The Evolution of the Juliann Board

[_beastie]

She does seem to be much more overt about claiming hegemony over the board than she was a month or two ago.

Glad to see someone else has noticed, and I'm not just imagining things. Something's up over there... maybe behind the scenes rumblings about the direction of the board, and how to manage the problem of LDS feeling attacked by critics. Just like what happened on Z. Keep in mind this conversation happened right before ZLMB died.

I don't think MAD is going to die, but I do think that the moderators will become even more aggressive with critics, and there will be few left standing, in the end.

[_barrelomonkeys]

Well I think it's a shame that there are a few people over there that are just so downright mean. The majority I've met over there were genuinely nice people. I think the worse thing for the Church would be for people like me (investigators) to stumble across that site. Seriously.

[_harmony]

I don't think MAD is going to die, but I do think that the moderators will become even more aggressive with critics, and there will be few left standing, in the end.

I think the main problem is they can't control the whole internet. MAD board's critics aren't near as big a problem as LDS critics are in places they can't control. They can't control the content here, and that just eats at them. And it's like the guy who hates his job, who goes home and yells at his wife, who then yells at the kids, and then the kids kick the dog. The MAD mods would love to shut MDB down, but they can't... so they kick the dog.

[Tator]

You may be right, Harmony, and the irritation is boards like this one. Juliann made this comment on the "entitlement" thread:

Heh...it should certainly come up as often as "the church is racist!" threads do...like twice a month? Seriously, I intend to bring this up often until angry countermos get the picture that we are going to talk about whatever we want on our own board just as they do on their boards.

I really don't understand. How in the world has she concluded that "angry countermos" are saying that the believers can't talk about whatever they want on their own board?

I don't recall a single poster suggesting this.

It seems to me that perhaps what Juliann wants is the right to say whatever they want without other people discussing it on other boards. Ironic, given that she defended their right to critique what the MMA was saying. They do the same thing we do. What is the problem?

I'm glad Juliann plans to keep bringing this up. It provides a lot of entertainment. I can only hope that, at the same time, she keeps demanding to know why "angry countermos" think it's always about them.

Reality is that no "angry countermo" (whoever that is) likely would want MAD to shut down. They provide endless fodder. Does she really not understand this? They WANT you to keep talking, Juliann. They WANT you to keep doing what you have done today - which is behave in total, very obvious, hypocrisy. Heck, I want you to continue as you are, and I'm not even an "angry countermo". I'm just very entertained by you. I've given up on real dialog, so I go with laughs now.

[_skippy the dead]

I've been reading the MAD board for a good long while now, and I have noticed a change over that time, particularly after it was divested from FAIR. The tone is increasingly nasty, and I don't mean from the critics. The apologists and their supporters have been given free reign to insult critics (or even anyone without a testimony as strong as their own!), with no fear of reprisals. If a critic gets "uppity", they tend to be immediately slapped down by the moderators, who have given up any appearance of neutrality or even-handedness after that whole Gee affair.

Granted, I accept that juliann can run the board anyway she wants (and yes, she does run the board). But just because someone CAN do something doesn't mean they SHOULD. If she wants to trash this board and those who post on it on a regular basis, of course she can. Does that make her look small, petty and mean? Yes. I recognize that critics will never have equal footing on MAD, but I would like to think that a Mormon board would have slightly higher standards than what is exhibited by juliann.

[_dartagnan]

Juliann: (Some discussion about angry ex-Mormons)

Critic: I know angry Mormons, that are just angry. I wonder what causes that?

Juliann: Why don't you start your own thread and figure it out instead of trying to derail this one? Why is this so threatening to exmos? You expect us to sit here and listen to every last detail of every negative thing that exists about Mormons. And we do. How about affording us the same courtesy on our own board? We can even do it without the bad language.

Juliann is obviously the one who feels threatened every time someone disagrees with the thesis of her thread. How many threads has she started which she later says has been “derailed”? Virtually all of them it seems. This is how she interprets disagreement. She slams every single poster who doesn’t give her a high-five. They’re all “trying to derail.” Now maybe it is just me, but most people probably assume that the MAD “discussion” forum would be about discussion. Juliann substitutes this with lecture.

This incident above helped me understand why she went ballistic in the past on so many occasions, constantly accusing me and everyone else of “derailment.” You have to agree with her. You cannot mention any peripheral observation, no matter how relevant it might be to help one form a conclusion. It is amazing that she could expect a discussion about “angry ex-Mormons” to importune zero comments other than “Yes, I agree.” Since “countermos” exist on the forum it seems like a perfectly good place to voice disagreement by observing that there are also “angry Mormons.” But Juliann will have none of it. You can only talk about angry ex-Mormons or else you’re trying to rewrite the rules on the forum. What??

Could you imagine every countermo who starts a thread, being given the leeway to dictate what constitutes derailment?

critic: Why are Mormons so angry sometimes?

apologist: What, like they could ever be as angry as you countermos?

critic: You're derailing the thread. We're only going to talk about angry Mormons.

Somehow I doubt this response would go over well with the mods, but Juliann has always been able to get away with needless aggression because she does a great job with the "poor us we're so persecuted and we let you do it to us even on Mormon forum," whine.

Her threads should come with a disclaimer informing the audience that disagreement will not be tolerated. Disagreement = “derailment” in the MAD dictionary.

[_beastie]

Juliann's latest comment:

The myths are morphing, however. I have often been told how I, the pied piper, lured posters from ZLMB to FAIR. First, the underlying assumption is that...surprise...we are all to keep our mouths shut. Second, Cal does not even agree with their mythology. It doesn't matter who creates, funds, or runs the boards and what they say...the angry countermos have an explanation for everything. It is absolutely hilarious to see them taking stabs in the dark about the goings on of FAIR when they know nothing but talk as if they know everything.

What I find interesting about the mythology is another underlying assumption...that "LDS" are a commodity without minds, thus making them subject to whoever enthralls them. I am not sure what the bottom line complaint is..that I supposedly hypnotized them all into coming here or that they stayed without permission from their tormentors on ZLMB. There is a sort of "left behind" pathos beneath the loss of the LDS, however...almost of Exodus proportions to hear the lament of my leading them like Moses into the promised land.

Well, this happens to be a myth rooted in reality, because I well remember Juliann inviting ZLMBers repeatedly to FAIR with the promise of superior management.

but aside from that, Juliann finds this hilarious. I find her comments equally amusing. So everyone is having a good time, right?

Tell me again who is trying to silence Mormons?

[_CaliforniaKid]

I'm glad Juliann plans to keep bringing this up. It provides a lot of entertainment.

It also seems likely that the more she brings it up, the fewer people will want to participate there. I was already losing interest, but this has somewhat accelerated the process. I'd prefer a board with even-handed moderation to one with no moderation, but MDB will do in a pinch I suppose. I wonder if other people will find their way over here as well. Some more really solid LDS posters would help.

[_barrelomonkeys]

Well I didn't mean to stir up that hornets nest. My husband just read all of the threads and told me I need to get a good book.

I don't think I'll be going back. I wish more LDS would come here. If only to post in the forums where flames are not tolerated.

[_ruthbeersheba]

I always suspected someone FAIRite opened up their sock puppet drawer impersonating critics on ZLMB when the board took a nose dive and still do.