Member Survey

I have an idea that some of the placement may be an inadvertent thing? The topics that I failed to initiate were probably in 'members only' just because that was where I was reading when I made my attempt.

Good question. I don't come across many things to post for general discussion - the occasional film or book or something. I tend to respond to other people's practice threads now and then, and occasionally mention something on my own. But I don't feel a huge inclination to do extensive practice journaling, unless something particularly unusual happens, which isn't very common.

So for me this forum is (at least currently) largely a way to keep in touch with the active members. I would be happy to chat on other subjects and interact with new members, etc. but I guess it's a matter of not having a lot of questions or ideas to start new threads with. I've also lost a bit of interest in posting things just for controversy's sake or to criticize (like "what's up with this weird shit so and so said over on this website") and it seems in general that weird or controversial topics bring the most discussion, where if someone says "oh, I just had a nice day and look at this cute puppy" there's not much to say.

So on the one hand I miss the activity, but I also recognize I'm not helping because I'm not contributing as much as I have in the past.

Thoughts?

I don't have much to say lately, but it's nice to have the option to have more private conversations with a smaller group. The points of view are pretty diverse here, and I know that if I choose to post something, there will be multiple takes on it from different angles that I may appreciate. there are other fora where I can interact with a broader range of people in a more free for all format.

On one hand, I'm trying to cut back my forum participation (all forums). On the other hand, I do check this site a few times a day, so I'm getting something out of the way things are. The signal to noise ratio here is wonderful.

I guess ultimately, I don't feel very evangical or teacherly, so I'm not thinking about providing content for others via this site. Probably the main thing that would change that tendency would be if others were asking for more (info or help). I'm posting in the private area so I don't have to think as much about the content, tone, or degree of polish of my posts.


Sooo Chris, what are your thoughts?

shargrol wrote: On one hand, I'm trying to cut back my forum participation (all forums). On the other hand, I do check this site a few times a day, so I'm getting something out of the way things are. The signal to noise ratio here is wonderful.

I guess ultimately, I don't feel very evangical or teacherly, so I'm not thinking about providing content for others via this site. Probably the main thing that would change that tendency would be if others were asking for more (info or help). I'm posting in the private area so I don't have to think as much about the content, tone, or degree of polish of my posts.

This applies to me also...

I'm still keeping my quasi daily practice log on KFD. I lately have gotten into posting on DhO in response to other people's questions and concerns, but don't post anything there on my own initiative. The groups are different, and I'm more or less comfortable moving back and forth. As for here: I save stuff I don't want to reveal on the other places for here, more personal stuff. I also post lengthier things here. So that's why I end up in the Members Only section. In fact, I'm about to mosey on over to my thread in a few minutes and add an update.

Sometimes I feel spread a bit thin and don't check one or another of the three threads for a lengthy period. Keeping up on all three is a lot. But then sometimes I want what one or another has to offer. I like it here the way it is. I'd probably spend more time here, though, if it were more reliably active. I suppose I could do something to make it more so!

I only pop in from time to time when I have a specific question or sometimes just to get a dharma fix. I like that this forum is fairly intimate and low key. Generally (not as a rule that is) the bigger these sort of things get the less authentic they feel. But that may just be me. At any rate, my two cents is I like it just the way it is. But again, I only duck in from time to time.

Take care all

I was a little overwhelmed by Dharma Overground and when KFD started it was exciting to join a relatively small group learning Kenneth's new vipassana techniques together. Now KFD has the plusses and minusses of a big city.

Around the time Chris stopped moderating KFD, since I'm his student and found out he moderates here, I did some lurking. Some of the things I liked right off were the private area and the more intimate scale. With that I decided to stretch my comfort limits and go public with my name and even giving up my tortoise for a photo. (My daughter said "you don't really look like that photo, it makes you look scared or something". I said, yeah but it looks like how vulnerable I feel.)

I think it could grow some and not lose that, but if it gets pretty big I'll probably pull back into my shell some.

I tried posting general interest to the public area, but it seemed like I only had access to post to the members-only and I didn't take the challenge to figure out how to do it.

Ah! Now that's a neat idea -- and it seems like it could solve some of the privacy problems with facebook/twitter.

Will do! A few people come to mind.

Hi. I'm a brand new member, so this may not be what you were asking about...

First impression is this is a forum for PRIVATE chats about personal issues around the Dharma - as well as general encouragement, etc.

Seems to be for people who are not preachers but doers, and willing to share their experience and knowledge with others with a similar 'itch'.

Which is just what I'm looking for

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I looked at the MAIN FORUM, and there are two threads:
1 is locked so no discussion will follow from those three topics. The other isn't locked, but seems a SUGGESTION Box only.

The SANGHAS FORUM has the following description:
"This section is for discussions in different sanghas. Generally, the discussions will only be visible by members of the particular sangha, unless it is deliberately made public."

On the HOME page, you have the statement:
"Please note that joining awakenetwork.org is just the first step. To get the full benefit of discussions, you will need to be a member of one of the groups on the site. So if you see a group that strikes your fancy, contact that group's admin and get yourself signed up."

Anyway, the impression I'm getting from all these little messages is this forum is not for EVERYONE, but at the same time is welcoming to those who want to learn, share and grow with other dedicated practitioners. Although that may SOUND elitist or insular, it isn't. It is not as if you have created a Professional Body, where people need to have the right qualifications to get in, or a club where one's STATUS is examined before entry. I was told by my teacher, or the 6,000+ students in the specific tradition I was studying with, the number of 'yogis' was under 10

I think there are plenty of online places people can go for general discussion, so I do not feel you need to replicate that.

It really depends upon the vision of the people who created this forum: what are your goals and aspirations for this site? If you are wanting something different to what you are getting, then looking at the 1st impressions and general message new people get from the site may be a place to start. IMHO

My first post ended up being a bit longer than anticitated. Possibly not even on topic?? Food for thought...I hope.

Hi Chris

Chris Marti wrote: ...Dharma Forum Refugee Camp (DFRC). That is but one of the forums that was intended to reside here on Awakenetwork.org, which is meant to be a multi-forum hosting site.

I tried to set up a similar thing with the wider audience of those into 'personal growth'. I realised after a while that unless I went out with the specific goal of attracting groups to use my site for themselves, with a lot of marketing and promotion of that idea, it wasn't going to happen. I suppose, on a esoteric level, I could ask the team here "How much cause have you put out there for the effect you want?"

The other thought I have about this idea comes from my experience within a dharma centre... Unlike this forum, with many perspectives voicing their wisdom/opinion/prejudice/etc., I've found the dharma communities become 'insular'. It might be a hard sell to get the teacher to agree to create a forum on a site that has as it's main forum an 'eclectic' stance on Dharma subjects. IMHO

Obviously, not all dharma communities are joined at the hip with a particular tradition so there may be scope there... with the right marketing.

Chris Marti wrote: ... leaving the hosting system Awakenetwork.org out of the equation for the time being..

I'd never heard of 'wetpaint' until I looked at the KFD website. I suspect it is like the Ning system? Anyway, Joomla + Kanuna is a first class, open source, content management system which allows you to stay in control of the site, updates, etc. Excellent choice!

Colin

I talked with a friend yesterday who I'm sure would find discussion here right up his alley, and vice versa. He said, yep, he's sure too, but he finds that anything he does online ends up taking more of his time than he planned. He has a point.

Chris Marti wrote: That's the problem. We all have full time jobs and busy lives and families, so making time to effectively market Awakenetwork.org is difficult.

Yes, the larger systems have paying subscribers and a (usually a media) company behind them.

If you wanted to make it grow organically, you could maybe make it easy for people who have joined to start a new group and market that group. I know it is already easy - just ask! What I mean is, give the idea of starting a new 'specialist' forum the big-green-light by dedicating a wiki page to the idea (which you can then promote) where the potential group leader will find easy ways to recruit and market their new group/forum.

This wiki page, which also sets out the benefits and features of having a specialist forum here, can then also be used as your 'sales page' if you (or anyone using the forums) happen to come across a potential group looking for a place online.

Just a few thoughts.

Colin

duane_eugene_miller wrote: I only pop in from time to time when I have a specific question or sometimes just to get a dharma fix. I like that this forum is fairly intimate and low key. Generally (not as a rule that is) the bigger these sort of things get the less authentic they feel. But that may just be me. At any rate, my two cents is I like it just the way it is. But again, I only duck in from time to time.

Take care all

Duane - just wanted to mention I really like your recent post on your blog, the one about honesty. Nice. ( embracingsamsara.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/1199/ )