Please see Styx thread on the Registered Shipmates consultation for the main discussion forums - your views are important, continues until April 4th.
Styx: Dead Horses run free to see the light in Epiphanies
Alan Cresswell
Admin, 8th Day Host
A long time ago when the Ship sailed on a different sea a few topics were stampeding all over the forums, trampling interesting discussions on other subjects under their hooves. With thread after thread, the same arguments were repeated and it seemed like this would continue unchanged until the end of time. In their wisdom, the Ships' Crew devised a clever plan, set up a corral where these topics could gallop without restriction while on the rest of the Ship other discussions could flourish. Dead Horses was born, and those topics which dominated the Ship and other forums took on a new life there.
Time passed, the Ship sailed on through new waters and what had been passed into history. The Crew of the Ship realised that most of the topics which had been a problem on the Ship were no longer likely to swamp out other topics. It's time to let them out of the corral they'd been running in, to rejoin the rest of the discussions without being marked out as special. In reaching this conclusion, the Crew have been helped by significant feedback from Shipmates on the continuing scope and value of Dead Horses.
At the same time, thanks also to much thoughtful input from Shipmates (in Styx threads), the Crew have also realised that for a few subjects the Third Commandment was becoming difficult to enforce in the same way, that in some cases it was no longer possible to clearly divide the subject from the person. To tackle this difficulty, we have created a brand new forum which we're calling "Epiphanies" for topics where the subjects under discussion are inseparable from the personal identity of those involved. This is an annex to Purgatory, and the guidelines for Purgatory will also apply to Epiphanies, but hosting will be more active and more alert to disruptive lines of argument.
To summarise the changes:
The guidelines for Epiphanies will follow in the next post, as well as being posted on the new forum.
Time passed, the Ship sailed on through new waters and what had been passed into history. The Crew of the Ship realised that most of the topics which had been a problem on the Ship were no longer likely to swamp out other topics. It's time to let them out of the corral they'd been running in, to rejoin the rest of the discussions without being marked out as special. In reaching this conclusion, the Crew have been helped by significant feedback from Shipmates on the continuing scope and value of Dead Horses.
At the same time, thanks also to much thoughtful input from Shipmates (in Styx threads), the Crew have also realised that for a few subjects the Third Commandment was becoming difficult to enforce in the same way, that in some cases it was no longer possible to clearly divide the subject from the person. To tackle this difficulty, we have created a brand new forum which we're calling "Epiphanies" for topics where the subjects under discussion are inseparable from the personal identity of those involved. This is an annex to Purgatory, and the guidelines for Purgatory will also apply to Epiphanies, but hosting will be more active and more alert to disruptive lines of argument.
To summarise the changes:
- The Dead Horse forum will be closed and the threads there retained for reference and eventual archival.
- The Epiphanies forum will be opened for those topics involving personal identity: initially threads relating to sexuality, gender and abortion. The Crew may move individual threads where identity is the subject of discussion, at our discretion.
- Discussions on the nature of the Bible (Inerrancy and/or Infallibility etc) will now belong in Purgatory. Kerygmania will continue to be a forum for discussion of specific Biblical texts and themes, and not these more general subjects.
- Purgatory will also be the natural home for discussions of Creation and Evolution, and the theology of Communion.
- Ecclesiantics will be the natural home for discussions of music in church and the practice of Communion.
The guidelines for Epiphanies will follow in the next post, as well as being posted on the new forum.
Comments
This is our space to discuss issues where people are personally invested, and where academic detachment just isn't possible.
1. This forum is for topics where issues and identity significantly overlap, plus threads moved from other forums if the Crew think this is appropriate.
2. This forum is for serious discussion of these topics and will be allowed to reflect all widely held views, even if they are considered offensive by some. It is not intended to be an echo chamber, nor yet a pillory. Purgatory Guidelines also apply.
3. This forum will be more closely hosted than the rest of the Ship. For example: Some phrases or sources may be ruled off limits on a particular thread as they are seen as unhelpful. Circular discussions may be closed. Tangents redirected. This change doesn't alter the other forums - hosting will still be light in Purgatory, Kerygmania will still be for discussion of specific passages and themes and explicitly not for discussion of inerrancy/infallibility, etc.
4. Shipmates are encouraged to PM a Host about material that is, in their opinion, of dubious provenance or from overly partisan sources.
5. Thread titles need to be clear so people know exactly what they’re getting into. Unclear thread titles will be amended.
6. Your Hosts here are @Barnabas62, @Louise, and @Gwai.
Thank you for doing this- looking forward to reading the new forum and maybe even commenting.....but there again that requires having something meaningful to contribute so don't hold your breath!
Noted!
I reckon Epiphanies is a good thing, but I’m not sure how the extra fundamentalist topics will go in Purgatory. Best wishes to all the hosts.
Both, I guess - but the pong of rotting horseflesh seems to have been muchly dissipated...
It'll be Interesting™ to see how Epiphanies pans out, and also to see how other boards are affected (or not).
I hope the new setup drives awareness and works well.
Could easily be either Delenn or Susan Ivanova speaking. Needs a little Zathras, though! (And Becca and Romi and Trance, from "Andromeda"! Then there's "Farscape"...)
Good work. Grouping threads that all consider identity is an epiphany itself. Thank you for that. My brain is gearing up for warp drive.
Something to be borne in mind when considering Epiphanies topics.
But tbh it got chosen as a forum title because we liked the sound of it. Particularly those who liked Babylon 5.
In the Homosexuality thread now in Epiphanies, Pangolin Guerre and I were interacting. A little sarcastically on my part.
B62 made a host post about respecting PG's queerness. However, his anecdote doesn't have anything to do with being queer, nor is my response an attack on (or confronting in any way) queerness.
PG's queerness has nothing directly to do with the anecdote. It is still a problematic statement for the same reasons no matter the gender or sexuality of the speaker.
I appreciate the being more cautious, but I do not agree that this needed to be cautioned.
Thanks for raising this. The Crew hopes all Shipmates recognise that these are early days for the new Epiphanies Forum. While we are agreed on the general principle that Epiphanies provides a safer (not safe), less abrasive environment for discussing issues of personal identity, we will be working out what that means in detail for a while.
Barnabas62's specific ruling didn't name any Shipmates or ban the use of sarcastic or dismissive comments. The ask is for Shipmates to be careful about making them in discussion about sensitive issues and recognise the negative effect on the flow and tone of conversation they can have.
That said one of the differences between Dead Horses and Purgatory was that Dead Horses was much more willing to have one really long thread on a subject and refer new similar discussions to the old thread. This is off putting in Purgatory if one ought to read the whole thread before jumping in. I think if allowing lots of similar discussions on a subject clogs Purgatory that's an argument for re-opening Dead Horses for that subject.
I was puzzled by the title 'Epiphanies' though. It sounded like a board for people to post threads where they say, 'I used to think X but now I've seen the light and think Y ...'
I'm sure it'll work and soon become part of the Ship's tackle and trim.
I too think it was ill advised to close the Dead Horse Thread.
If you look at the old boards, the forums were divided into groups - Ship's Business, Community Discussion and Special Interest. Plus Ship's Locker.