New website ~ The Spiritual Forum

I had a nosey and it's looking good!

I looked at it too, and will register.

I just looked... and it's gone.   :(

I got file not found.

This thread's last posting had been 5 years ago.

mac wrote:This thread's last posting had been 5 years ago.

That goes without saying.

Let me say Mac that I'm sorry that didn't work out.  I would have liked to have seen it.  I have just parted ways with SFs.  That said, I am interested in what you would like to see from SI now.

Is there anything from that experience you would like to have known, to be learned from?

I say that because I too have thought of starting my own forum, but realize what a monumental task that would be.   

Resonator wrote:

mac wrote:This thread's last posting had been 5 years ago.

That goes without saying.

I made that point only because it's not uncommon for folk to respond to donkey's years old threads.

Let me say Mac that I'm sorry that didn't work out.  I would have liked to have seen it.  I have just parted ways with SFs.  That said, I am interested in what you would like to see from SI now.

Thank you for your sentiment concerning that website.  To be honest, though, I had largely forgotten it!  I can just about recall a little about it but I hadn't given it more than a passing thought and that was only because it had an old friend there (someone from here) who has passed.

Is there anything from that experience you would like to have known, to be learned from?

Oh I was only an agent, a helper, not involved to any degree.

I say that because I too have thought of starting my own forum, but realize what a monumental task that would be.   

I've considered setting up a website myself (and administrate one anyway) but agree with your conclusion.  It's a lot of work and I believe there is now little interest in forum-based websites - Facebook is much simpler to write on, is readily accessible and the world and his wife appear already to be engaged with the platform on a daily basis.
A new website would be hard to make noticeable online, a digital twig virtually lost in a cyber forest.

[quote="Resonator"]

mac wrote:  I have just parted ways with SFs.  That said, I am interested in what you would like to see from SI now.

What I would like to see from this website, 'Spiritual Inspiration'. I've never given it a thought. As for Spiritual Forums it's just another website and I'll continue there the way I've continued for quite a number of years, almost since the time Matt set it up.

mac wrote:Members may be interested in visiting our new website.  Spiritual Forum


We hope you'll call by.     




 mac 

I've tried hard to recall what happened at that time but one thing I must have done is to ask Violet's permission to 'advertise' it on her website. I couldn't have had any deep involvement with setting up that website - perhaps I offered a few thoughts on structure or content but I really can't remember.

I think the site didn't last long or attract many members but again I'm not sure because I don't remember the details.

mac wrote:I've considered setting up a website myself (and administrate one anyway) but agree with your conclusion.  It's a lot of work and I believe there is now little interest in forum-based websites - Facebook is much simpler to write on, is readily accessible and the world and his wife appear already to be engaged with the platform on a daily basis. A new website would be hard to make noticeable online, a digital twig virtually lost in a cyber forest.

You make a very good point. While what you say about FB is true, I think there will always be a place for forums. FB is very easy to use, but at the same time I've noticed looking for anything previously written is tedious to impossible, depending. So FB is very immediate, but for anything really in-depth it becomes clunky and hard to follow. It's also nice to have places for specialized interests. I think as this comes clearer to FB users you will see forums start to come back a little.

mac wrote:...As for Spiritual Forums it's just another website and I'll continue there the way I've continued for quite a number of years, almost since the time Matt set it up.

I too have been there for many, many years, but it's no longer the same. It used to be a haven from the world, now it is just another reflection of the world. I can get that anywhere - even FB.

Resonator wrote:

mac wrote:I've considered setting up a website myself (and administrate one anyway) but agree with your conclusion.  It's a lot of work and I believe there is now little interest in forum-based websites - Facebook is much simpler to write on, is readily accessible and the world and his wife appear already to be engaged with the platform on a daily basis.  A new website would be hard to make noticeable online, a digital twig virtually lost in a cyber forest.

You make a very good point.  While what you say about FB is true, I think there will always be a place for forums.  FB is very easy to use, but at the same time I've noticed looking for anything previously written is tedious to impossible, depending.  So FB is very immediate, but for anything really in-depth it becomes clunky and hard to follow.   It's also nice to have places for specialized interests.  I think as this comes clearer to FB users you will see forums start to come back a little.

I expect you're right about there being a place for forums in the future but it remains to be seen what level of interest in them will there be.

I totally agree with you about forums compared with Facebook but I don't share your confidence that folk will return to, or want to seek out initially, a forum-based website for their special interest. I'd loved my doubts to be proved wrong but it's quick and easy to find a Facebook special interest page but it can be hard using web searches. And pecking at a tiny screen encourages short messages, perfect for many because that's what FB messaging is all about.

FB pages don't work for me but then I'm a dinosaur who habitually writes using fully-structured sentences that are gramatically-correct and have accurate spelling.

Resonator wrote:

mac wrote:...As for Spiritual Forums it's just another website and I'll continue there the way I've continued for quite a number of years, almost since the time Matt set it up.

I too have been there for many, many years, but it's no longer the same.  It used to be a haven from the world, now it is just another reflection of the world.  I can get that anywhere - even FB.

As my wife and I often say to one another "Nothing's the same!" in respect of all kinds of things....Websites change, members stay who you'd sooner left and others who you would like to stay move on.

For me SF has always been a website of many, very varied topics, most of which do not interest me. I contribute mostly to forums that interest me and contain subjects I am knowledgeable about. I do understand the point you're making about the site having become another reflection of the world but I've never experienced it as a haven so it's less of a change for me.

mac wrote:As my wife and I often say to one another "Nothing's the same!" in respect of all kinds of things....Websites change, members stay who you'd sooner left and others who you would like to stay move on.  

For me SF has always been a website of many, very varied topics, most of which do not interest me.  I contribute mostly to forums that interest me and contain subjects I am knowledgeable about.  I do understand the point you're making about the site having become another reflection of the world but I've never experienced it as a haven so it's less of a change for me.

I had been banned a couple times from SF but that never kept me away. But as I said, it's very different now, so I banned them - and I'm sure there were a few who are more than a little glad to finally be rid of me.

Yes, I had watched many others leave, some I was happy about, others not. I don't see myself going back for a long time. It just looks like a dead end to me.

ah well..... Roll on 2021 when matters of the spirit may have to take second place to life in this world.

mac wrote:ah well.....  Roll on 2021 when matters of the spirit may have to take second place to life in this world.

Yes, roll on 2021 - though I feel it's always about matters of the spirit, one way or another.