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 The JREF is letting go of its forum
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Kil
Evil Skeptic

USA
13476 Posts

Posted - 08/07/2014 :  11:56:25  Show Profile  Visit Kil's Homepage  Send Kil an AOL message  Send Kil a Yahoo! Message Send Kil a Private Message  Reply with Quote
As crazy as it seems, the JREF is letting go of its very popular forum. If the forum survives, and there is reason to think it won't, it will be off of any server paid for by the JREF, and not associated with the JREF any longer.

Given the support the JREF gets from its forum, the decision to do that seems mind boggling to me. Anyhow, this turn of events has been going on for a few days now, and a whole lot of people are very confused about the reasons for it and what's going to happen next.

The best I can do right now is provide you with a link to the discussion about it on the forum itself.

Future of the Forum

I learned about it because I was invited into a facebook group called JREFUGEES. It's a closed group so there is no point in my linking to it.


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ThorGoLucky
Snuggle Wolf

USA
1486 Posts

Posted - 08/07/2014 :  12:01:34   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit ThorGoLucky's Homepage Send ThorGoLucky a Private Message  Reply with Quote
LOL on the Facebook name. Me thinks TAM will find other avenues for coordinatin volunteers.
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Kil
Evil Skeptic

USA
13476 Posts

Posted - 08/07/2014 :  12:19:53   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Kil's Homepage  Send Kil an AOL message  Send Kil a Yahoo! Message Send Kil a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by ThorGoLucky

LOL on the Facebook name. Me thinks TAM will find other avenues for coordinating volunteers.
They will have to. But many forum members donate both time and money to the JREF.
Also, a several forum members learned about the JREF by way of its forum. I think this is a huge mistake. But hey...


Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.

Why not question something for a change?

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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend

Sweden
9687 Posts

Posted - 08/08/2014 :  07:10:54   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Send Dr. Mabuse an ICQ Message Send Dr. Mabuse a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Dglas is absolutely thrilled. He was permanently banned from JREF forum for having the audacity to question JREF's stance on atheism. He's been on a verbal crusade against JREF and A+ ever since.

Anyway, I'm also baffled by this decision. Not that I spend a lot of time there, but I can see the importance of having the forum going...

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Dave W.
Info Junkie

USA
26020 Posts

Posted - 08/08/2014 :  12:13:57   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Dave W.'s Homepage Send Dave W. a Private Message  Reply with Quote
A bunch of years back, I recall Dawkins' foundation deciding to get rid of their forums, but they claimed it was because the forums weren't helping with the RDF's mission. (The firestorm began when users were told they wouldn't be able to copy/paste their old messages out before the forums would be shut down.)

I read only the first page of the JREF thread, and Sharon Hill was just saying that the hardware and software need to be updated. Did that turn out to be a cover story for the same sort of "the forums aren't supporting the JREF's mission" thing?

- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
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Dave W.
Info Junkie

USA
26020 Posts

Posted - 08/08/2014 :  12:14:38   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Dave W.'s Homepage Send Dave W. a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse

Dglas is absolutely thrilled. He was permanently banned from JREF forum for having the audacity to question JREF's stance on atheism. He's been on a verbal crusade against JREF and A+ ever since.
How is A+ even slightly relevant to his ban from the JREF forums?

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Kil
Evil Skeptic

USA
13476 Posts

Posted - 08/08/2014 :  13:14:32   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Kil's Homepage  Send Kil an AOL message  Send Kil a Yahoo! Message Send Kil a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by Dave W.
I read only the first page of the JREF thread, and Sharon Hill was just saying that the hardware and software need to be updated. Did that turn out to be a cover story for the same sort of "the forums aren't supporting the JREF's mission" thing?

That turned out to be the rational. Things have moved rather quickly from that first announcement. I haven't tracked down all of the news. But yes. The forum will be moved to another server with a new owner. The JREF will help pay some of the expenses for doing that for 6 months, as I understand it. After that, it will not be tied to the JREF in any way. There are several people trying to hold it together. Sharon Hill and Jeff Wagg are among them. But it seems that the dye is cast.

Regarding the JREF Forum status

The above doesn't tell the whole story. What I mean is the forum is literally being cut loose and will not have any affiliation with the JREF other than maybe some links. The JREF doesn't think the forum advances its mission, anymore.

Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.

Why not question something for a change?

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Kil
Evil Skeptic

USA
13476 Posts

Posted - 08/08/2014 :  13:21:14   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Kil's Homepage  Send Kil an AOL message  Send Kil a Yahoo! Message Send Kil a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Dglas has had his knickers in a bind about James Randi saying that the JREF isn't an atheist organization, years ago. It's a skeptical organization. Dglas challenged that view over and over again. I guess whoever was administrating got tired of it and punted him.

I know nothing of his views about A+.

Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.

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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard

USA
3834 Posts

Posted - 08/08/2014 :  14:25:40   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send beskeptigal a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Hi Guys.

Thought I'd check in, see who was still around.

Oh look, my old avatar.

I can take or leave the JREF forum. Even though I still check in all the time, I've migrated to a new forum for writers. I finally got around to writing a book (3/4 done but still a ways to go), something completely different than the 'my life' story I always thought I'd write. I'll post a thread on it later.

Anyway, I do hope to see some familiar JREF members showing up here, and some, maybe not so much. Not sure what's going on over there or whether the forum will be there the next time I check in.
Edited by - beskeptigal on 08/08/2014 14:28:19
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard

USA
3834 Posts

Posted - 08/08/2014 :  14:40:16   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send beskeptigal a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Excuse the off topic post but how do I switch it to show the last post in a thread first. I can't seem to find the toggle.

Thanks
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Kil
Evil Skeptic

USA
13476 Posts

Posted - 08/08/2014 :  15:09:53   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Kil's Homepage  Send Kil an AOL message  Send Kil a Yahoo! Message Send Kil a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by beskeptigal

Hi Guys.

Thought I'd check in, see who was still around.

Oh look, my old avatar.

I can take or leave the JREF forum. Even though I still check in all the time, I've migrated to a new forum for writers. I finally got around to writing a book (3/4 done but still a ways to go), something completely different than the 'my life' story I always thought I'd write. I'll post a thread on it later.

Anyway, I do hope to see some familiar JREF members showing up here, and some, maybe not so much. Not sure what's going on over there or whether the forum will be there the next time I check in.

Welcome back, beskeptigal!

I'm interested in hearing about your book.

I don't know if we will pick up any JREF forum members, or at least many of them because our forum runs at such a different pace. Plus I felt it would be uncool of me to offer this place as a new home for those who feel disenfranchised. But for any who want to check us out, cool!

I have friends over there and I wish them the best, is all.

Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.

Why not question something for a change?

Genetic Literacy Project
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard

USA
3834 Posts

Posted - 08/08/2014 :  16:01:07   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send beskeptigal a Private Message  Reply with Quote
It looks like the JREF Forum under new ownership is likely. But either way, I was actually thinking about dropping by here anyway.

So how do I get the last post to show up first?
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Kil
Evil Skeptic

USA
13476 Posts

Posted - 08/08/2014 :  16:31:32   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Kil's Homepage  Send Kil an AOL message  Send Kil a Yahoo! Message Send Kil a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by beskeptigal

So how do I get the last post to show up first?
I don't think you can. Ask Dave.

Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.

Why not question something for a change?

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Dave W.
Info Junkie

USA
26020 Posts

Posted - 08/08/2014 :  19:19:54   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Dave W.'s Homepage Send Dave W. a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Yeah, last-post-first has never been an option here.

But big welcome back anyway, beskeptigal!

- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
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Dave W.
Info Junkie

USA
26020 Posts

Posted - 08/08/2014 :  20:23:44   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Dave W.'s Homepage Send Dave W. a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by Kil

The JREF doesn't think the forum advances its mission, anymore.
And they felt that they needed to lie about it, first.

I'm not sure that the JREF leadership advances the JREF mission, anymore.
Dglas has had his knickers in a bind about James Randi saying that the JREF isn't an atheist organization...
Yeah, I knew that part.
I know nothing of his views about A+.
That's the part that has me confused about what Mab said. JREF and A+ might share some members, but that's the only thing they have to do with one another. JREF isn't responsible for A+, and some high-up JREF people seem rather opposed to the mere idea of A+, so I don't get why being banned from the JREF forums would cause Dglas to oppose A+.

- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too.
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Kil
Evil Skeptic

USA
13476 Posts

Posted - 08/08/2014 :  21:50:05   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Kil's Homepage  Send Kil an AOL message  Send Kil a Yahoo! Message Send Kil a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Dave:
And they felt that they needed to lie about it, first.

What lie?

Dave:
I'm not sure that the JREF leadership advances the JREF mission, anymore.

Well... There is that.


Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.

Why not question something for a change?

Genetic Literacy Project
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