Looking for people who are working on forum social development

[Jim]

I've been thinking about the goodbyes that I want to say to some people, and I started thinking about all the new ideas and the encouragement that I've found here. Then I realized that might be happening for other people a lot more than I was imagining. That's exactly what I've been dreaming of most of all for Internet discussions: people getting ideas and encouragement from each other, for whatever good they're doing and hoping to do, online and offline; and friendship and fellowship across the widest ideological divides. All that might be happening here a lot more than I was imagining. The next thing I would do if I continued here might be to look for examples of that and encourage and support it more, along with whatever forum community service people might be doing.

 

[Jim]

Another example of forum community service:
First day posting on a smart phone

 

[Jim]

I'm thinking that progress in forum community life will evolve from spontaneous acts of service through various stages, making the community life more and more healthy, friendly and loving for every person in it, in the same ways that I've seen it happening in a growing number of communities offline. I think that the whole Internet, including online forums, will be used more and more for people to get ideas and encouragement from each other, for all the good that each of us is doing and hoping to do, online and offline. More and more, each person will be trying to really understand what the others are trying to say, and posting friendly comments and questions for that purpose. More and more, people will learn how much fun that can be, and how good that kind of social interaction can be. I'm thinking now of two changes in practices that I think will be part of that. One is the abandonment of the practice of jarring and battering people with words. Part of how that will happen might be for more and more people to be clear in their own minds how detestable that is, and how lame the excuses are for it. Another change that I think will happen is the abandonment of picturing people as being divided up into groups and categories defined by ideology. Part of how that will happen might be for more and more people to be clear in their own minds how delusional and dangerous that is, and how lame the excuses are for it.

 

[Jim]

I'm not sure that anything I'm saying can make any difference in what happens in online forums, but I'm not sure it can't. I think that what I'm dreaming of will happen with or without me, but I want to help it happen if I can.

 

[Jim]

I think that debating about current issues is part of what’s helping to perpetuate all the problems, and harmful to the people doing it and watching it. Part of my response to that is just to stay out of it. Maybe some day people doing that will find more healthy ways to socialize, and entertain themselves and each other. What I see for me to do for that is to learn and practice better ways, myself; learn to be a better friend to more people; and bring it up for discussion sometimes.

 

[Jim]

There’s a kind of community development for healthier, happier and more loving communities, at the level of neighborhoods and villages all around the world, that I think is growing and spreading, and that I think will eventually spread to online neighborhoods. I don’t know if it’s too soon for that to happen in these forums or anywhere else on the Internet, but I don’t see any reason not to try to help it along. I’ll be posting some ideas here about how it might happen.

 

[Jim]

I’ll post some thoughts here about what I think will happen sooner or later In online communities, in parallel and interactively with what’s happening in offline communities. Little by little, more and more, people will be practicing some kind of community service. In Internet forums for example it can be starting threads for healthy kinds of fun, or posting friendly questions and comments to help people say whatever they’re trying to say. Anything that people can think of to do to help make the forum community life healthier, happier and more loving for every person in the forums. Also more and more, people will be getting ideas and encouragement from each other, for whatever good each person is doing and hoping to do, online and offline. People will also be learning not to divide people up, in their minds, into groups and categories defined by what they think people believe and don’t believe. People won’t think that they know anything about other people’s character, capacities or even beliefs, just from the religious or non-religious label they wear. People with more experience will be helping others learn.

Eventually there will be systematic training available for anyone who wants it, in community service and in learning from others and encouraging others, and people will be going out to spread the love in other online communities.

 

[Jim]

I might be winding down here. I know, I’ve said that before so many times that I’ve lost count. These might be some parting remarks, or not. I think that discussions in Internet forums and everywhere else on the Internet can be used, and will be used more and more, for people to get ideas and encouragement from from each other for whatever good each person is doing and hoping to to do, online and offline.

I’m not thinking that there’s no value in using the forums for socializing and having fun. I think there is and always will be. I think that some ways that people are doing that need to change, and will change sooner or later. As I’ve said before, what I see for me to do about that would be would be to continually improve my own attitudes and behavior, learn to be a better friend to more people, learn to tell stories, help with the growth and spread of healthier, happier and more loving communities, and bring all that up for discussion sometimes.

 

[Spirit of Light]

I might be winding down here. I know, I’ve said that before so many times that I’ve lost count. These might be some parting remarks, or not. I think that discussions in Internet forums and everywhere else on the Internet can be used, and will be used more and more, for people to get ideas and encouragement from from each other for whatever good each person is doing and hoping to to do, online and offline.

I’m not thinking that there’s no value in using the forums for socializing and having fun. I think there is and always will be. I think that some ways that people are doing that need to change, and will change sooner or later. As I’ve said before, what I see for me to do about that would be would be to continually improve my own attitudes and behavior, learn to be a better friend to more people, learn to tell stories, help with the growth and spread of healthier, happier and more loving communities, and bring all that up for discussion sometimes.

Hi Jim.

Maybe you are focusing to much on the "must help" part and not so much in actually looking for what someone would need to hear? Sometimes it look to me when reading your posts that you want people to come to you with their issues, so you can help. And helping is ofcourse very good But maybe it is better to look at others postings and see if you can give of your wisdom there?
Just in this post you created there is a lot of you kind of speaking to you self, so in a way to me it look like you are very lonely and actually would need a little guidance too So it could be good for you to take part in many threads too

 

[Jim]

Just out of curiosity, if there are any people who see yourself doing some kind of community service here, or who are hoping that you are, I’d like to know about it, so that I know I’m not just talking to myself. I see people here doing what looks like community service to me, but I don’t know if any of them think of it that way, themselves.

 

[Jim]

Update: I’m planning for now to spend a lot less time in these forums. I’m planning for most of my online time to be on Facebook.

I’ll post my current thoughts about possibilities in these forums. Mostly what I see people doing here is socializing and having fun, and I don’t have anything against that, in itself. I have some ideas about other ways that people could be socializing and having fun, and doing themselves and a lot of other people a lot more good, and helping to solve the world’s worst problems, at the same time. Without going into details, it revolves around people encouraging and supporting each other in various kinds of community service, and some activities that can help us do that and bring out the best possibilities in all of us and in society.

 

[Jim]

I have a new idea to practice when I’m reviewing my posts before I send them. I want to try thinking of what I’m saying as if I’m saying it to my master teacher.

 

[Jim]

I feel now like an intruder in a MUD. I’m thinking now how much of I want to do here can be part of the RP and how much is OOC, how to sort that out when I’m posting, and if and when I should mark my posts as OOC.

Part of what I would like to do is just have friendly conversations with people. I think that could all be done in character. One problem is that sometimes, following a discussion that interests me, I want to say something that’s out of character for the RP, but I don’t realize that it’s out of character until after I post it. Another problem is that OOC posts can spoil the fun sometimes even if they are marked as OOC.

I might start a new thread for my OOC comments, and post them all there. That way, if there is anyone who is interested in what I think about any current topic, they’ll know where to look.

 

[Howard Is]

Just out of curiosity, if there are any people who see yourself doing some kind of community service here, or who are hoping that you are, I’d like to know about it, so that I know I’m not just talking to myself. I see people here doing what looks like community service to me, but I don’t know if any of them think of it that way, themselves.

At this point in human history, just maintaining your integrity, your confidence and kindness, is a community service IMO.

Especially in front of children.