Regarding Posting On The Introduction/Testimonies Sub-Forum

[UntoHim]

Forum Members and Guest Posters,

One of the main concerns and missions of LocalChurchDiscussions.Com is to give a voice to former and current Local Church members, family members and other concerned parties. Accordingly, I believe there should be minimal contribution from any regular participants, unless there is a specific request from the person posting their introduction/testimony. In far too many of the threads initiated by a first time posters on this sub-forum, their original post gets drowned out in an avalanche of lengthy "responses". I put quotes around responses because many times the responses wonder far afield or are just plain unrelated to the original post. (because I am just as guilty of this offence as anyone else, I have submitted myself to 50 lashes with a wet, but al dente, noodle.)

Seriously, for the sake of our friends out their who take the time and have the courage to post their testimony on a public forum, I am asking that we all consider our responses and contributions on the Introductions and Testimonies sub-forum. Let's try to follow the "less in more" method and try to give some more compact responses.
-

[Cincy]

Thank you for saying this

[Drake]

-2


Hold on! I'll volunteer for a couple of lashes with that wet al dente noodle too. Yet, not a whole raman pack at once!

I think the intended process would be to create a new discussion in the non-Intro sections for points of interest from an Intro post. It's a good practice that I will try to follow and encourage going forward. We've gotten into a bad habit of allowing every thread to have the same conversations... a sort of continuous narrative regardless of the stated intent of the thread. We may not be able to break that habit but at least we should be able to resist the temptation to do it in the Intro post in deference to newbies.

Thanks
Drake

[Ohio]

-3

My suggestion to accomplish this (has been and still) is that posters only reply to the Opening Poster, and not "poster to poster" replies.

These tangent conversations between other posters run the train off the tracks.

[UntoHim]

Good point Ohio!

As a matter of fact, I have always hoped that everyone could follow the same pattern on the entire forum. I believe it would make for a far more interesting, informative and coherent venue for all concerned.

But this is especially important on the Introductions and Testimonies sub-forum. Again, I think it is hard enough for some people to come on an open, public forum as it is without having their testimony drowned out but a bunch of cyber extroverts like us. Let's all try to make a concerted effort to make this forum a safe and welcoming place for everyone who the Lord entrusts us enough to lead them to LocalChurchDiscussions!
-

[countmeworthy]

Another thought/suggestion:
Perhaps the poster who senses their reply is going to go off topic can start a new thread or if their reply can follow a previous thread, make a note to the readers to go to the new thread or whatever thread it can follow.

I hope my suggestion is not clear as mud.