How to Better Look After Newcomers?

Although, I do think that only letting members talk about Jediism is a bit weird to me.

Asakura Shoji wrote: Meanwhile, how many potential members who have done wrong, walked through that fire, repented, and are now on a path of redemption and goodness have simply walked away when they saw that on the app? You'll never know.

That's a fair point. If that number is not zero, and I grant it may not be, we should be mindful of the tension between that potential effect and our obligation to perform due diligence before accepting new members.

FWIW, and this shouldn't mean much in the greater scheme of the discussion, but I do know of at least one person who answered that question instead of walking away. My own redemptive arc involves owning up to my own past mistakes.

Nami wrote: Just about all the people here wouldn't have access to that information. If it was used vindictively, I'm sure there's some kinda of legal action someone could take.

We can't even tell for certain who changed someone's avatar. How would I know who used that information vindictively? If there's no guarantee it's protected information (clergy-parishioner privilege), I may not have any legal footing, anyway, as it was freely supplied.

Some background on me--I was stalked and threatened at home, at work, and online for years by one person who was able to find and dox me based on information I had supplied to a website we were both members of. It was incredibly difficult to track him and prove who he actually was, and it was crazy hard to bring law enforcement on board when the vast majority of the harassment was virtual. Does that mean I'll never supply personal information again? Of course I will, and in fact because of that I use my real name pretty much everywhere anymore, because I know how fragile my privacy actually is. I may as well disclose on my own terms. But I'd like to know who can see it, or what group of people can see it, at least, and know that I, too, have some protections in place. That's an educated decision I may be better off making after some time here, rather than shortly after I walk through the door, right?

Asakura Shoji wrote:

Nami wrote: Just about all the people here wouldn't have access to that information. If it was used vindictively, I'm sure there's some kinda of legal action someone could take.

We can't even tell for certain who changed someone's avatar. How would I know who used that information vindictively?

This is a very good point.

From my understanding the membership application was introduced before SW Ep. VII was released to cut down the workload for the membership team and to find those that were willing to wait 7 days... to separate the wheat from the chaff so to speak. Its not used to find people who've commtted crimes and keep them from joining.

This is a church. A church doesn't turn those who are broken and done broken things in their life, it accepts those that are willing to admit past wrongs and grow again.

Atticus wrote:

Asakura Shoji wrote: Meanwhile, how many potential members who have done wrong, walked through that fire, repented, and are now on a path of redemption and goodness have simply walked away when they saw that on the app? You'll never know.

That's a fair point. If that number is not zero, and I grant it may not be, we should be mindful of the tension between that potential effect and our obligation to perform due diligence before accepting new members.

FWIW, and this shouldn't mean much in the greater scheme of the discussion, but I do know of at least one person who answered that question instead of walking away. My own redemptive arc involves owning up to my own past mistakes.

Which is brave, and wonderful, and awesome, and I very truly sincerely mean that.

If people are ready to do that when they first walk in the door, great. If they are not, then I am thinking some time around here may be just what they need to help them take that deep breath and move forward.

I guess, at the core, it says something about me that I'd rather know that people around me include those who have made those big changes. I do not want people to be excluded. I want people to find a place where they can get stronger and rise up and face those demons and find their freedom from them. I find that path more powerful and inspiring than someone who just toed the line forever and never had reason to do any deep personal introspection.

Also I should add, the membership application is not to become a member of Jediism, but a member of this church.

In the protestant church there is a membership process as well. We need to know about our membership before you can become part of this church.

But that does not stop you from being a Jedi, or a part of Jediism.

Quite honestly, I balked pretty hard at the questions on the application as well...and hesitated for several weeks before submitting mine, for much of the same reasons you have raised here Asakura Shoko.

Still not quite sure what the tipping point was that convinced me to take the risk...but I had many of the same questions and many if the same answers through some PM and chat interactions...probably with many of those participating in this thread.

I know my experience is unhelpful in resolving the question...but probably helps in conveying the sentiment that you are not alone in your reactions or concerns at all.

Arisaig wrote: From my understanding the membership application was introduced before SW Ep. VII was released to cut down the workload for the membership team and to find those that were willing to wait 7 days... to separate the wheat from the chaff so to speak.

Actually, this sort of brings me around to what was going to be one of my original questions/points in this thread. Isn't there some way to automate new member emails and stuff? I mean, it's great that Brick sent me a PM, but I would be none the wiser if that was a site-automated message and not something Brick had probably mostly copy/pasted.

You can also have your larger groups of people, like Novices or Apprentices, be the primary welcoming committee, to take some of the pressure off those higher-ups who already have a ton on their plates.

I had ideas about a lot of this written out but got sidetracked by the app question of jaw-droppingness and started with that instead.

SamThift wrote: Quite honestly, I balked pretty hard at the questions on the application as well...and hesitated for several weeks before submitting mine, for much of the same reasons you have raised here Asakura Shoko.

Still not quite sure what the tipping point was that convinced me to take the risk...but I had many of the same questions and many if the same answers through some PM and chat interactions...probably with many of those participating in this thread.

I know my experience is unhelpful in resolving the question...but probably helps in conveying the sentiment that you are not alone in your reactions or concerns at all.

Thank you for this. I was, indeed, feeling a little lonely.

That having been said, I'm kind of always the person who points out the big elephant in the room that people are trying to avoid talking about, or who mentions the emperor is not wearing any clothes, so feeling that way is nothing new. It's rare, but so very nice, when someone else also says, "You know, you're not entirely crazy..."