Hi and welcome to the EC Forum.For newcomers, as most of us are, to this kind of medium, the original posting to the forum can be found under the heading "introduction". To participate, please refer to the bottom of this posting for some tips.
There are now a few comments to the introduction (follow the directions below to see them) to which I offer the following remarks: I would like the forum to be an open and respectful one, and if it leads to helpful ideas, that will be wonderful. Given the nature of free media, I will do my best to allow all views expressed in comments and responses to be published here-in. However, I will moderate these so that the forum maintains a suitable level of respect and seriousness-of-purpose.
One comment notes that the whole congregation should be given access. I presume this refers to BSBI. Anyone may email details or links to this site to anyone else. I may send links to the leadership of all the Charleston shuls, in due course, but so far I have not.
Another comment asks if the purpose is to "allow anonymous venting". Participants get to choose whether to identify themselves, or not. Some may choose to vent anonymously, others may not. My name is known, and listed on the opening page. I have had a number of responses and criticisms sent to me by personal email. These have generally been positive, and the tone and content of the introduction has been complimented by some. Look it over, decide for yourself, and let me know what you think. If you prefer to email me without having your comments published, I have created an email address for this forum - etzchayimforum@aol.com that you may use. BUT be sure indicate if you do not want your comments published, or if you want them posted anonymously.
Thanks for your interest and support.
ECF editor.
Tips for getting around this onlline forum:
Comments may be read and / or posted as detailed below -
To read comments - click on "comment". A comment option appears below each section or "posting". Then follow the instructions as they come up in a "bubble".
To participate in the forum, and post comments. Click on "Post comment" and follow the instructions. It is easy. The system will ask you to copy some letters that appear in a wavy kind of picture. This is to confirm that you are human - not some spam program from cyberspace. I hope I have set things up so that I get your posting to review before they will appear..... "everything in moderation"... and many thanks to those who have sent feedback to me via email.
1 comment:
Thank you, Peter, for setting up this open blog. It's a great idea, and a powerful tool for a community to come together. I run a blog as part of my work, and I teach online, so I see the potential - and downside - to this technology, and I understand some of the challenges of online discussion.
One person commented - anonymously, interestingly - concern that people could vent anonymously. As the moderator, Peter can delete a comment that is particulaly off the wall. If someone else want to set up their own blog - it's free, go forth and blog.
One of the key advantages to online discussion is the very fact that it is not immediate and it is not in person. We are not constrained by time and geography, so many more people can comment than would happen in a meeting. This also allows for people to think about what they are trying to say, and to craft a better response that one might when standing up in a meeting.
I teach college online, and we spend a lot of time teaching faculty and students about "tone." Keep in mind that we don't have the visual and aural cues of facial expressions (smiles, frowns) or tone of view (harsh, softer) that we have with inperson conversations. I urge everyone to first ask the other person if they meant what they wrote in the way others may take the meaning. Even experienced online writer goof from time to time.
Blog on!
Peter
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