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#Post#: 9197--------------------------------------------------
'Me' and internet forums
By: Mike Date: October 14, 2016, 11:15 am
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I’m a mess!
In my old age I have become even more reliant upon and addicted
to Internet forum interaction.
So much so that the level of posting to James’ two forums is way
short of satisfying my needs.
I had tried another two Christian forums but just didn’t really
‘belong’ in either of them.
So I resurrected my previous www.stayingintouch.uk forum after
paying to rename it www.friendlychristianforum.com and
advertised it with the hope of attracting new membership to fill
my void. But all it has done has been to teach me that the ‘old
days’ of launching a forum via Google Adwords no longer works,
and particularly if the forum is set up to be viewed on normal
desktop or laptop computers.
The Google analysis of my advert showed that out of 16,947
viewings 91% were on Smart Phones with not a single new member
signing up.
So I asked Christine to view the site on her Smart Phone, and
found that it appeared as a totally unattractive endless splurge
of verbiage with no punctuation by my carefully prepared visual
graphics…. No wonder it failed to attract a single new member.
It seems that the use of Smart Phones and Social networking such
as Facebook has now almost totally eclipsed the ‘old days’ of
desktop and laptop forum posting.
No wonder both of James’ forums (and my previous one) have
completely stagnated in terms of new memberships.
In my disappointment I went back to my original BlogSpot and
occupied myself with ‘polishing it up’ and renaming it
HTML https://christianitywithoutconflict.blogspot.co.uk/
.
If the worst comes to the worst then I guess I must just fill in
my time by reading and re-reading and reminiscing on the 100 or
so uplifting posts which remain as a reminder of what I consider
to be ‘the good old days’.
If you take a look at the BlogSpot you will see that I pointed
it to my new site, but that’s a waste of time since the new site
will never ‘get off the ground’.
I could perhaps alternatively point it to ‘Living Water’…. But
is it worth the bother?
As I say “I’m a mess”.
In the words of the apostle Paul “Who shall deliver me?”
#Post#: 9201--------------------------------------------------
Re: 'Me' and internet forums
By: Amadeus Date: October 14, 2016, 12:11 pm
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What is it do you suppose in all of your mess, Mike, that God
wants you to do?
What He tells you to do is what you had to do, but time has gone
by and you need to stay in touch, not with the way the world is
going as much as the Way that God is... and what He is saying to
you. You want to touch the people in and of the world. Well so
does God! Don't try to build your own road. Follow God's road.
Which one is that? God knows for sure and in the past I have no
doubt that you have found it though at times you grew very weary
with "well doing".
When Jesus started his ministry some 2000 years ago very quickly
the crowds following him and listening to him grew to thousands.
As he got more into the meat of things, many of them were slower
to hang around him much and many left him altogether. Are you
better than Jesus? No...? But does that mean you should not
press on in the direction that God leads you? The important is
to keep your eyes always on Him and to stop leaning back on your
own understanding. Remember these words?
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine
own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
Prov 3:5-6
Even if sometimes it seems to you that you are walking all
alone, remember also what Jesus said to his closest followers
when so many were leaving him:
"...Will ye also go away?" John 6:67
Jesus did not want them to leave him, but he was unwilling to
compromise in order to keep them.
"... Go, and do thou likewise." Luke 10:37
How do you do it with the computer choices and other choices
available? Brother, I do not know, but God does: Ask Him!
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock,
and it shall be opened unto you:" Matt 7:7
#Post#: 9205--------------------------------------------------
Re: 'Me' and internet forums
By: Mike Date: October 14, 2016, 1:41 pm
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Thanks John .... But you're dealing with an 'addict'.
And I'm dealing with an 'addiction'.
And these things 'come not out' with prayer or words.
However your several posts certainly help satisfy the
'addiction'.
#Post#: 9207--------------------------------------------------
Re: 'Me' and internet forums
By: Pat Date: October 14, 2016, 2:06 pm
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I really enjoy using these forums, and a bit like Mike I'm
probably a bit of an addict. I've been on a number in the past
but am now quite happy to keep to these two. I like the
interchange of views without the arguments I've experienced on
other such sites; the connecting with other Christians and the
friendships that have developed between us.
#Post#: 9208--------------------------------------------------
Re: 'Me' and internet forums
By: Helen Date: October 14, 2016, 2:09 pm
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Hey, you are just fine Mike. You are just looking for something
you enjoy, to occupy your time here on earth. It is "CHRIST
related" what is so wrong about that!!
"Be not anxious about anything. But, in every situation, through
prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to
God." (Phil 4:6)
No anxiety ought to be found in a believer. Great, many and
varied may be our trials, our afflictions, our difficulties, and
yet there should be no anxiety under any circumstances, because
we have a Father in Heaven who is almighty, who loves His
children as He loves His only-begotten Son, and whose very joy
and delight it is to succor and help them at all times and under
all circumstances. We should attend to the Word - “In nothing
be anxious, but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
#Post#: 9210--------------------------------------------------
Re: 'Me' and internet forums
By: Mike Date: October 14, 2016, 3:35 pm
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[quote author=Pat link=topic=629.msg9207#msg9207
date=1476472009]
I really enjoy using these forums, and a bit like Mike I'm
probably a bit of an addict. I've been on a number in the past
but am now quite happy to keep to these two. I like the
interchange of views without the arguments I've experienced on
other such sites; the connecting with other Christians and the
friendships that have developed between us.
[/quote]
I agree, but isn't it peaceful here simply because the active
membership is too small for the usual controversies to arise,
plus the fact that we are each so familiar with each other's
POV's that we no longer see any point in challenging them.
For instance if a new member were to come into our midst holding
views such as John's which do not concur with the Trinity,
Helen's which support Universal Reconciliation, or Kerry's which
support reincarnation and judaism, then I bet those who believed
differently would conflict with them with little tolerance just
because such a person was a 'stranger' to us.
Then there's me with the sort of addiction to interaction that,
unlike the rest of you, gets 'withdrawal symptoms' during the
'quiet' spells.
My problem is that I crave peaceful interaction, but also crave
sufficient active members to ensure that there are no quiet
spells; two cravings that sadly are incompatible.
Woe still is me.
#Post#: 9211--------------------------------------------------
Re: 'Me' and internet forums
By: Pat Date: October 14, 2016, 4:41 pm
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It seems to me that by having two sites with the same members is
the main reason why one or the other of them is quiet.
#Post#: 9216--------------------------------------------------
Re: 'Me' and internet forums
By: Mike Date: October 15, 2016, 12:09 am
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[quote author=Pat link=topic=629.msg9211#msg9211
date=1476481308]
It seems to me that by having two sites with the same members is
the main reason why one or the other of them is quiet.
[/quote]
If both of James' sites were combined it would only add Dave and
Ivor to those who post on this one and, in any case I've found
that when things are quiet with one they also quiet with the
other so how would a combining of the two make any difference?
HTML http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae301/EarlyMemphis/Smileys-Animated/CryingSmiley.gif
#Post#: 9217--------------------------------------------------
Re: 'Me' and internet forums
By: Pat Date: October 15, 2016, 4:49 am
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Nobody said anything about combining.
#Post#: 9218--------------------------------------------------
Re: 'Me' and internet forums
By: guest26 Date: October 15, 2016, 8:32 am
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Why don't you join Kiva and lend money to worthy people, Mike?
I find it loads of fun. We have a thread at my site about it;
but we could move the discussion over here if you or someone
else here is interested.
Most of the people pay back the money; and then you can lend it
to someone else. One of my latest loans, which I didn't discuss
at my site, was to a woman in Haiti to help her build up her
stock of sandals to sell.
HTML https://www.kiva.org/lend/1151244
You know, if she doesn't pay me back, I'll figure it's because
of the hurricane, and I won't care. I lent to someone in the
Philippines and they got hit by a typhoon -- and still paid
back. It impressed me. By the way, you can look at my profile
by clicking on the cat reading the book at that link.
It's more than fun too since people are putting the money to
good use -- like the woman in India who wanted sanitary bathroom
fixtures. Or the man in Yemen who wanted a solar panel so he
had indoor lighting so his children could read at night. Sure
it's a war zone. So what if he can't pay me back? Someone has
to be willing to try to make the world a better place -- and I
love the fact that he is thinking of his children. He's
trying, so why shouldn't I?
Right now, my goal is to lend to all the countries they operate
in. So far, I've lent in 51 of the 78 countries. If and when I
meet that goal, I'll set another one. Right now, although I'm
working two jobs, I'm still paying down credit card debt. I've
paid off more than half of that -- and when that's paid off, God
willing that I don't need the money for anything, I'll be able
to put more money into Kiva.
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