Important: Poll on proposed subscription forums

[Blossom]

I just have to add one more thing.  I find it absolutely helarious that people are 'mad or appearing to be mad'.....because they are being given an option of having 'more'...

So what if it's 10's bucks.  I spend much more on that all the time on pure bs.. and I'm sure you all do too.

I havent' been here in a while but I'll be back and pay the 10.00 bucks to simply weed all this out.

Noone and certainly not a forum will make make you obe.  It can only give you ideas and suggestions on what to use and what methods to use. Buy the books by Bruce for more help.  They are all great~ [and more than 10-bucks....{hmmm}]

Now.........I am on the other threads.  Good luck everyone in making your decision.

Sincerely and cheers,
Blossom/Jenn

[krmason]

my two cents worth,

In the spiritualist school that I am in, they ran intot he same problem.  advanced students were complaining that when they posted a question, they were inundated with junior students replying with other questions.  So the topic of an advanced forum came up.

The idea was to create an advanced board where advanced students could post questions for teachers to respond without the tens of responses from other students.  this meant that there was less time looking for the teachers/other advanced students answers and actually reading them.  the junior students would be allowed to read the posts to gain knowledge.  The PM's were available so that the junior students could still contact the advanced students for questions, therefore not segregating the students.  Also, the advanced students were asked to still visit the other forums to answer questions.

I would like to say that it did work.  It actually did two things.  It allowed the advanced students to get the answers they needed without weeding out the junior's questions and gave the junior classes more indept knowledge to learn from.  It also made teh advanced students less stressed out from weeding out "fluff"(as there was none) and giving them more time to search the junior boards and leaving questions they WANTED to answer.

In all, if you have a board where there is a high level of discussion, then there should be a provision that allows other viewers to at least view it for their own education.  Then, as they get enlightened, they can join the paying board.

As for those who can't pay but are experienced, then make the non-paying boards your realm and make it what it was.  Ask Adrian to make you a moderator and control it.

Ken Mason

[Sygmoral]

I've been a user here for only a while, and few people will have heard of me, but that's because I mostly read, rarely post. Most (beginner-) questions have been asked already anyway.

I have not voted yet. I don't intend to vote, because I think the options are too limited.

• If there is to be a new forum, then it should definitely be viewable to the world, regardless of the way the users can obtain allowance to post into that forum.
  


• Having to pay to post in the new forum is kind of 'not fair'... I would agree that AP could very well use the money, for whatever purpose that would benifit its users, but it is not good to put a lign between members that can pay and those that can't.
  
  Therefore, my suggestion is to start with a number of obviously advanced users (for free). The moderators could make up this list. After that, any member that wants to post in the advanced forum must ask to be considered, and then everyone that is already member in the new forum should (anonymously) vote whether this person is worth to be allowed. The reasons why somebody should be allowed, should be their posts in -this- forum, that Advanced Users can review.
  Advanced Users should also not be afraid to vote 'no'. I really think the Advanced Forum should be some sort of an Elite group (in my eyes at least).
  
  This way, and only in this way I think, can you group the more advanced people.
  
  About the money; there should really be some sort of a donation possibility. I would gladly donate like $25, but wouldn't pay $10 for the forum because I'm only a beginner anyway.
  
  Beginners can have $10. Anyone can have $10. Therefore, in this way, there will always be 'unworthwhile' members in the Advanced Forum. ==> membership should be DESERVED, not bought!

Sygmoral

[Rastus]

Why hasn't anyone suggested the most obvious answer:

Write the password of the week on Adrians computer, if you can OOBE there to read it (or far view) then you get in.  The real way to seperate the wheat from the chaff!  Of course it will make his house awfully busy [:I]

[HigherSelf]

Leave the paid forum visable, but not postable, by everyone for three or four months so that all can see if this is an investment that they want to make.

After that the paid subscribers can post their ten dollar thoughts with more privacy.

HS

[Phong]

quote:Originally posted by Rastus

Write the password of the week on Adrians computer, if you can OOBE there to read it (or far view) then you get in.  The real way to seperate the wheat from the chaff!

Yes. Do this.

[Blackstream]

quote:Originally posted by Phong

quote:Originally posted by Rastus

Write the password of the week on Adrians computer, if you can OOBE there to read it (or far view) then you get in.  The real way to seperate the wheat from the chaff!

Yes. Do this.

It would prolly be better to have a symbol of some sort since from what I hear, it's kinda hard to see words that are irl, in the astral.  Dunno why, but apparently it is.  Of course, it's a bit harder to set up a password system for a symbol :p

[LogoRat]

If you become a member to that extra paid forum by paying $10 per year, you may still be a newbie and a fluffbunny.

You will not make it an advanced and focused forum, you will only make it a Payer forum, it will not make it any different except that those that are there have a creditcard.

[Kazbadan]

Maybe Adrian could try the idea for one year (or half a year and half the price). If it looks like that there are no differences between paypal forums and free forums, so he could end up with the first ones (paying forums).

Where is Adrian? I wanna ear the opinion that i has.

[Adrian]

Greetings Kazbadan,

quote:Originally posted by Kazbadan

Maybe Adrian could try the idea for one year (or half a year and half the price). If it looks like that there are no differences between paypal forums and free forums, so he could end up with the first ones (paying forums).

Where is Adrian? I wanna ear the opinion that i has.

All I can say is that this entire situation is under review and we will do what is right for all concerned; of that you can be sure.

Our absolute objective is a high quality forum where all members have complete respect for each other at all times irrespective of knowledge or experience. Be assured that we have the very best interests of all sincere seekers of the truth in mind always.

With best regards,

Adrian.

[Patrick-usa01]

I think the subscription idea is a good idea in that it will:

1)  Limit those who are really interested in these subjects. So that more meaningful discussions can take place.

2)  It will also be quicker to find relevant posts by more experienced members which will also help with answering questions only more experienced members can answer.

3) Reduce the amount of "static" from well intentioned, but not experienced members.

4) The money will help maintain the website.

On the negative side I think it will:

1)  Create a "brain drain" from the original forums. Which will cause more confusion for beginners and those that can't access the advanced forums for whatever reason.

2)  If the new forums can't be read by nonmembers I think it would deprive the community as a whole from thoughtful discussions and insight. If someone wants a message to be private then use private messaging.

Some thoughts:

1) I think it would be a great idea to have an area where only experienced members can post but others could read. So experienced users get answers from experienced users and newbies can learn more.

2) To join the group post requirements for being considered an experienced member. Such as actually having had an OBE, fully read Astral Projection, etc.. Then ask the moderator to join the group.

3) I've also found the forums to be so large, and there are so many newbies, that the forums are jammed with basic questions and uninformed answers that make it more time consuming to find more advanced help.

4) Creating guidelines for posting and enforcing them will help reduce the amount of static in the forum.

5) If money is needed then post stats on what is needed and how much is collected. Many people will give money if they know it is needed. Have a balance sheet of how much is needed.

Yes: I would welcome a highly focussed subscription only service for $10 per year
--I would if it was necessary to keep the forums on the internet.

No: I have no interest in joining a highly focussed subscription only service
--I don't think a subscription service is necessary to have more focused forum.

[LogoRat]

Money is not an answer to this problem.
I vote NO.

[EJN]

I understand that all old forums will be free.  All new elite forums will be available to subscribers only. Is it correct? Does it mean that someone browsing and looking for information, as you can find now in Frank's messages, will find only basic Q&A topics? All valuable thoughts and experiences will be inaccessible to them, such a pity!  More people will be left alone with their 'stupid' questions and doubts.  I think these new forums should be visible to all interested in OBE/AP, etc.  

I'll pay $10. I am a reader, and I love to learn from smart and intelligent people. I think I am not alone on this.

Elena

[kerbe6]

I think it would be great to have a forum that is heavily moderated and has mature people posting in it.  

On thing that I am not sure about is the issue of people under 18 not having the chance to be part of this new forum (I am 15).  I know that my parents would never let me use their PayPal account to pay for this...hell I would be thrown out of the house if they knew I visited forums such as AstralPulse.

*Shrug* I guess I would find some way to pay for it...

[SSGR]

I agree with the prospect of having a more exclusive and focused discussion forum.  With one exception...I think it is incredibly important for Energetic/Energy Body Development to be included in the pay only forums.  For many of us, myself included, that is the foundation for everything else.  I think excluding that subject matter/topic would be a great loss to members who do subscribe to the new forum.

[Nagual]

6257 members * $10 = $62,257.00 for a year, not bad []
Of course, not all of them would pay.  Maybe 10% would?
Again, an alternative to a yearly fee would be banner ads...
But that removes the filtering aspect; being good and/or bad.

[Thing]

sorry

shame on you!

[Phong]

Alright, I think I've got it.

Focus isn't missing as much as critical discussion is. Create a new forum section called "Exegesis" that only allows critical reflections of assertions, experiences, theories, and published works (including Bruce's treatise). What follows are suggestions for rules followed by specific examples of how they are unique from the rest of the forum.


• No opinions will be expressed unless they are supported by arguable foundations. The rest of the forum allows statements of "I believe..." without further support. If an assertion is to be made it must be supported.

• No work shall be referenced without bibliographical record. The rest of the forum allows statements of "I heard that..." without attributing specific credit. If another author says such-and-such, then quote it with the title of the published work and the page number or the website URL.

• Explanations of personal experiences will be in-depth and fundamentally precise so as to undergo public scrutiny, and will be followed by the author's own supportable opinion. The rest of the forum allows members to share experiences without personal reflection, giving license to immediately ask questions like "what did I experience..?" which are nigh impossible to answer with credulity.

• No theory of astral projection will be allowed unless supported by the author's own past sensory experience. The rest of the forum allows members to rudimentarily theorize about phenomena based on other people's experiences and not necessarily their own. In an academic setting this is dishonest.


As the last sentence suggests, these rules are derived from an academic context. They require the author's statements to withstand formal review. Since we are mostly agreed that meditation, dreams, lucid dreams, AP, OBE's, etc. fall within a continuum of awareness, anyone who has closed their eyes has something to contribute. These rules do not, and should not, exclude anybody, but provide a framework for focused and meaningful discussion.

Any thoughts?

[Adrian]

Greetings everyone,

Thank you all very much indeed for your valued comments so far.

I can assure you that these are certainly all being taken into account, and it is by no means certain that any sort of membership fee will be involved. Money per se simply is not the fundamental issue here. The objective is rather to create and maintain a level of forums that we all enjoyed for the first year or so of the Astral Pulse as many members will I am sure remember.

I would be the first to state quite categorically that all contributors and contributions to these forums are most welcome, as well as fully recognising the fact that everyone is on their own individual path, all requiring differing levels of knowledge and experiences, which after all is why we are all here on Earth this time around as is the case during each incarnation; we come to Earth each time for a specific purpose, and the purpose of each person is unique and individual. The Astral Pulse will therefore continue as it is with the existing forums in order to meet the aspirations of as wide a range of people as possible without any restrictions aside from the forums standards of conduct.

However, at the same time, many members, especially the original ones, have been deterred due to the way these forums have evolved over the last 12 months or so, and these are members who often have very valuable contributions to make as well as seeking further information and knowledge on their own paths. It is these people who we are seeking to bring back to a forum environment which is of most value to them and all others who share that environment.

This is in no way elitist or any other such notion, but rather we have to accept the reality that everyone is here to learn different things in different ways, and it is not always compatible with the next person; that does not make the aspirations of any member any more important than the next member, it is just the way it is.

I can assure everyone that, with the moderators, I most definitely will be taking the appropriate action quite soon to further my intentions to provide concurrent forums, which, togther with the Astral Pulse, will meet the requirements and aspirations of everyone. Whether this will be by subscription or not, or indeed within the Astral Pulse has yet to be decided, but again you can be sure that I am taking into account all of the comments here which I appreciate.

With best regards,

Adrian.

[coral1]

Greetings Adrian

I just want to thank you and all the moderators for doing a good job in keeping the forum as coherent as it is.I agree it would be good to refocus on the original topics.

Keeping a handle on the forum the way it is at present is like trying to herd cats!

Happy Trails

[KEN LONG]

Seems Like a cool idea to me. Some people do not understand the concept. You have a green light from me [^]

[jilola]

This is just uinnecessary stirring of the pot bu

quote:However, at the same time, many members, especially the original ones, have been deterred due to the way these forums have evolved over the last 12 months or so, and these are members who often have very valuable contributions to make as well as seeking further information and knowledge on their own paths.

So there's a significant number of quality members who have stated the decline of general content as their principal reason for leaving?
That would be a good reason to realign the forums but I still doubt money, especially a nominal sum, would change much.

How about starting the new forums as invitational by Adrian and senior moderators initially and then by general and open and vote for each new applicant/invitee to the new forums. You could still allow reading access to the general population.

2cents & L&L
Jouni

[Kazbadan]

Yes, a special forum for moderators and old posters.

I just would like to know when it´s gonna be taken a decision.

[FreeFaller]

im sorry but i disagree. i think that the forum splitting is a good idea, but pay no. no paying only because i feel that astral pulse will lose many members especialy me, and not the fact that i have to pay but the fact that im not allowed to pay. my parents forbid it. and besides i dont have a credit card..

[daem0n]

one more time
we all agree that new forums will be visible
subscribing doesn't guarantee high quality, but idea of invitation forum seems appealing, one thought, why not use memebers introduction forum, where one will state what he can do, what he read and such, in this manner it could be possible to suggest filling books and sites to newbies, as well as more advanced people, and at the same time avoid basic questions and save time, it would also help if links section was simplified and visible from forum page
i would like to hear your comment on that adrian
wish i thought more before voting ...