a place of nonsense by not allowing certain factors to dominate here......end of story.
Obviously you have more work to do :)
Re: A personal reply to someone whose membership application was denied
Quote:
Posted by
viking
IMO he/she should of been invited.
viking
I forgot to thank you for the above. Your post prompted me to ask the mods to screen all further applications from this moment to disqualify permanently any potential member who seems unable to differentiate between should have and should of.
Fortunately, your membership was accepted before this new rule, and so a moratorium will apply in your own case.
:)
Re: A personal reply to someone whose membership application was denied
Quote:
Posted by
SilentFeathers
Obviously you have more work to do :)
So do I, just ask the lovely Mrs. Steeves. http://www.bigtenfever.com/forums/im...ies/cheers.gif
Re: A personal reply to someone whose membership application was denied
Quote:
Posted by
Bill Ryan
Quote:
Posted by
viking
IMO he/she should of been invited.
viking
I forgot to thank you for the above. Your post prompted me to ask the mods to screen all further applications from this moment to disqualify permanently any potential member who seems unable to differentiate between
should have and
should of.
Fortunately, your membership was accepted before this new rule, and so a moratorium will apply in your own case.
:)
Why thank you Bill for pointing that out...you are correct...yes I wrote in haste...
Having said that, in support of other folk that suffer from dyslexia and are not tuned into perfect grammer for your liking, it doesn't mean they are less intelligent or aware.
One of my sons has dyslexia and the other has aspergers...they both have fine qualities!
viking
Re: A personal reply to someone whose membership application was denied
Quote:
Should a mistaken belief (assuming such) mean exclusion? Again, if so, where is the line?
I just wanted to chime in that I am surprised at how many posters felt this way from Bill's post. I may be completely off here, but I didn't get that at all, it seemed to me his point was more about "attachments to beliefs", rather than specific beliefs themselves. I felt he was trying to say that a good way to get rejected in the app process is to show you are a one-trick pony, who thinks that this forum is all about that one trick. It just so happens in this case that it is emotional trigger in some, they her "GFL" and "ascension" and rather than see the actual issue (which GFL/ascension are only the example he chose, it could have been ANY belief). Am I way off base here?
Also, I do enjoy this thread, having nearly forgotten the application process. I had made two ASSumptions, thinking one or the other must be true:
1. there were not that many applications to go through (or mods to look at them for that matter...I kinda jumped right in without lurking much), so it wasn't all that exclusionary (I figured only obviously illiterate, ignorant, obnoxious or agend-pushing folk got cut). It took being here for awhile to realize that it wasn't a mod pulled one from a queue, checked for any red flags, and only passed it on for further peer (and BR) consideration when it was "on the fence", so to speak. I assumed the wording in the intro and the actual questions and process of applying itself was a good enough filter...I stand corrected, and apologize--I had no idea the demand, I commend your (Bill and ALL who make this place special) work and am appreciative to be a part of it.
2. well, my second one I was originally thinking of is in that mess somewhere (I think #1 was that only one person read them, and #2 was that you're in if you aren't an obvious a-hole)...
...anyway--obviously (as evidenced by a majority of my posts) being able to form a coherent thought is not a deal-breaker on getting in. I can't imagine my answers to the questions were any different than this or any of my posts--just me vomitting on to the screen whatever is on my mind, in no particular order (you can print it if you feel like showing what that looks like in the application process, maybe making it educational on how you get IN...rather than focus on what keeps you out). I can say, I have been making it a point to let everyone I know that I hold no attachments to any belief, to me that makes for the most interesting conversations and makes life amazing no matter what--I have to think I got through in the app, probably...
In any case: I guess I was interesting enough to break bread with--if a financial miracle happens and my girlfriend and I can get down to Ecuador for her 20th reunion next year, we will look you up and see if your standard holds up ;)
Re: A personal reply to someone whose membership application was denied
Quote:
Posted by
viking
Quote:
Posted by
Bill Ryan
Quote:
Posted by
viking
IMO he/she should of been invited.
viking
I forgot to thank you for the above. Your post prompted me to ask the mods to screen all further applications from this moment to disqualify permanently any potential member who seems unable to differentiate between
should have and
should of.
Fortunately, your membership was accepted before this new rule, and so a moratorium will apply in your own case.
:)
Why thank you Bill for pointing that out...you are correct...yes I wrote in haste...
Having said that, in support of other folk that suffer from dyslexia and are not tuned into perfect grammer for your liking, it doesn't mean they are less intelligent or aware.
One of my sons has dyslexia and the other has aspergers...they both have fine qualities!
viking
Thanks. I do really understand that. Of course, what I wrote was a rather bad joke. :)
When it comes to grammar and syntax, I can sometimes be a bit of a pedant (with myself, as well as others): a strength, which -- like all strengths! -- when overplayed, can become a weakness.
The point I was making was that all manner of criteria are considered when looking at a membership application. The most important one is probably the "Would I invite this person to dinner?" test.
But we do (among much else) look at how the person writes. One or two applications have been literally almost impossible to understand -- really. Some contain howlers which are quite unintentionally hilarious. Others, as I mentioned, are highly impressive works of art from clearly very exceptional people that we totally enjoy reading.
Re: A personal reply to someone whose membership application was denied
Quote:
Posted by
donk
It seemed to me his point was more about "attachments to beliefs", rather than specific beliefs themselves. I felt he was trying to say that a good way to get rejected in the app process is to show you are a one-trick pony, who thinks that this forum is all about that one trick.
Thanks! That's 100% correct, and I couldn't possibly have said it better myself.
Re: A personal reply to someone whose membership application was denied
Some of the posts in this thread have expressed concern for the prospective member who might benefit from discussion on this forum about the value of information from the GFL.
I would suggest that there has already been so much discussion on this topic that if such a person were to read some of the old threads in the Channeled Info sub forum, they would get quite an education simply by doing that.
For those who may not be aware of it, PA was brought to a kind of crisis point by the number of GFL messages being recorded here, a bit like a virus that had gotten out of control, and it took quite a lot of time and energy by Mods and members alike who were aware of the many problems inherent, including the cult-like agendas of some of the GFL "channelers" to get the forum back on track again.
I for one would definitely not want to see PA have to go there again and am grateful that measures are being taken to prevent that.
Re: A personal reply to someone whose membership application was denied
Quote:
Posted by
viking
Quote:
Posted by
Bill Ryan
Quote:
Posted by
viking
IMO he/she should of been invited.
viking
I forgot to thank you for the above. Your post prompted me to ask the mods to screen all further applications from this moment to disqualify permanently any potential member who seems unable to differentiate between
should have and
should of.
Fortunately, your membership was accepted before this new rule, and so a moratorium will apply in your own case.
:)
Why thank you Bill for pointing that out...you are correct...yes I wrote in haste...
Having said that, in support of other folk that suffer from dyslexia and are not tuned into perfect grammer for your liking, it doesn't mean they are less intelligent or aware.
One of my sons has dyslexia and the other has aspergers...they both have fine qualities!
viking
Fellow dyslexic here. :) Know what you mean. Would be nice to have perfect grammar all the time but some of us are just unable. Does not mean we are illiterate. :)
I will admit to being touchy about this as I have seen too many grammar nazis on other message boards only too willing to berate those of us who make the odd slip and cant help it. Anyway.... Back on topic.
Re: A personal reply to someone whose membership application was denied
First of all I would like to say that I appreciate Project Avalon very much. I am grateful to be a part of it.. however, .....I am disappointed to see that a prospective participant would be rejected for what you, Bill Ryan, do not believe in...this smacks of a sort of elitism that is so prevalent in everyday society. Would it not be better to allow the man the ability to participate in lively debate with others?....Are you searching for folks that have the same beliefs that you do? I don't know about anyone else but I learn most about myself by examining thoughts and concepts that I don't understand,or necessarily agree with ...sitting around with a bunch of like minded cronies may be comforting but if I wish to expand we must be willing to take it all in....If this person becomes verbally abusive, then he can leave..... I am surprised at the number of" atta Bill's you" received from forum members based on the fact that they do not believe in galactic federation or whatever the heck it is....Whether we like it or not each human being is entrusted with free will....let him believe whatever he wants..I have gone through a progression of beliefs through my life some of them seem absurd to me now,..they are like layers on a onion...one layer leads to another.. there is no place for elitism and exclusion for the sincere at heart in relation to the expansion of human consciousness.Also stated as a reason for his rejection is that he might not be greeted warmly for his beliefs and he might do better at another forum...Is that necessarily true that it is in his best interest that he have his beliefs reinforced and not challenged?????
There is also the tiny, eensy discomfort I feel for writing this...I don't want to be ejected from this forum for being disruptive...that is not my wish.I am no longer willing to be a bystander to that which I feel is unjust regardless of the consequences. pam
Re: A personal reply to someone whose membership application was denied
Quote:
Posted by
peterpam
First of all I would like to say that I appreciate Project Avalon very much. I am grateful to be a part of it.. however, .....I am disappointed to see that a prospective participant would be rejected for what you, Bill Ryan, do not believe in...this smacks of a sort of elitism that is so prevalent in everyday society. Would it not be better to allow the man the ability to participate in lively debate with others?....Are you searching for folks that have the same beliefs that you do? I don't know about anyone else but I learn most about myself by examining thoughts and concepts that I don't understand,or necessarily agree with ...sitting around with a bunch of like minded cronies may be comforting but if I wish to expand we must be willing to take it all in....If this person becomes verbally abusive, then he can leave..... I am surprised at the number of" atta Bill's you" received from forum members based on the fact that they do not believe in galactic federation or whatever the heck it is....Whether we like it or not each human being is entrusted with free will....let him believe whatever he wants..I have gone through a progression of beliefs through my life some of them seem absurd to me now,..they are like layers on a onion...one layer leads to another.. there is no place for elitism and exclusion for the sincere at heart in relation to the expansion of human consciousness.Also stated as a reason for his rejection is that he might not be greeted warmly for his beliefs and he might do better at another forum...Is that necessarily true that it is in his best interest that he have his beliefs reinforced and not challenged?????
There is also the tiny, eensy discomfort I feel for writing this...I don't want to be ejected from this forum for being disruptive...that is not my wish.I am no longer willing to be a bystander to that which I feel is unjust regardless of the consequences. pam
No, it's not elitism. And this applicant was not rejected because of "what I (Bill) believe in". Please be more intelligent than that! I've been taking pains to explain the entire application process here. Please take as much time to understand this as I've spent presenting it.
Please read my post #76 on the previous page. (Again!)
Quote:
Posted by
marielle
Anyone who has lurked here over the past few months should know better than to fill out the application with language of ascension, 5-dimension, etc.
High quality replies to this thread -- many thanks, All. I mean that sincerely. They're much appreciated.
I singled out marielle's response above to reply to here because it'd be a misunderstanding to think that all someone has to do is mention Ascension or the GFL to be dismissed. That's not the case at all.
There are many factors to be taken into consideration: literacy, articulacy, background, the open-hearted way the person might express themselves, intelligence, research history, websites or blogs which they run, and their range of personal interests, achievements and aspirations.
Some applications really blow us away, and are lengthy, detailed and fascinating. I'd love to share some of them (but of course, we can't: not without the member's permission). Others are disappointing because of how thin the portait is that's been painted.
In the end it's all of this that we vote on, and rarely if ever do the mods significantly disagree. There is probably something like 80-90% unanimity. When one of the mods has an observation or a comment, it is posted. Each potential new member has their own thread in which their application is considered and discussed if necessary. (You never knew that!!)
One criterion that we often use is simply this: "From the way this person has presented themselves in this application, would we want to invite them to dinner at our house, looking forward to an interesting conversation?" If the answer is Yes, then they're in.
On occasions that an application simply doesn't contain enough information for us to get a feel of the potential new member, then we have a different reply which invites them to write back and say more about themselves. The response to that tells us plenty. Some applicants immediately respond with insults -- while others come back to us with an enlarged portrait of themselves which does them credit. In those cases, we almost always vote them in (GFL or not! :) ). The ones who respond with vitriol, we're pleased to delete. (And there are quite a few of those. Filtering these out in this way is one reason why the quality of the forum is so high.)
Re: A personal reply to someone whose membership application was denied
Thanks for this thread, Bill.
It shows the degree of delicacy with which you are managing your task as forum owner.
It really is a fine line that you have to tread (thread).
Re: A personal reply to someone whose membership application was denied
Quote:
Posted by
viking
Quote:
Posted by
Bill Ryan
Quote:
Posted by
viking
IMO he/she should of been invited.
viking
I forgot to thank you for the above. Your post prompted me to ask the mods to screen all further applications from this moment to disqualify permanently any potential member who seems unable to differentiate between
should have and
should of.
Fortunately, your membership was accepted before this new rule, and so a moratorium will apply in your own case.
:)
Why thank you Bill for pointing that out...you are correct...yes I wrote in haste...
Having said that, in support of other folk that suffer from dyslexia and are not tuned into perfect grammer for your liking, it doesn't mean they are less intelligent or aware.
One of my sons has dyslexia and the other has aspergers...they both have fine qualities!
viking
Me, too, Viking. I have challenges in some areas but also have strengths that compensate and balance. Which allows this observer a different and valuable perspective. Not better, just different.
I believe we all have differing degrees of communication challenges. People with strengths where mine are less have not had reason to understand the time and energy it takes to put pen to paper. (Just an observation, not a judgment.)
WhiteCrowBlackDeer
Re: A personal reply to someone whose membership application was denied
Quote:
Posted by
Bill Ryan
“The ones who respond with vitriol,..."
Quote:
Posted by
peterpam
First of all I would like to say that I appreciate Project Avalon very much. I am grateful to be a part of it.. however, .....I am disappointed to see that a prospective participant would be rejected for what you, Bill Ryan, do not believe in...this smacks of a sort of elitism that is so prevalent in everyday society. Would it not be better to allow the man the ability to participate in lively debate with others?....Are you searching for folks that have the same beliefs that you do? I don't know about anyone else but I learn most about myself by examining thoughts and concepts that I don't understand,or necessarily agree with ...sitting around with a bunch of like minded cronies may be comforting but if I wish to expand we must be willing to take it all in....If this person becomes verbally abusive, then he can leave..... I am surprised at the number of" atta Bill's you" received from forum members based on the fact that they do not believe in galactic federation or whatever the heck it is....Whether we like it or not each human being is entrusted with free will....let him believe whatever he wants..I have gone through a progression of beliefs through my life some of them seem absurd to me now,..they are like layers on a onion...one layer leads to another.. there is no place for elitism and exclusion for the sincere at heart in relation to the expansion of human consciousness.Also stated as a reason for his rejection is that he might not be greeted warmly for his beliefs and he might do better at another forum...Is that necessarily true that it is in his best interest that he have his beliefs reinforced and not challenged?????
There is also the tiny, eensy discomfort I feel for writing this...I don't want to be ejected from this forum for being disruptive...that is not my wish.I am no longer willing to be a bystander to that which I feel is unjust regardless of the consequences. pam
I commend the time and energy that Bill and all the Admins/Mods give to us. They make their job appear seamless. Without mentioning a name, I experienced first hand only a couple of weeks ago, someone that slipped by, but managed to show his/her true colors when a member and myself questioned what was posted.
In less than two hours, it ramped up to dark, dark threats and on his/her thread, my message board, PM's and on threads I began months back. It culminated with further promises of escalation of behaviors towards me.
All was handled swiftly, including follow up PM's from four Admins/Mods Peaches. :wave: I can only begin to imagine the work behind the scenes.
Respectfully submitted,
WhiteCrowBlackDeer
Re: A personal reply to someone whose membership application was denied
Thank you Bill, for the post you sent. There was a time when the GFL had me enthralled. This site helped me a lot to see things differently. What I learned early on was to trust my own intuition and my heart. This i do every day through meditation. When I feel things are getting a little crazy, either in my personal life or planetary, I meditate, sometimes ask for answers to some tough questions. Surprise! I get answers, some of which I did not like regarding personal issues. Once I began to put by EGO in my back pocket, and listened to what I was receiving and my intuiton, Life took a turn for the better. This site and the wisdom of it membership have helped along with meditation to expand my own conciousness a lot. This is an ongoing journey. If assension is expansion of conciousness and awareness, then i feel very differently about who i am and was. This has and will continue to be an ongoing journey. All i need to know is within myself. It sounds trite, but when i opened myself up the infinite possibilities, I slowly began to realize that all of what we search for IS within us.
Thanks Bill and everybody else.
Re: A personal reply to someone whose membership application was denied
After nearly 100 posts on this thread, it has become very clear that Bill and the Mods give very careful consideration to every application. So how can anyone disagree with their decisions?
I recently read a post from a new member who said it took (if I remember correctly) four applications to be accepted! Obviously that person really wants to be here!
If an application is rejected and one truly wishes to become a member of this community, that person will try again, hopefully with respectfulness, more thoughtfulness, more mindfulness and more carefully conceived ideas to show that they would be an asset and not a detriment .
Re: A personal reply to someone whose membership application was denied
Hi All
I very rarely post ...and I think this occasion will be one of the rare exceptions. Well my first attempt to seek membership did not meet with success...Second time around the renewed application met with success. In the interim I had done some work in assisting to create some video productions...which were used to strengthen my fresh application ....Who knows, it could well be the case that the apparently 'unsuccessful' applicant has within him or her some as yet unpolished gems to share which will eventually assist in enlightening all of us in some aspect or other ...Everything happens for a reason ....
Regards from Sunny Malta:cool:
MalteseKnight
Re: A personal reply to someone whose membership application was denied
It is so hard to be a mod or admin. And it is generally a thankless job. Youre always going to upset someone. Youre not just thinking about yourself and what you like or believe you have to think about the health of the forum. The flow of the forum. You have to evaluate members based upon how you think theyll fit in, what they can contribute. How they can help the forum grow, become a stable, high energy space that can eventually maintain its pwn momentum without admin and moderation directing and guiding the flow.
When a forum starts out youll generally see that. Mods and Admins resurrecting threads, beginning and continuing conversations, posting up articles, beginning discussions. When you see that kind of stuff happening on a forum that has been around a while you know that forum is struggling.
Even considering the dramas that have engulfed this particular forum since I have been here it has never been in danger of dying. For those who have never been on a dying or dead forum the internet is littered with their carcasses. The reason why this particular forum is so vibrant though is exactly the reason so many other forums die.
A relatively light touch by Admin and moderation. For those who think it gets a bit heavy-handed here sometimes with decrees from on high and egocentric blustering from people in power positions I would submit to you that you may have never spent time on such a forum and seen what that really looks like and how quickly those kinds of leaders lose their membership.
Quality over quantity. There are numerous forums that address similar topics with no membership requirements. The free-for-all that occurs there is attractive for many who desire such no-holds-barred interactivity. But youll notice that PA has something those communities dont. A caring, loving body of people of diverse temperaments who share a comittment to knowledge and integrity. Those who are invited who communicate differently are welcomed but often find themselves hoisted by their own petards when the repreussions of their communication styles inevitably result in a general consensus understanding regarding intention and comportment. Like any body, groups, communities, even alternative ones, have their norms, standards and deviations that can be modeled and even predicted to an extent. Maintaining the balance is key. Making it seem easy and unobtrusive even when it isnt is where the exceptional forums go above and beyond.
Re: A personal reply to someone whose membership application was denied
Quote:
Posted by
Bill Ryan
Quote:
Posted by
viking
Quote:
Posted by
Bill Ryan
Quote:
Posted by
viking
IMO he/she should of been invited.
viking
I forgot to thank you for the above. Your post prompted me to ask the mods to screen all further applications from this moment to disqualify permanently any potential member who seems unable to differentiate between
should have and
should of.
Fortunately, your membership was accepted before this new rule, and so a moratorium will apply in your own case.
:)
Why thank you Bill for pointing that out...you are correct...yes I wrote in haste...
Having said that, in support of other folk that suffer from dyslexia and are not tuned into perfect grammer for your liking, it doesn't mean they are less intelligent or aware.
One of my sons has dyslexia and the other has aspergers...they both have fine qualities!
viking
Thanks. I do really understand that. Of course, what I wrote was a rather bad joke. :)
When it comes to grammar and syntax, I can sometimes be a bit of a pedant (with myself, as well as others): a strength, which -- like all strengths! -- when overplayed, can become a weakness.
The point I was making was that all manner of criteria are considered when looking at a membership application. The most important one is probably the
"Would I invite this person to dinner?" test.
But we do (among much else) look at how the person writes. One or two applications have been literally almost impossible to understand -- really. Some contain howlers which are quite unintentionally hilarious. Others, as I mentioned, are highly impressive works of art from clearly very exceptional people that we totally enjoy reading.
Viking and Bill, well handled exchange, an example of how to cut through the misunderstandings so easily gathered via this impersonal medium. Gold star for both of you :)
Edit: Someone told me the gold star remark sounded arrogant and patronising - definitely not intended. Just a joke to cut through the underlying tension. No offence guys, sorry if any was taken.