The Great Holocron: A Community Learning Tool

In reference to the earlier post(s) that mentioned ridiculous ideas in some Jedi groups such as boulder-lifting, force-balls and whatnot, I have to say that one of the reasons I initially shied away from Jediism upon initially discovering it, despite my having a lifelong calling to be a Jedi, is because most Jedi groups don't take it seriously. I mean, I have no problem with them and I wish them well, but some of them are just Star Wars fan clubs, nothing too much deeper than that. No philosophy, no real religious aspects, just a club of people who otherwise claim no religion who think it's cute to enter "Jedi" on their census. I am not making a generalization of Jediism, I am merely stating that there are an alarming number of groups out there like that. I've been in contact with some of them and many of them are good, morally sound people, but to them the Jedi teachings and the Force are no more than a theme. Such material should, in my opinion, be kept out of the holocron, unless of course it is just meant to be a comprehensive guide to the Jediism movement as a whole.

Seer wrote: I can see you felt offended by my post, Jestor. I apologize and I hope you understand that despite making himself ready, a man in a desert cannot be visited by many. What I mean by this, is that regardless of how or when you started, you had to have created at least some visibility.

No, I'm not offended... Nor are you the first to come here looking for members, nor will you be the last...

That's ok... Those that wish to remain part of our community, will remain...

Shoot, people come and go all the time... Maybe you are just what some are looking for...

I just think it is in poor taste, of anyone... I belong to other sites, I'm in the midst of the training at another site...

I didn't join there and with my first post seek members for TOTJO... I didn't ask anyone for anything, except what they had to offer...

I did announce my allegiance to TOTJO, and the fact that I'm happy where I'm at... I just came to learn....

Certainly now you do not feel the need to advertise your community, because it is a wonderfully large and well organized thing. I commend you and your community members on this and I too hope to share in your wisdom, and experiences. But wisdom would suggest that it's important to remember where we come from, regardless of how long ago that was.

I am not a founding member of TOTJO, the exact way membership was started I could not say, as I was not here...

And you are welcome to stay, learn and share....

Thank you for the compliments... However, as you said, it is the members make us who, and what, we are....

Manners would suggest, you don't go poaching for members....

My site has no need for financing,nor software nor spam filters or hosting fees. This is the crux of the issue that makes The Great Holocron project unique; no one person, or group of people, bares the burden of anything. Invisionfree as a company makes it a commitment to maintain their own servers and software and they routinely update it. I have been using it for many years and I have not discovered a better software available to people at no cost. To make a community avilable to share knowledge, one does not need to know php,html, apache systems or SQL Databases. You only need a desire to learn, work together and share with kindness, humility and love, the collective experiences of our lives. That is what makes the community, more so than any type of forum software or security feature.

Hmmm, ok, I just stated elsewhere I'm not a computer guru...

You can probably explain that to someone who understands more than I do... I'm just struggling to do what I do now....:shrug:

As for my comment regarding topics chosen, I apologize if you saw offense by this. I was merely responding to the concern about how we choose what is to be included in the Great Holocron project. I meant no disrespect and I only made a cursory examination of your teachings, and insofar as what I read, I deduced that you have staff which approves certain things to be taught, and others are not. Is this incorrect?

No, I saw no offence... By continuing this discussion, I hope to show that we... don't censor...

We might edit for a profanity, or delete and block a user for spam, but we dont censor....

The conversations here have a life of their own... Homelessness, "Would you kill a man", Abortion, SOPA, bullies....

Because time is limited on this earth, focus needs to placed on our own evolution... Making ourselves better, and better....

It is the opinion of the TOTJO Council that this program we have outlined is the best way for that to happen...

Our, "wonderfully large and well organized" community was by design... Structure, and framework makes things stable...

I don't see a free-for-all (its how i picture your project... forgive me if im off), really accomplishing what we accomplish...

While the program was made and designed by committee, it is not written in stone... It is subject to interpretation, opinion, and perspective... And change, should it be determined to need to...

And when the Master/Apprentice relationship begins it is even more specialized....

I sense a little hostility towards my project and for that I am truly sorry. In my time among the Jedi community, I have learned that we as Jedi, regardless of our country of origins, our sexual, religious, or political orientation and indeed, the community we come from, must work together. Collaboration breeds greater knowledge and a wider scope of experience, wisdom and fellowship. This benefits not only each other, but ourselves as well.

I agree... As i said, I don't see us as having the same goals...

Every interaction is a chance to learn and grow... A lesson...

Good luck....

Thank you Master Jestor. This is a good lesson on [strike]manners[/strike] lack of manners making a horrible fist impression. I can attest I never barged on other organizations sites and 'advertised' for TOTJO - not from day 1.

C3PO: "How rude!"

Ordinations and classrooms do not give wisdom. Time, humility and a willingness to learn are the hallmarks of someone seeking to study the Force. If you are so vain that you must compete with me to keep your own members ( who can make up their own minds on whether to join, or not--they do not reqire your help ), then I think its quite clear you have a lot to discover along your paths, Jestor and John. I wish both of you the best, and I hope one day you will have the humility and wisdom to not see threats where there are only offered hands.

Seer wrote: Ordinations and classrooms do not give wisdom..

"Knowledge without action is insanity, and action without knowledge is vanity"
Al-Ghazali 1058-1111 (maybe)

Seer wrote: If you are so vain that you must compete with me to keep your own members ( who can make up their own minds on whether to join, or not--they do not reqire your help ), then I think its quite clear you have a lot to discover along your paths, Jestor and John. I wish both of you the best, and I hope one day you will have the humility and wisdom to not see threats where there are only offered hands.

Seer, I don't believe they saw your site as a threat, but rather were remarking on the breach of etiquette. It is widely accepted internet etiquette to not advertise for your site on someone else's unless they have a specific forum rule or subsection of the forum denoting otherwise.

Etiquette is something we as Jedi must make efforts on for the very reason we're encountering here. When etiquette is ignored or unknown, and therefore breached, it leaves those that are a part of the group that practice that etiquette put off. Should we as Jedi try to rise above others' breaches of etiquette to see through to the deeper knowledge or point as we seek understanding? Quite so. However, while Jedi, we are human and our initial response is reactionary, further as someone part of the Jedi community it could be expected that you would endeavor to meet appropriate standards of etiquette for the people and medium in which you are communicating. Should a Jedi lecture those that are not Jedi on Jedi decorum? Clearly not, but if another Jedi is out of bounds its part of our mutual instruction of each other to provide those that have erred with the knowledge of that error if they are unaware and provide them the opportunity to learn and grow.

Further, indignation and speaking down to others do not serve to repair a dialogue and are far from appropriate responses in navigating a discussion which clearly turned into debate some time ago, they only serve to flare tempers and harden others against any opinion you might offer later, regardless of validity.