Never lived in USA let alone Fairfield.. pro TM, dispairing of TMO, disillusioned and often critical of MMY - yet would wish his vision to succeed (frustration mainly at the way he goes about it). Searched the internet for an online group dedicated to TM/TMO/MMY discussion. FFL seemed to be the only thriving one. When I joined there were few polemics/personal attacks etc. I think encouraging participants to respect eachother whilst disagrteeing & challenging their views is a good thing. So are "outsiders" like me not welcome now?
--- In [email protected], "feste37" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I agree with Doug here. I've always thought it odd that although this group is > called Fairfield Life, many of the most frequent contributors don't live here and > have no connection to Fairfield and are also, in many cases, hostile to TM and > the TMO. What are they doing here? Most of the local contributors stopped > posting a long time ago; it would be nice to get some of them back so this > could become once again a genuine community board with some relevance > to our life here in Fairfield. > > --- In [email protected], "dhamiltony2k5" <dhamiltony2k5@> > wrote: > > > > Rick, would help a lot if you would at least add 'llundrub's > > qualifier here to the FFL homepage description paragraphs, if you > > will not drop the one phrase, "Pretty much any topic is fair game". > > > > At the least without some closure to the FFl universe you always give > > us a black hole big enough for the newly arrived alt.TMer's with > > their baggage or anyone from, Texas, with that phrase to drive any > > unrelated subjects through to post on FFL. They have and they do & > > We can't help ourselves when you have it so wide open and unqualified. > > > > The other paragraph is okay on the FFL home page that says: "We > > often discuss the trials and tribulations of the TM Movement, which > > may not interest some, but that's why God created the delete key. > > Discussions also draw from diverse teachers such as Ammachi, Eckhart > > Tolle, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Byron Katie, Dalai Lama, Jesus Christ, > > Buddha, Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta, Shankara, etc." > > > > However, > > > > "Pretty much any topic is fair game. We have discussed spirituality, > > politics, economics, morality and higher states of consciousness, > > drug laws, evolution vs. creationism, enlightenment, advaita, > > reincarnation, karma, Jyotish (Vedic astrology), yagya, Ayurveda, > > dzogchen, tantra, channeling, vegetarianism, kundalini, celibacy, > > sexuality, homosexuality, abortion, racism, UFOs, Buddhism, Hinduism, > > Veda, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Scientology, etc." > > > > This would work much better for us and help us all then if you would > > add: <"from FF or > > > with ties to FF only. The rest of you fuck off." > > > > Would help a lot to preserve the effectiveness of FFL for the > > community here if you would drop that first phrase & tighten it up > > for us all thereby with the last. > > > > You've done a swell job owning this forum. It has helped a lot of > > people over the years. It has got out of hand though because people > > have not been able to self moderate it according to the too nice home > > page description and the 'guidelines'. > > > > We could help ourselves more at the outset if you make these small > > changes to the description of FFL. Not everyone needs to belong to > > every group. The way you have it described is too broad and wide > > open for people to abuse. Thank you in advance for your kind > > consideration, > > -Doug from FF > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "llundrub" <llundrub@> wrote: > > > > > > When it comes to moderation, the way it should be is this: people > > from FF or > > > with ties to FF only. The rest of you fuck off. > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: [email protected] > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > On Behalf Of TurquoiseB > > > Sent: Sunday, March 18, 2007 4:47 AM > > > To: [email protected] > > > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Reward vs. Punishment: a different kind of > > > moderation > > > > > > > > > Since the subject of moderation of this forum has > > > come up, might I suggest a different *form* of > > > moderation, one that I have seen work on other > > > spiritual forums? It's a kind of "group moderation," > > > one that definitely WORKS to keep the overall > > > state of attention high and flaming to a minimum. > > > > > > What it involves is the "feedback loop." In my > > > opinion (and in the opinion of the other forums > > > on which I have seen this technique work), those > > > who spend a lot of time trying to provoke head-to- > > > head arguments or trying to insult or demonize > > > other posters are -- bottom line -- seeking > > > ATTENTION when they do so. > > > > > > Just don't give it to them. > > > > > > The compulsion to argue, or to provoke controversy > > > is IMO a small s self phenomenon. What else "gets > > > off" on proving itself "right," or on arguing with > > > someone else? The small s self is seeking to > > > *perpetuate* itself by constantly trying to stir > > > up controversy, in which other small s selves will > > > *interact* with it, and thus allow *both* small s > > > selves to pretend for another few minutes that they > > > exist, and are firmly in charge. > > > > > > An alternative is just for people posting here to > > > be a little more mindful about the posts that they > > > reply to. What I'm suggesting is that if you run > > > into a post that strikes you as uplifting, positive, > > > funny, or that otherwise made your day, respond to > > > it by complimenting or agreeing with the poster who > > > made the uplifting post. Get into a discussion with > > > them. > > > > > > When you encounter posts that you consider negative, > > > or insulting, or designed to start a fight, respond > > > by NOT RESPONDING. Period. Don't give the small s > > > self that was so lonely that the only way it knew > > > how to interact with other human beings was to fight > > > with them *any* feedback -- leave it alone in the > > > dark, waiting for a response that never comes. > > > DON'T get into discussion with such people. > > > > > > Think about it. This approach works equally well if > > > you are a TM critic or a TM True Believer. If Vaj > > > or Paul say something that you perceive as negative or > > > calculated to start a fight, JUST DON'T FIGHT. If > > > Judy or Peter K or Nablus say something that seems > > > equally designed to be conflict-provoking, JUST > > > DON'T RESPOND. > > > > > > The effectiveness of this approach is in its simplicity. > > > All we have to do is REWARD the behavior we consider > > > positive by giving it feedback, and NOT REWARD > > > the behavior we consider less than positive by giving > > > it NO feedback at all. No one needs to get drawn into > > > any conflict they do not wish to participate in. No > > > one has to get down and roll in the mud except those > > > who obviously *like* rolling in the mud. > > > > > > This is what I'm going to try to do. Others can do as > > > they please. My experience is that when forums have to > > > descend to having someone act as official "moderator," > > > to fight the negativity, that's pretty much the end > > > of the forum. I'd hate to see that happen to FFL. But > > > when the *members* of the forum just take it upon > > > *themselves* to support the posts they deem positive > > > via feedback, and to *not support* the posts they > > > consider negative, via NO feedback, the negative > > > situation tends to work itself out within a few short > > > months. The compulsive flamers and arguers go somewhere > > > else to get their argument "fix," because they can't > > > get it on a forum on which almost no one responds to > > > their provocations. > > > > > > Again, it's a simple formula, based on an age-old > > > spiritual truth: "What you focus on you become." > > > > > > If you want to become argumentation, focus on (and > > > respond to) the posts that are calculated to start an > > > argument. If you want to become harmony and positivity, > > > focus on (and respond to) only the posts that contain > > > those qualities. > > > > > > Good luck. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > To subscribe, send a message to: > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > Or go to: > > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ > > > and click 'Join This Group!' > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > >
