Posted by COMF on March 18, 1999 at 19:34:12 {MW/gR4wSzjOiA}:
In Rick's thread below entitled "Update for the Friends," Jan suggested a category for deletions, "Clearly off-topic." Gary asked for clarification, stating that he felt it would just provide a loophole for moderator abuse.
I agree. More than that, though, I need to have group input on it so I can decide what to post. Most of you know that I occasionally go off on a tangent and post a lengthy description of an experience, such as my morning jog with Scott or my last visit to my father. Are these posts off-topic?
These have no direct connection with Jehovah's Witnesses. I post them because of the common bond we have as witnesses, and my desire to share with you different stages of growth and perception as I experience them. I also hope to move others to post similar experiences, happy and sad, which give us insight into their thoughts and feelings. When we understand other people better, the result is often a feeling of closer kinship with humanity as a whole, and with ourselves.
It is my hope, with posts like those, that readers will feel a bit of the same emotions I feel at the time of the experience, or will recall an experience of their own that made them feel that way. I think that by posting such topics, I am contributing to the good will of the board.
Now, tell me if I need to stop. I don't want to do it if the general consensus is, "That's nice, but this is not the place." Opinions, please.
Fred