Losing a valuable resource

[usmaak]

I just read that this board will be shut down on 5/14.

This is very unfortunate.  I remember when I first started reading Seth back in the late 80s, there were more than a few people into it.  My step-father was the one that introduced me to it.  He passed in the early 90s.  I got into it with a friend (actually, girlfriend at the time) and we haven't spoken in quite a while.  I literally know nobody that even knows what Seth is anymore.  I don't know if it's the amount of time that's gone by since Jane's passing or if it is just the way things go, but it doesn't seem like Seth is really well known anymore.  I feel like it is fading into the past.  Yet Abraham Hicks is everywhere.  And ACIM is very popular.  The Secret is completely mainstream.  Even people not into it have heard of these things.

The Seth Material (all of it, not just the book) is, in my opinion, far more important and encompassing of reality than Abraham Hicks or ACIM.  Most of the resources out there came about because of the "you create your own reality" surge in the earlier part of the 2000s.  Suddenly everyone was an expert.  I've read a few of them but nothing out there is like Seth.

I'm not sure why I'm writing this.  I guess maybe it is to state what a loss this forum going away will be for me.  You all are literally the only people I've talked to who have heard of Seth.  I joined at the end of 2017.  I admit that I haven't participated here very much.  I don't really have a lot of useful things to say.  I don't feel like I have a strong grasp (or any, really) on the material.  I'm more confused by most of it than anything.  90 percent of the time I read something I'm like, "wait, what??"

I finished reading all of the mainstream Seth books three or four years ago and then set it all down.  I read a few other authors, but mostly I just didn't really think about it.  Then I tried to get into ACIM.  That was a failure for me.  I very much dislike religion and ACIM, in spite of what it says about being non-denominational, is way too full of god.  I tried to look past it.  I tried substituting All That Is for god whenever I read it.  But that was exhausting and I couldn't get past the entire "Jesus channeled" thing.  In my mind, there's no way you can say that you're not a christian thing when the channeled personality is supposed to be the actual Jesus.  After I finally couldn't take it anymore, I decided that I was going to make another pass at the Seth material.  I'm still at the very beginning of the material and it is something that I suspect will take many years to complete because this time through, I'm trying to internalize the information as best I can.

This forum is a huge wealth of resources.  After reading that it was closing, I considered starting a forum like this.  But I realized that there is simply no way to reproduce the wealth of knowledge that is provided here.  I'm certainly not up to the task.  I have just a small fraction of the knowledge and understanding that this forum possesses.

Deb, I want you to know that I appreciate what you've done here.  The amount of work put into this site is astounding.  I may have only been an infrequent visitor.  My posts have always been more frustrated questions than useful answers.  But I always knew that this resource was here and that when I decided to get back into the Seth material, I could come here to learn from others who have a much better understanding that I have.  I feel like Seth's knowledge and body of work are slowly fading into obscurity.  I'm much older than I was when I discovered Seth.  Nowadays, people are going to reach for the Abraham Hicks books over Seth.  Yet Seth is superior in every way except one - Seth is much more difficult to grasp.  Sources like Abraham Hicks are watered down versions at best and there is more useful information in Seth Speaks than there is in any other book out there on this type of material.

Anyway, I just wanted to have my say on this, and I have.  Y'all take care of yourselves.

[Sena]

I literally know nobody that even knows what Seth is anymore.  I don't know if it's the amount of time that's gone by since Jane's passing or if it is just the way things go, but it doesn't seem like Seth is really well known anymore.

usmaak, it does appear that the people of Planet Earth are turning away from Seth, and this phenomenon has perhaps "infected" some of the members of this forum.

[Deb]

This forum is a huge wealth of resources.  After reading that it was closing, I considered starting a forum like this.  But I realized that there is simply no way to reproduce the wealth of knowledge that is provided here.  I'm certainly not up to the task.  I have just a small fraction of the knowledge and understanding that this forum possesses.

Thank you for all you wrote. I had high hopes for this forum when I started it in 2014, but over the years it has become less and less active. I do see some people log in often but some never post, they only come here to read. We still get a few new members every week, but it's rare that they post.

There have been complaints about this forum being slow, often in personal messages to me. I've done what I could to market the forum, but some of those resources are gone. It seems the joys of conversation and writing are a thing of the past. I can't force members to interact. People flock to Seth groups on Facebook in droves, and are happy enough with a quote of the day they can Like and feel like they've done something productive.

I too feel a great sense of loss, after so many years and hours and hours of researching, writing, interacting with forum members, and yes there is a lot of great information here. And yes again, Seth is the best. I've found a way I can lock the forum so no one can join or post, but the public posts would still be visible. Maybe that's the way to go. This way if you all move over to https://sethtalks.com/ you all can still access most of the topics and copy text or quotes from here to there.

[Sena]

There have been complaints about this forum being slow, often in personal messages to me. I've done what I could to market the forum, but some of those resources are gone. It seems the joys of conversation and writing are a thing of the past.

Deb, yes it is very sad that society is developing in that way. At some point, All That Is and entities like Seth and Seth Two may want to do something about it. Those who remain silent in the last few days of this forum are revealing their true colors.

[T.M.]

Hi All,

Hi Deb,

Thank You for all you have done for and with this forum, and for us members!  I wish/hope the best for you moving forward

I wouldn't want to be a moderater/owner of a chat forum.  I'm starting to wonder if these types of communications (forums) are going by the wayside.  The events of the last few years have been very chaotic and topsy-turvy.  I think that has extended to most everyone living these days. Resulting in most closing up going within and trying to find their own way at this time. I know I sure have.
Plus, forms of communication evolve,  perhaps the time of internet forums have come and gone?!

To All Members,
I want to Thank each and everyone of you for the time and the discussions we've had! I know some of these conversations have helped me grow immensely! I hope I have helped others here as well.
A strange thing has happened to me in the last few years. The answers I've been seeking, I've found! So now I'm just interested in focusing in areas I find relevant to me.
I want to encourage each and everyone to keep seeking till you find what You're looking for.  Not what others tell you, you should want, have, or believe.
Things are a chaotic jumbled mess right now. Don't stop believing or looking for the inherent goodness within yourself and others! Don't be afraid of walking away from an ill fitting match either

Good Luck, All the Best to Everyone of You!

[Deb]

I wouldn't want to be a moderater/owner of a chat forum.  I'm starting to wonder if these types of communications (forums) are going by the wayside.  The events of the last few years have been very chaotic and topsy-turvy.  I think that has extended to most everyone living these days. Resulting in most closing up going within and trying to find their own way at this time. I know I sure have.
Plus, forms of communication evolve,  perhaps the time of internet forums have come and gone?!

That's kind of what I was thinking. One of the programmers of the software I used here, Simple Machines, has a forum for fans of the Archie Comics. A couple of years ago I took a look at it, out of curiosity, and it was just going gangbusters, loads of members logged on and posting, while Speaking of Seth was limping along. I couldn't believe that many people were writing that much about a comic that I used to read when I was a little kid! I just looked again today, and there were 30 guests, some of them being bots, with no members logged in. So I guess they're suffering too.

I also looked at Sethtalks.com, and they only had 2 posts in April, none in May as far as I can tell. I guess SoS isn't alone. Funny, today I've never seen so many of our members logged in at the same time! There's some irony for you.

Thanks T.M. for the kind words you've shared with us all. I have a feeling I'm going to be in mourning for a while, this forum has become a regular part of my life and daily routine. The only times it's been a problem for me is when there have been personality conflicts between members, things got ugly and the anger was taken out on me. Often for things that I would not have found offensive myself, but that's life, everyone has their sore spots.

[T.M.]

Hi All,

Hi Deb,

About 10 years ago I thought I was interested in Homesteading.  So I joined a bunch of forums around that subject. Back then you could just read posts all day and still miss a bunch of posts. Forums were big things.
A few,  while claiming to honor freedom of speech just used it as an excuse to let the members just tear each other down and apart, if anyone dared disagree with them.

I never saw one mod/owner that could even come close to making anyone, let alone groups of people happy, or even amicable to treating the other members with any sense of dignity.  I decided then and there that being a mod/owner was just nothing but an endless thankless task, and not for me.

This forum has been the last forums I've been involved with since I've joined. I looked into the other Seth forum. Its not for me.
Honestly I think I'm done with forums anyways. Once a person finds the answer they are looking for; there becomes a fine line between sharing or pushing that p.o.v. on others. I'm not interested in collecting converts of my ideaology  
At the same time, pursuing subjects outside of the answers a person has found, to me has just become painful noise. I hear you though, I will very much miss this forum too. At least it had one of the best mods I've ever encountered online, You , Thanks!

[Deb]

I hear you though, I will very much miss this forum too. At least it had one of the best mods I've ever encountered online, You , Thanks!

Thank you so much, I needed that! But now I feel even worse, lol. Well, be free T.M., I've really enjoyed your company.

Now I'm going to tell a little story.

When I was 12, I used to get a magazine called Teen World (it was an international publication). It had the usual teeny bopper stuff, pictures of David Cassidy, the Monkees, the latest pre-teen fashions. It also had a page for people who wanted pen pals. One day I sent my school photo, name and address to the magazine, and there I was on the pen pal page in the very next issue! Imagine a 12 year old girl doing that these days. Dangerous.

Within about a month, I'd received 88 letters from boys and girls around the world. I picked a few to write to, spending all my allowance on airmail paper, envelopes and postage for a few years. I had pen pals in South America, England, Germany, Australia, Malaysia, South and Central Africa, a few other countries and of course a few in the US. One of the US ones showed up on my front porch one morning, with no warning. Eek. He even tracked me down on my "old" Facebook page a few years ago, which I found a bit creepy.

I hadn't thought about that experience in decades, and then one day a few years ago I realized that this forum was the modern version of what I had done when I was 12. What was profound for me was the realization that while we grow into adults and feel like we change so much, some things never change.

As far as the other forums you mentioned, with constant conflict, I've seen that a lot myself. And it's bad on Facebook too. I just don't understand the tendency for some people to be so cruel and hurtful to others. There seem to be a lot of very angry people on the internet. Unless people have always been this hostile, and we just see it more clearly because of the internet.

[LarryH]

Deb, it has been a pleasure to participate here, and you have created a resource that sounds like it will last long after it is closed to new content. I especially liked the synchronicity thread and the brief time where we did some very successful ESP experiments. I learned a lot and hope that my contributions were of value to readers. I exchange phone calls with someone here, and that should continue. Know that your efforts are valued. You can feel good about what you created here. Forums tend to die a natural death, and I do not believe it is a reflection of a loss of interest in the Seth philosophy. That philosophy has found its way little by little into all walks of life, usually under different names. Love to all who have participated here.

[Deb]

Thank you Larry, very nice of you to say all of that. I do hope the forum's value lasts, at least as a resource for others.

I think the Seth materials are evolving—the newer readers live in a different world than I grew up in, things are done differently. Judging by the membership numbers of some of the Seth groups on Facebook, and it being international, there are a lot more people who appreciate Seth these days than people realize.

That's sort of how I started this forum. It was at the end of a Seth Intensive, and I didn't want to lose touch with the people I'd met on Rick's forum. I toyed with the idea of creating this one, and a few people sent me their email addresses in case I followed through. Of course as soon as Rick saw that, he deleted our thread and sent me a "knock it off" email. He's a good business man.  Hopefully some people here will keep in touch as well.

My appreciation and love to everyone here. I hope we'll all cross paths again.

[usmaak]

I wonder.  I wonder if the question is, what do those of us who want to contribute need to do to convince you to keep the lights on?  Or is there nothing?

[Deb]

I wonder.  I wonder if the question is, what do those of us who want to contribute need to do to convince you to keep the lights on?  Or is there nothing?

I've been thinking about this all day.

There are 616 members here. 15 logged in over the past two days after this came up, but only a few reacted at all to closing the forum and until today only one person indicated there was an interest in keeping the forum going. Sadness from those who reacted, of course, but I also thought perhaps a feeling that the time had come. I thought that maybe everyone here felt the same as jbseth did when he vented a couple of days ago. No one countered what he wrote about what's wrong with this forum and members. There have been complaints over the past couple of years because the forum was pretty much dead at times, sometimes for weeks, and I don't know what I can do to fix a lack of interest or participation in members. No one likes talking to themselves, at least not for very long. I get it, I used to have a blog with no followers. And it's hard for me to keep a forum going when the members are unhappy with it and/or each other.

Now, today, I'm getting an entirely different message, and SoS has been incredibly active for the past two days, which I find ironic. Sad that it takes something like this to light a fire.

If you all want me to keep SoS open, I will. I've gotten so much out of it over the years, being able to discuss the Seth concepts, other members' interpretations, meeting other Seth readers, being exposed to quotes from some of the books I haven't read yet and much more.

I'll keep the forum open for those who are interested in continuing on here. The only thing needed to convince me was knowing there are members (other than myself) that feel it's of value to them.

I'm sorry to those I've upset, that was not my intention.

[Kyle]

Deb, I thank you profusely, and I hope everyone will remember this principle for a long time:

"If Deb ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"

I mean this with the deepest respect. Thank you, Deb.

[LarryH]

"If Deb ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"

I laughed out loud when I read that! Maybe that can be the official guiding light of this forum.
Still laughing

[Deb]

"If Deb ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"

I laughed out loud when I read that! Maybe that can be the official guiding light of this forum.
Still laughing

Ha ha, that's hysterical. I totally LOL'd myself. Kind like "happy wife, happy life." Maybe I should put that in the forum Terms & Conditions.

[Sena]

I'll keep the forum open for those who are interested in continuing on here. The only thing needed to convince me was knowing there are members (other than myself) that feel it's of value to them.

Deb, I would be really happy if you keep the forum going. Thank you.

[dougdi]

I'm still here! I typically shy away from participating in any forum I'm a member of. Please keep it going if you can!

Doug

[Sena]

I'm still here! I typically shy away from participating in any forum I'm a member of. Please keep it going if you can!

Doug

Doug,
Thanks for your post. May I ask why you choose not to participate.

[dougdi]

It's just my nature.  I have when I felt I had something to add to the conversation though.

[Deb]

Thanks Sena and dougdi for the additional input. dougdi, I do see you on the forum from time to time. Stealth mode. 

[chasman]

doug, I know this is quite different from what you said.
that said,
your comment for some reason, reminds me of the Groucho Marx line:

I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member       lol

[chasman]

Deb,

   thank you for keeping the forum going.

I love it so much.

in my mind, you are doing a service to humanity.

you are doing so much good, by having this forum.

thank you so very much again.

Charlie