Today's Forum Closing

Paul G · 11-22-2004, 08:58 PM

Right now I have very mixed feelings about the events of today. I realize the large majority of the members here have no idea what happened and were not involved.

I've spent alot of time and money developing the site with most of it going into the features on this forum. Right now I feel that it not really worth it.

All I have ever asked of people here were to follow a few simple rules. These aren't rules I made up so I could sit in front of a computer and be a dictator. They are ones I've developed based on server needs, legal issues, etc. I spent a good deal of time on sites for webmasters discussing ways to improve forums and sites. And have collaborated with others to develop the policies of this site.

And every time I have to enforce them I'm told that I am censoring people, not allowing them to express themselves, and putting down Indians. This is very offensive to me. I've dedicated myself to the site and to have these accusations thrown at me hurts.

So as I've said, I have mixed feelings right now. I'm going to open the forums for reading threads, but no posting. And I'm going to take some time this week and decide whether its worth it to have forums on the site.

Thanks to all of you that have supported the site.

**AngelFeather** · 11-22-2004, 10:07 PM

wow this is sad indeed.
please disregard my pm to ya i must have missed this post.

Creating a site such as this takes alot of dedication and time, one is alwasy adding taking away making sure there are no viruses, bugs, and making sure that laws and policies are followed. I totally understand what you mean by flooding servers its a BIG hassle to fix but I guess there are people that have never attempted to make a website such as this and have no idea the work involved, therefore take it for granted that they should be allowed to do whatever they want with no consequences then affect other peoples freedome of choice and opinion.

Censorhip is when one is NOT allowed to voice thier opinions concerns feeling and so forth and from what I have seen that is all that you have done is allowed people to do that, but some people cant handle being disagreed with and have a fit when thier point of views are not that of others, we can all disagree but there is absolutely no need for ignorance and foolishness just to state an opinion.

People so easily forget theyare not the ones in charge and think they can just do what they want say what they want and make people feel bad for not always agreeing to what they want, it truly is sad cause i thought this site was for Native people to come together and share ideas thoughts, traditions culture and whatever promotes good, but i ahve seen alot of judgement being made and racial comments towards human beings and for what ? I dont get it, but i do thankyou for trying Paul I really do, too bad people just dont have the respect that you have tried to give them.

LMAO theres even kliks on here, like we are all still in elementry school or Junior high. We are all human beings trying to live in a cruel world. There is sense of humor than there is just plain disrespect, fine line for many of us here to decifer.

Plenty Fox · 11-22-2004, 10:37 PM

No one disputes the time, energy and, yes, money you've put into this site, Paul. All things come to an end at some point. If upon examination you find that today's events are a deal breaker where you are concerned and decide that it isn't worth it--life will go on. I'm not being unfeeling, I'm just pointing out that there is a little picture and the big picture. Please think about the following.

1. what did you hope to accomplish by closing the forum and then to close it to posts allowing reading only?
2. did you achieve what you hoped to accomplish?
3. what is the possibility you've just fanned the flames of discontent and made the problem bigger?
4. how do you anticipate folks will act when they come back here if and when you allow them to post again?
5. are you prepared for the additional backlash that is bound to occur with folks expressing their displeasure and how are you going to handle it?
6. you have the opportunity to educate many of us as to the intricacies of what you do--is there any harm in communicating rationale behind rules so they will be better understood?
7. lastly, what would you like to happen with the site at this point should you choose to continue? how can we help you accomplish this?

Thank you for your time.

Paul G · 11-22-2004, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Washakie Witch

No one disputes the time, energy and, yes, money you've put into this site, Paul. All things come to an end at some point. If upon examination you find that today's events are a deal breaker where you are concerned and decide that it isn't worth it--life will go on. I'm not being unfeeling, I'm just pointing out that there is a little picture and the big picture. Please think about the following.

1. what did you hope to accomplish by closing the forum and then to close it to posts allowing reading only?
2. did you achieve what you hoped to accomplish?
3. what is the possibility you've just fanned the flames of discontent and made the problem bigger?
4. how do you anticipate folks will act when they come back here if and when you allow them to post again?
5. are you prepared for the additional backlash that is bound to occur with folks expressing their displeasure and how are you going to handle it?
6. you have the opportunity to educate many of us as to the intricacies of what you do--is there any harm in communicating rationale behind rules so they will be better understood?
7. lastly, what would you like to happen with the site at this point should you choose to continue? how can we help you accomplish this?

Thank you for your time.

Here's the honest reason why I closed it today. I was just plain made and tired of fighting. I really didn't think about it, just did it. It's been a long hard weekend, and this really wasn't the day for this to happen.

The site will continue, it is just these forums that I question.

I've tried countless times to communicate with people on here about why I do things. I really just try to stay out of the way. But the same attacks occur over and over.

And it looks like that in my haste I haven't turned everything on or off they way I thought. So I'll just open it all back up.

Still thinking though...

Plenty Fox · 11-22-2004, 11:00 PM

Paul, you are a good man. You are human and entitled to feel mad, frustrated, etc. Think it over. It's important you take time for yourself. Ultimately, you getting burnt out doesn't accomplish anything for anyone. You have to make the right decision for YOU and yours.
If that decision means following another path that is better for you, God bless.

**Kiwehnzii** · 11-23-2004, 12:20 AM

Aw man, I always miss something. Cripes.

**nt_inuk** · 11-23-2004, 01:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiwehnzii

Aw man, I always miss something. Cripes.

me too ... :(

Innocently_evil · 11-23-2004, 02:34 AM

I for one..really enjoy this site..especially the forums as I have come into contact with some really great genunine people on here..

All forums run into problems and i understand with a member list as large as this one may be..its gotta be hard to keep an eye on everyone...

I think as members we should all step it up and help the mods keep things under control...reminding people of guidelines and stuff like that always helps out..

**drinkingfromysaucer2** · 11-23-2004, 06:54 AM

Ok? 'cause its worth it!!!

tigger · 11-23-2004, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Innocently_evil

I for one..really enjoy this site..especially the forums as I have come into contact with some really great genunine people on here..

All forums run into problems and i understand with a member list as large as this one may be..its gotta be hard to keep an eye on everyone...

I think as members we should all step it up and help the mods keep things under control...reminding people of guidelines and stuff like that always helps out..

i agree cause it is hard on the mods to keep things running smoothly.

Paul G · 11-23-2004, 09:43 AM

Thanks everyone for your support.

Malakolsni · 11-23-2004, 11:08 AM

Hi Paul, I am new here and just read that you are thinking about closing the forums. This is sad even though I understand that it gets tough sometimes. I do hope though that you will keep this running. Can only speak for myself but I would love to be able to at least see what this site is all about. Bless you and your family and hope that you find energy enough to keep up the good spirit.
Take care and have a wonderful day
Ren

11-22-2004, 08:58 PM	#1 (permalink)
Paul G Webmaster Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Lexington, SC Posts: 14,215 Blog Entries: 1	Today's Forum Closing Right now I have very mixed feelings about the events of today. I realize the large majority of the members here have no idea what happened and were not involved. I've spent alot of time and money developing the site with most of it going into the features on this forum. Right now I feel that it not really worth it. All I have ever asked of people here were to follow a few simple rules. These aren't rules I made up so I could sit in front of a computer and be a dictator. They are ones I've developed based on server needs, legal issues, etc. I spent a good deal of time on sites for webmasters discussing ways to improve forums and sites. And have collaborated with others to develop the policies of this site. And every time I have to enforce them I'm told that I am censoring people, not allowing them to express themselves, and putting down Indians. This is very offensive to me. I've dedicated myself to the site and to have these accusations thrown at me hurts. So as I've said, I have mixed feelings right now. I'm going to open the forums for reading threads, but no posting. And I'm going to take some time this week and decide whether its worth it to have forums on the site. Thanks to all of you that have supported the site. __________________ New to the site--Introduce Yourself Need Help--FAQ--Search Feedback--Post your suggestions MyTribalSpace.com \| NativeGatherings.com \| PowWows.com Podcast \| Indigitunes.com NativeSeek.com \| Pow Wow TV \| Pow Wow Radio \| NativeMusicSource.com Radio \| NDN411.com \| eSnag Online Dating Pow Wow TV - Find out how you could win a 42" Plasma TV!

11-22-2004, 10:07 PM	#2 (permalink)
AngelFeather Cloud Dancer Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Heaven Posts: 5,676	:( wow this is sad indeed. please disregard my pm to ya i must have missed this post. Creating a site such as this takes alot of dedication and time, one is alwasy adding taking away making sure there are no viruses, bugs, and making sure that laws and policies are followed. I totally understand what you mean by flooding servers its a BIG hassle to fix but I guess there are people that have never attempted to make a website such as this and have no idea the work involved, therefore take it for granted that they should be allowed to do whatever they want with no consequences then affect other peoples freedome of choice and opinion. Censorhip is when one is NOT allowed to voice thier opinions concerns feeling and so forth and from what I have seen that is all that you have done is allowed people to do that, but some people cant handle being disagreed with and have a fit when thier point of views are not that of others, we can all disagree but there is absolutely no need for ignorance and foolishness just to state an opinion. People so easily forget theyare not the ones in charge and think they can just do what they want say what they want and make people feel bad for not always agreeing to what they want, it truly is sad cause i thought this site was for Native people to come together and share ideas thoughts, traditions culture and whatever promotes good, but i ahve seen alot of judgement being made and racial comments towards human beings and for what ? I dont get it, but i do thankyou for trying Paul I really do, too bad people just dont have the respect that you have tried to give them. LMAO theres even kliks on here, like we are all still in elementry school or Junior high. We are all human beings trying to live in a cruel world. There is sense of humor than there is just plain disrespect, fine line for many of us here to decifer.

11-22-2004, 10:37 PM	#3 (permalink)
Plenty Fox meeeeeeeeeeee Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Upstairs Posts: 951	No one disputes the time, energy and, yes, money you've put into this site, Paul. All things come to an end at some point. If upon examination you find that today's events are a deal breaker where you are concerned and decide that it isn't worth it--life will go on. I'm not being unfeeling, I'm just pointing out that there is a little picture and the big picture. Please think about the following. 1. what did you hope to accomplish by closing the forum and then to close it to posts allowing reading only? 2. did you achieve what you hoped to accomplish? 3. what is the possibility you've just fanned the flames of discontent and made the problem bigger? 4. how do you anticipate folks will act when they come back here if and when you allow them to post again? 5. are you prepared for the additional backlash that is bound to occur with folks expressing their displeasure and how are you going to handle it? 6. you have the opportunity to educate many of us as to the intricacies of what you do--is there any harm in communicating rationale behind rules so they will be better understood? 7. lastly, what would you like to happen with the site at this point should you choose to continue? how can we help you accomplish this? Thank you for your time. __________________ Damme ape’semmai, "Andabichidaiboonee’ gimmadu’i.Wihyu memme hainjinee’ nahandu’i. Enne wizha sudei’ tsaangu mabizhiahkande," mai. The Creator said, "A foreign race of white people will come, who will become your friends. You should treat them well." The Creator sure had a strange sense of humor!

11-22-2004, 11:00 PM	#5 (permalink)
Plenty Fox meeeeeeeeeeee Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Upstairs Posts: 951	Paul, you are a good man. You are human and entitled to feel mad, frustrated, etc. Think it over. It's important you take time for yourself. Ultimately, you getting burnt out doesn't accomplish anything for anyone. You have to make the right decision for YOU and yours. If that decision means following another path that is better for you, God bless. __________________ Damme ape’semmai, "Andabichidaiboonee’ gimmadu’i.Wihyu memme hainjinee’ nahandu’i. Enne wizha sudei’ tsaangu mabizhiahkande," mai. The Creator said, "A foreign race of white people will come, who will become your friends. You should treat them well." The Creator sure had a strange sense of humor!

11-23-2004, 02:34 AM	#8 (permalink)
Innocently_evil Barstar.. Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Saskatchewan Posts: 187	I for one..really enjoy this site..especially the forums as I have come into contact with some really great genunine people on here.. All forums run into problems and i understand with a member list as large as this one may be..its gotta be hard to keep an eye on everyone... I think as members we should all step it up and help the mods keep things under control...reminding people of guidelines and stuff like that always helps out.. __________________ Happiness is like peeing your pants, everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth :

11-23-2004, 12:20 AM	#6 (permalink)
Kiwehnzii Oldfart Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 2,868	Aw man, I always miss something. Cripes.

11-23-2004, 06:54 AM	#9 (permalink)
drinkingfromysaucer2 PowWows.com Addicts Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: so cal Posts: 13,360	Keep the forums! Ok? 'cause its worth it!!! __________________ I love that song, let's turn the music up! Smilies is not my 1st Language Last edited by drinkingfromysaucer2; 11-23-2004 at 06:56 AM. Reason: clarity

11-23-2004, 09:43 AM	#11 (permalink)
Paul G Webmaster Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Lexington, SC Posts: 14,215 Blog Entries: 1	Thanks everyone for your support. __________________ New to the site--Introduce Yourself Need Help--FAQ--Search Feedback--Post your suggestions MyTribalSpace.com \| NativeGatherings.com \| PowWows.com Podcast \| Indigitunes.com NativeSeek.com \| Pow Wow TV \| Pow Wow Radio \| NativeMusicSource.com Radio \| NDN411.com \| eSnag Online Dating Pow Wow TV - Find out how you could win a 42" Plasma TV!

11-23-2004, 11:08 AM	#12 (permalink)
Malakolsni Pow Wow Visitor Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 19	Hi Paul, I am new here and just read that you are thinking about closing the forums. This is sad even though I understand that it gets tough sometimes. I do hope though that you will keep this running. Can only speak for myself but I would love to be able to at least see what this site is all about. Bless you and your family and hope that you find energy enough to keep up the good spirit. Take care and have a wonderful day Ren

11-23-2004, 09:36 PM	#13 (permalink)
curiousity kitty cat lover Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Texas Posts: 107