Who's Calling the Shots at MAD?

[_Mister Scratch]

It has been less than a year, and already the stability of the aptly named MADboard is beginning to fritter away. With the recent announcement issued by the MADmoderating team that a certain contingent of that board would be, essentially, "migrating" away to ldsforums.com, I think it is worthwhile to once more take up the question of who the actual "owner" of MAD really is. Certainly, many have speculated that it is Dan_G. He played a crucial role in doing the cyber-bidding of Scott Gordon, Allen Wyatt, and John Lynch. But is he going solo nowadays? Or is juliann a major player as well? Who, at base, is calling the shots?

Another reason I ask is this: the announcement regarding ldsforums.com seems epochal. It is yet another retreat on the part of the online Mopologetic community. It also signifies, perhaps, a shift in power and control. I have to wonder: is this all happening in an effort to "get rid" of juliann? It seems that so much of the online Mopologetic drama was the direct result of trying to cater to her rather neurotic needs.... Is this yet another symptom of this ongoing disease?

[_Bond...James Bond]

I always though switching from the FAIRboard to MAAD names signified at least some switch in ownership....perhaps Juliann taking more of the reins than the rest of the FAIR guys. Since this new board is controlled by the More Good Foundation.....I think it signifies something of a shift in power. Perhaps the More Good Foundation is taking over MAD (since there appears to be quite a partnership between MAD and LDSF, or perhaps they're setting up for LDSF to be a complete spinoff eventually taking the fellowship aspects of MAD.

But I do think it's a retreat once again for Online Mormon Apologetics. Why else remove parts of MAD board to a completely new place (that's completely censored from all critics) than to keep a certain segment of current and future posters away from the "meat" of LDS criticisms?

[_beastie]

I know from personal experience on Z and FAIR that there are faithful LDS who are not comfortable with Juliann's approach to apologia and critics. They do not speak out openly because they do not want to be disloyal. I'm sure there are others who are equally uncomfortable with her approach, and her approach did become the accepted formula on MAD. So I'm not surprised that some may wish to distance themselves from that approach, and, at the same time, insulate their apologia from critical response.

[_Yoda]

You know what? I think that this LDS Forums may end up being a good thing, particularly if it clearly sets out its' mission and sticks to it.

I think that there were enough general complaints by faithful Church members who went to FAIR/MAD asking legitimate questions, looking for legitimate answers, who ended up getting their heads bit off by Juliann, Pahoran, et. al. insisting that because they stated they were a believing Mormon and asking questions, they must be a troll.

At least in this other forum, hopefully Church members will be treated kindly.

What was always ironic to me was that I actually stumbled across RfM first. I learned about FAIR from RfM.

I thought at the time...well...I'm a Church member. Let me give this board a chance.

Interestingly enough, I was treated very kindly at RfM and treated very poorly at FAIR.

After jumping through hoops, I finally gained trust with some people there(ironically, Juliann being among them initially), and was accepted as a legitimate member with questions.

Well, we all know how that little adventure eventually worked out.

LOL

In answer to your question, Scratch, as far as I am aware, Dan G is still the official owner of MAD, and does all of the techy work. Juliann, however, is still at the helm as far as content is concerned.

;)

[_Trevor]

Half of every good guerilla campaign is in the retreating. It's not about giving up. Retreat is simply another strategy to survive and prolong the war until a better option presents itself.

[_bcspace]

There is an element that can't stand debate (they confuse it with contention) and by extension can't stand their opinions to be scrutinized. But I don't think it has anything to do with MAD politics per se, it's just a common element among all peoples. There have been many forums like ldsforums that are staid places of retreat (in the restful sense).

I am quite certain no apologist worth his or her salt will 'retreat' (in the losing sense) to such a place. Those types of people (as well as true academians) must have their opinions and ideas in the fire to see if they hold up.

[_harmony]

I am quite certain no apologist worth his or her salt will 'retreat' (in the losing sense) to such a place. Those types of people (as well as true academians) must have their opinions and ideas in the fire to see if they hold up.

You have a very strange idea of apologists' and true BYU-type academians. From what I can gather, isn't LDSForums owned by the More Good Foundation? And wasn't the More Good Foundation founded by DCP and his buddies?

[_Trevor]

I don't know who founded More Good, but David Neeleman, the CEO of JetBlue airlines, was one of two wealthy LDS donors that contributed (between the two of them) roughly 400,000 dollars to the effort.

[_Daniel Peterson]

And wasn't the More Good Foundation founded by DCP and his buddies?

I had nothing to do with founding it, and I have nothing to do with running it.

[_Nightingale]

...wasn't the More Good Foundation founded by DCP and his buddies?

Actually, I have read DCP posts in which he states that he was not a founder of More Good.

I think there is confusion in that the way their main page presented (at least initially; I haven't seen it for a long time) seemed to indicate that the men pictured there were founders. Many readers apparently got that impression. That was also my understanding from that page until I saw DCP's explanation that he had been asked to write an endorsement of it but that he was not a founder.