Hope R.

I'd be willing to make a donation to the cause - and would prefer no ads. Hope R. color>size>face>

are finally able to read that itty bitty print. All I did was go to the "View / Text Size / Larger" on my browser - and VOILA!! Boy - did I give myself a big "DUH"after that one! Hope R. color>size>face>

THANKS SATORI I guess we don't have to click on something to make our HTMLcolor>size> work! COOL !!! size> And HTML works with Smileys here, too!!! Hope R. color>size>face>

I just discovered a teeny, tiny line on the first forum page that says "New Since Your Last Visit". It's on the right side of the page above the gray bar where it says Da Chat Room, etc. That pretty much gives you who wrote the last post on the more active threads. One more question. Can we make some of this print BIGGER - my old eyes are having trouble reading it with the gray or blue background - and it is awfully small in some areas. Hope R. color>size>face>

Or maybe we can... Paw - is there a preview somewhere that I'm missing? Also, is it possible to see who the last poster is as well as who started the thread? And I know I can set my clock to my time, but how to I get rid of military time? Some of my posts show that I've edited and some don't. Does that have to do with the time limit? Hey - pretty good for only a week or two.... If those things can't be done, oh well - I can learn to live with it! Hope R. color>size>face> Oops - found one more question... is there a UBB code for underlining? [This message was edited by Hope R. on June 19, 2002 at 16:42.]

Okay - It worked! It's a download. Make sure your kids aren't around. Waygone - you must have heard this before!!! Click THIS [This message was edited by Hope R. on June 19, 2002 at 11:27.]

(since the editing topic is settled....) I know we had 100,000 posts on the EZBoard GS. Any idea how many HITS there were? I would guess somewhere between 300k & 400k. Every time I looked at a thread, there were at least three times the hits are there were posts. Hope R. color>size>face>

Doesn't matter much to me anymore. I already know what I'm going to do about it. Have as much time to edit as needed. Most of us know the posters who change/delete their posts on a regular basis. If I find the need to respond, I'll copy their original post. If I don't need to respond, I won't (respond OR copy). It's just one extra step in writing a reply, but it makes the discussion/argument over editing time limits unnecessary. Hope R. color>size>face> wonder what happened to my icon??? Nevermind [This message was edited by Hope R. on June 18, 2002 at 7:45.]

There are opinions here that range from 10 minutes to infinity! And they're all right for each individual. Here’s what I’m going to try to do for my own sanity when it comes to others deleting and/or changing their posts, and for my own posts as well: If I know that someone has a propensity for deleting or changing their posts, and I choose to reply to their post the way they originally wrote it, I will copy it to a Word.doc for my own personal use . That way, if the post is changed or deleted, I can quote it to remind not only the poster, but remind myself as well as the others who read the discussion what was originally said. If I post something that I need to edit for things other than spelling or grammar, I will add a post with an explanation of why I may have changed my opinion, or apologize to anyone I may have offended by my original post. Whenever possible, I will use email as a way of communicating something I feel needs a response to the individual, instead of using the forums for issues that are personal in nature. If that person has their email address marked private – then I will ask them to please email me with their address. If that fails, and I really, really, really feel that it needs to be addressed, then I will post it. I won’t post anything if I’m not sure whether I want people to read it or not. If I have any thoughts that I will live to regret something I’ve written on a public discussion forum, I won’t post it. These are my self-imposed "rules". I don’t expect anyone to do the same things. I just wanted to share my opinion of what I need to do regarding the editing/deleting of posts - which is something I find irritating and frustrating at times. I still think a 24 hour editing time-limit should be enough for people to make decisions about their posts. That way if someone is not sure they want others to read what they have to say, then perhaps they’ll think more carefully about what they’re saying before they post it. P.S. An afterthought - because there is no preview function here - all of us may be editing for spelling, grammar and UBB Code more often. I know I probably will... especially until I get used to the UBB code. Hope R. color>size>face>

Hope R. color>size>face>

"This forum does not allow messages to be deleted" - geez....

But are they argyles, sweat socks, or gold toes?

Is there a preview button somewhere that I missed? Even though I post mostly on Word before I put it on the forums, I still like to see if any spaces were put in where they shouldn't be, etc. (on Word, that always happens for some reason). (The post will look like this and I have to go in to take out the spaces.)

I like that term - "closed society". I always used to consider TWI a "sub-culture", I even used it as an example of a sub-culture in my college Sociology class when I went back to school - and I was still IN TWI at the time! (how can there be any "sin" in sincere or "cult" in culture!!) I think "closed society" is a better description - escpecially for those of us who may have worked for TWI on staff, or even taken our Corps and/or WOW assignments as seriously as we did our secular jobs. FULL "I do not feel that I joined a cult but I did become a cult member." I guess that's the way I feel, too. And I agree with your time-line of when the cult-like part of TWI reared it's ugly head. But for a long time I LIKED being a part of the group I hooked up with. I liked that "one body", "one heart", "one mind" feeling. Sorta like knowing a secret handshake that only you and a few others get to use! This year is the first year I haven't been involved in any kind of "group" setting. No TWI or PTA (unless you consider GS a "group"). At first, I wondered "what am I going to do?" As the year progressed, I found that I was happy just being with myself and my family and having a few close friends. I also know I'm still drawn to be part of a group - and that I miss it at times. I was recently asked to be on the PTSA Board at the middle school my youngest will be going to next year. I have to say it's really tempting - and I haven't made a decision yet. Grizzy... We posted at almost the same time! (Does that make us "like-minded"? ) Volunteering can be taken too seriously in any group. But think of what we all could have done if we'd been volunteers in the Peace Corps instead of the Way Corps! I know I did more for my community in PTA than in TWI! I think I'm concerned that being part of a group causes a person to lose their sense of self - like it did in those latter years of TWI 2 that Hopefull mentioned. Maybe the longer a person is away from TWI, the more independent minded they become - so there's no "need" for a group, or the group they're a part of doesn't become the main focus of life for that person. Am I taking all this too seriously? I don't know. That's why I asked if any of you found yourselves wanting or needing to be part of some kind of group since leaving TWI, and did you take the new group as seriously? (edited because I wanted to respond to Grizzy - we posted at the same time!) [This message was edited by Hope R. on June 14, 2002 at 16:28.]

The main reason I use the word "cult" to describe TWI really has nothing to do with definitions, I do it for me. For a long time, I couldn't even use the word in reference to TWI. Oh, it was okay to use it about the Moonies, or the People's Temple, or the anyone BUT The Way. As far as "high demand religion" goes - I think of the Mormons or the JW's. Maybe it's because they have so many followers, I don't know. And TWI HATED the word "religion". And though I think the term could apply perhaps to TWI 1, I think TWI 2 under LCM's leadership became a text-book cult. And, Linda, I agree with what you said: "I still say twi was most "cult-like" to those who were inclined to follow the pack unquestioningly, allow an organization to tell them what to do and let so-called leaders manipulate them." But weren't all of us in that boat at one time or another in our TWI lives? How about those of us who went through the Corps? Or WOW? For me, I think my Corps years were the few years I was a "lemming for Loy". After I graduated, the adulation started to wear off and slowly but surely I began to think for myself again. But as I said earlier, this thread isn't really about defining the word "cult". I'll call it whatever you want me to. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck... All I was merely asking is if anyone got involved with another "group-think" organization after leaving TWI because it "felt" like the TWI they were first attracted to. I know I saw it in my area, I was just wondering if anyone else saw that pattern.

My signature isn't showing up... it did at first - but now it doesn't!

I've looked and looked, but can't find a "preview" function... is there one? Also - there's a counter for how many hits there have been on a post, but not how many people have actually posted. Don't know if we need it, but I'm sorta used to it!

The other thing I remembered as I was drifting off to sleep last night was something called "K-M". There was a whole group of people who left TWI in the late 80's and got involved with a MLM group that sold this product called "K-M". It was this nasty brown drink that was supposed to heal all wounds (can you say "snake-oil"?) Anyway - we got a call from someone who was trying to recruit us into selling, or at the least, buying the product. I remember this woman telling me she had just gotten back from a K-M Seminar and told me "it's just like PFAL!" It got really popular among the ex-Way folks here. I don't think it lasted all that long - but I remember thinking... "if it's just like PFAL, then why did you leave the ministry?" (of course, I was still in!) Someone I knew who was a Tupperware rep told me the National Tupperware Jamboree (Jubilee?) was "just like the Rock!" (Sorta when someone tells you that fried squirrel "tastes just like chicken"... yeah... I'll take the chicken, thank you!) Garth - I probably shouldn't have used the word "cult" in reference to anything other than TWI - what I meant was a group that had cult-like tendencies... the "look and feel" so to speak. And I never said that being likeminded was another definition of a cult... just that many of us may be drawn to other organizations that were like that. I've never read the list of what defines a cult because it does change from author to author. I know there are certain characteristics in these groups that are common in every "cult" (use another word... "sect", "faction"). I'm not trying to re-define the word "cult". I guess my question is for those who consider TWI a cult. If you don't - the question is moot. And perhaps we DO have a knee-jerk reaction when something is similar to TWI - I know I do! But I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with that. We're more aware of the manipulative tactics that cults use, and since we've been there, done that, we know when to disassociate ourselves from that group. And I almost agree with Wacky when she said... "and groups are not bad, they are necessary...and like-minded groups give us a sense of esteem and validation for our choices." But shouldn't we be able to validate our choices based on the results of those choices, rather than what everyone else thinks of them? Yes, it's nice when someone says "I like your shoes"... but I know I would buy shoes I like without needing anyone else's approval! And I know that: "No Man is an island, entire of itself; Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main..." So living like Ted Kosinski isn't an option either!

(and don't forget that Suzie's b-day is June 22nd!)

...that we were drawn into TWI because we LIKED the whole idea of being "likeminded" with other people? That "singleness of heart" and "undivided loyalty" was like a magnet for many of us? I know there are specific definitions for a cult, but aren't there organizations out there that aren't of a religious nature that can be considered "cult-like"? How many of you, after leaving TWI, jumped right into a spin-off group? How many of you got into a multi-level marketing program? How many of you became involved in PTA? Sold Tupperware? Amway? Are we just a bunch of people who needed to learn to think for ourselves? Or will we forever be attracted to organizations that encourage a "cult mentality"? I know I became involved in PTA before I left TWI. When I look back on it, it was a great segue out of TWI for me... but it was STILL a cult-like, group-think situation. In my case, our local PTA group were a bunch of very dedicated and motivated women who took their volunteering very seriously - too seriously. When I became a member of the Executive Board (read "Way Corps"), I was expected to give MORE time than the average volunteer. I was expected to be at EVERY PTA function, whether it was part of my responsibility or not. I was expected to buy the products from EVERY fund raiser we had. After all, we wanted to reach our goal of building a new playground or getting more books for the library! Finally after 4 years of being "in" - I realized that it was nothing more than a cult. I know it sounds funny... PTA? A cult? In this case and for my life - yes - it was. Have any of you found yourselves in a similar situation and you're yearning for that cozy "household" feeling? I'm not suggesting that EVERY group with a common goal is a cult. What I'm trying to say is do WE, survivors of a cult, MAKE these organizations cult-like because of our TWI involvement? Do we rely on them the way we relied on TWI in so many ways? Just my deep thought for the day... and I wanted to try out the new forum...

Just starting things up... 2003 will be the 25th Anniversary of our graduation. Should we get together or fugedaboudit?

Where's the party? Actually WHEN is the party? I'll bring the beer... Happy B-day Geo!

Paw - On EZBoard, I could set the number of posts that I wanted per page. I looked in "My Pop" and don't see that anywhere. Also, the tabs on My Pop are hard to read unless you highlight them with your mouse. I actually thought they were inactive tabs until I happened to click on one. Hope R. Hmmm - my signature didn't work here like it did on the other forum....

Radar - Could you please elaborate on why Don Wierwille was held backstage with an armed guard? Thanks.