I thank you.
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Do you feel comfortable openly expressing yourself on RF?
- Thread starter Dawnofhope
- Start date
I thank you.
Thanks again to everyone who has responded.
There are fifty members who responded fully or in part to the questions asked.
The respondents were from a diverse range of worldviews or religions:
Atheists 11, Christian 10, Unclear 8, Hindu 7, Buddhist 3, Pagan 3, Baha'i 3, Muslim 2, Jewish 1, Agnostic 1
Participants have been members on this forum from 2 weeks to 13 1/2 years. The average length of time for membership is over 5 years.
In response to the three questions;
1/ Do you feel comfortable openly expressing yourself?
Yes 38
No 8
Not stated 4
Comments;
I'm not comfortable talking about some issues that are very important to me (1)
RF has been difficult for me in the past (4)
Some topics I would avoid discussing (3)
I avoid conflict (1)
I have to set a good example (1)
My discomfort is to do with my own personal issues (4)
Negative experiences around political discussions (5)
Negative experiences with people of similar beliefs to me (4)
Moderation rules are good (3)
Fear of breaking rules inhibits me (3)
I'm more comfortable on RF than other places on the internet (2)
I feel very comfortable here (2)
Depends on who I'm talking to (1)
The forum is welcoming (3)
I enjoy expressing myself in this environment (1)
I'm unable to elaborate on why I'm uncomfortable (1)
I enjoy learning (1)
Question 2
Has there ever been a time when you've felt unwelcome?
Yes 13
No 17
Not stated 20
Comments
Others try to tell me I'm something I'm not (3)
Unkind and/or judgmental comments (6)
I have outgrown being overly concerned about what others think of me (3)
I have had negative experiences on account of my disability (1)
Negative moderation experiences (5)
Politics (1)
Others are kind to me (1)
Question 3
Are you part of a group that you feel is less welcomed?
Yes 4
No 17
Didn't answer 25
Not applicable 4
Comments
My faith is judged due to misinformation (1)
It doesn't bother me if someone criticizes my faith (1)
Having few others here with similar beliefs to mine is difficult (1)
People here are respectful (1)
Well, that's my meagre efforts to bring together what has been said. I've done some paraphrasing so I apologize if I've misrepresented what has been said or haven't got it right. There's quite a lot more that could be said but I'm going to reflect a while and more importantly get some sleep!
There are fifty members who responded fully or in part to the questions asked.
The respondents were from a diverse range of worldviews or religions:
Atheists 11, Christian 10, Unclear 8, Hindu 7, Buddhist 3, Pagan 3, Baha'i 3, Muslim 2, Jewish 1, Agnostic 1
Participants have been members on this forum from 2 weeks to 13 1/2 years. The average length of time for membership is over 5 years.
In response to the three questions;
1/ Do you feel comfortable openly expressing yourself?
Yes 38
No 8
Not stated 4
Comments;
I'm not comfortable talking about some issues that are very important to me (1)
RF has been difficult for me in the past (4)
Some topics I would avoid discussing (3)
I avoid conflict (1)
I have to set a good example (1)
My discomfort is to do with my own personal issues (4)
Negative experiences around political discussions (5)
Negative experiences with people of similar beliefs to me (4)
Moderation rules are good (3)
Fear of breaking rules inhibits me (3)
I'm more comfortable on RF than other places on the internet (2)
I feel very comfortable here (2)
Depends on who I'm talking to (1)
The forum is welcoming (3)
I enjoy expressing myself in this environment (1)
I'm unable to elaborate on why I'm uncomfortable (1)
I enjoy learning (1)
Question 2
Has there ever been a time when you've felt unwelcome?
Yes 13
No 17
Not stated 20
Comments
Others try to tell me I'm something I'm not (3)
Unkind and/or judgmental comments (6)
I have outgrown being overly concerned about what others think of me (3)
I have had negative experiences on account of my disability (1)
Negative moderation experiences (5)
Politics (1)
Others are kind to me (1)
Question 3
Are you part of a group that you feel is less welcomed?
Yes 4
No 17
Didn't answer 25
Not applicable 4
Comments
My faith is judged due to misinformation (1)
It doesn't bother me if someone criticizes my faith (1)
Having few others here with similar beliefs to mine is difficult (1)
People here are respectful (1)
Well, that's my meagre efforts to bring together what has been said. I've done some paraphrasing so I apologize if I've misrepresented what has been said or haven't got it right. There's quite a lot more that could be said but I'm going to reflect a while and more importantly get some sleep!
Thanks Adrian!
Guitar's Cry
Disciple of Pan
I've always felt pretty comfortable expressing myself here. Occasionally, there are posts that skirt the line into personal attacks, but if it bothers me, I hit the report button.
*Mod Post* Just a reminder, if you want to discuss specific incidents of moderation or behavior, please make a thread in Site Feedback instead of posting them here as per rule 2. *Mod Post*
If fact, it is RF policy to encourage you to post naked. It's so much easier on the eyes than your... um... "fashion sense"
As comfortable as I would in any public place. RF is pretty rude compared to the extraordinary politeness you find in the Wordpress blogging community -- but there, every blog owner can ban any visitor at will. Impolite posters just get banned, have their posts deleted, and them forgotten within minutes. Hence, the good manners.
RF is rude compared to Wordpress, but it's super-polite and welcoming compared to every other site I know of.
Anything I'm comfortable saying in public, I'm comfortable saying on RF.
PoetPhilosopher
Veteran Member
I hope I'm not making too many posts in this thread and getting in the way of others speaking, but...
The way I saw "RF, year 2019" is that there may have been some growing pains as the base learned to better communicate with each other, leading to the occasional atmosphere less cohesive than most real life adult clubs.
In "RF, year 2020", I think there's a greater understanding and that more members are looking within. An example of greater understanding is less terms like "fundamentalist" and "progressive" being used just to smear the other side's stance. I do have to look deep within myself too. For example, I sometimes do have constructive criticisms I feel like saying but I just don't, because I realize that the post box may not properly convey I'm saying this stuff in a friendly, trying to be productive, fashion, but that's more on me, really. Then I face kind of an awakening of self in my real life. The downside to this and my new greater understanding of science and the spiritual side, is that my lower self, that side of all of us that is like what comes into the open in Congress or most other political offices, that beast within... it metaphorically kicks and screams at you as you try to become a good, honest, selfless person with a good sense of justice and a good team player.
The way I saw "RF, year 2019" is that there may have been some growing pains as the base learned to better communicate with each other, leading to the occasional atmosphere less cohesive than most real life adult clubs.
In "RF, year 2020", I think there's a greater understanding and that more members are looking within. An example of greater understanding is less terms like "fundamentalist" and "progressive" being used just to smear the other side's stance. I do have to look deep within myself too. For example, I sometimes do have constructive criticisms I feel like saying but I just don't, because I realize that the post box may not properly convey I'm saying this stuff in a friendly, trying to be productive, fashion, but that's more on me, really. Then I face kind of an awakening of self in my real life. The downside to this and my new greater understanding of science and the spiritual side, is that my lower self, that side of all of us that is like what comes into the open in Congress or most other political offices, that beast within... it metaphorically kicks and screams at you as you try to become a good, honest, selfless person with a good sense of justice and a good team player.