John844.org

[wmfinck]

A couple of years ago I got the idea to set up a website that went beyond the normal forum capabilities and the possibilities for collaboration and discussion. The result was John844.org, which runs on a content management system called Drupal using something called Organic Groups.

John844.org has the ability for users to create groups, invite other site members to join them, or to leave them open. Each group (also called Topics on the site) can be public, private, moderated, listed or unlisted. Therefore users can create groups for particular topics or discussions and they can be published to the public, or only to selected site members.

Once a group (topic) is created, users may post several different types of content within the group. John844.org allows users to post, either by uploading or embedding, videos, audios, images and other such content types. For example, it has a wiki-page content type that can be edited by any group member. Files of many types may be uploaded and shared among group members, or also to the public if the group is public. Posts may be commented on, and posts in public groups may be commented on by people who are not group members, or even who are not site members, although those comments are held in queue awaiting approval.

Because of its capability, the possibilities for discussion and, more importantly since it was the original intent, for multi-user collaboration, are endless. The site can also still be further improved as new ideas and/or requirements arise.

When it was set up, the website was used quite a bit by certain people who frequent the Christogenea Chat Server (another project not everyone here uses, or even knows about), however a few of those people have moved on to other endeavors, and others are still in contact, but are too busy with other aspects of their lives. Another hurdle to the site's success is that not everyone likes the much more complex interface.

Membership at John844.org is by word-of-mouth only, and registrations are approved by request only, to me of course. If the site became more active, I would find room to devote more time to improvements.

I posted this here today because Nayto wished to know more about the project, in another thread.

[Nayto]

Ah thanks for the post. Quick question: Did you intend for it to be a CI knowledge repository or are you providing some means of content management out of good will?

Sites like this are great. There is so much knowledge and wisdom among our people, but much of it is lost due to a lack of codification, or a transfer of tacit to explicit forms of knowledge. Often forums don't provide enough cues to elicit that knowledge, although it helps. Alluding to a point in your post though, it obviously requires more initiative on behalf of the users.

In a broader sense, it is probably a good idea to start recording and consolidating our experiences and knowledge. A Codex Christogenicus if you will, lol. One example could be a book of herecy, in which Joe November would be the star of a chapter. Our movement could probably gain more momentum with such documentation.

[wmfinck]

Nayto, John844 was intended to be both of those things, and more. Good will is not an issue in a truly Christian community. Anyone who has followed me the past five years (Christogenea will be 5 in January) should be able to see that my only motives have been (A) an honest and scholarly exegesis of Scripture employing sound methodologies, and (B) the development of a sound Christian Identity community based on Scriptural foundations.

I have alienated a lot of people along the way, some of them good but misdirected and some of them bad. However nearly all of the people whom I have alienated have had their own agendas, and therefore because of their agendas they look for reasons to find fault with me. A minority of them are jealous or envious for other reasons, even personal ones. I will continue to alienate all such people, I am certain.

The Dewey Tucker crowd is the most recent example, and there are people who were active here until recently but who have now left, who simply cannot see through that turkey. C'est la vie. I will soon prove that he is not grounded in Scripture at all, but has rather contrived several of his own heresies. For that reason and others he is now making ad hominem attacks against me, and is even using Joe November as a willing stooge.

Contrary to the beliefs of some morons, I have never been egocentric, nor have I ever talked down to people from a pulpit. My chat server, this forum, and John844.org are all proof of that. While I am quick to disagree with someone who is not in agreement with Scripture, I am slow to argue over much of anything else.

While I am not the only pastor (if I must use the term) in CI with a forum, I am one of few. But I am the only one with a public chat server where I can be addressed openly and freely by anyone who takes the time to follow the directions provided at Christogenea.net. Sadly, I may be the only pastor in CI who also has the technical ability to do what I have done without reliance upon others.

Until last summer, my chat server was used by quite a few people every evening, when I was single and I was there nearly every night. Now it is used much less frequently. I am disappointed because while it once had hundreds of users, they have mostly fallen away without my participation. But I never wanted it to be all about me. I had hoped that it develop into a sustainable community of people who enjoyed talking to and exchanging ideas with each other. There are a few of those, but with most people it has not been the case.

I initialized John844.org for the same reasons, that people with ideas could discuss, develop and present them to others of like mind. I do not want to be a pope and I do not want to be the only one in CI to do what I do. I have always been about encouraging leadership development and giving room to others with creative energies, brains and talent - in addition to knowledge of and zeal for Scripture.

That is why I am certainly not threatened by men like Mark, who has had a free hand here and whom I was totally comfortable making an Admin. He certainly deserves the position. Other CI pastors may have had the honor, but some have chosen to follow agendas instead. It is Christ whom we must all recognize as King and Teacher and Ruler, and we are all brethren. However we can only be brethren in Christ, and therefore it is His Word which must always prevail.

The Christogenea forum, John844.org which has much greater potential but which is much more complex than the forum, and the Christogenea chat server were all begun by me with these goals in mind.

[Nayto]

People who are passionate about their beliefs in combination with putting a lot of time and effort into their knowledge structures are often seen as arrogant. I suppose the internet is a thick veil through which to look at someone as well. Ironically, such people are often quick to admit to areas where they lack knowledge and have put in comparatively little effort.

I myself have joined the chat server a couple of times, but there is rarely anyone on. Maybe it's exacerbated by the time difference though, me being in South Africa and all.

The question is though, how can this vision of a community be realized and become a reality given the current factors?

(Imagine Paul saying a man has more time to serve God when he is single, lol.)

[wmfinck]

Actually, Christogenea has been several communities over the last few years, all of them quite disparate. There are people who are here but never in the chat server. There are people in Talkshoe or on the main website chat page for programs who are never here or on the chat server. There are people on the chat server but not here. It is all strange to me, LOL. You can lead a horse to water...

There used to be a small group of people on the Chat server regularly in the daytime (EST). That group evaporated with the passing of our dear sister, Sheryl Ott. Sometimes I can check on the server during the day, but usually it is a distraction if I am trying to accomplish anything. Yet if I knew someone would be there, I would make it a point to stop in.

Funny thing with the chat server, is that I see people come and go all day, or check on the chat server status page all day. But if one person stayed, after an hour there may be four people there. Nobody wants to be the one to hang out and wait for someone else to show up. Oh well, the best laid plans...