I just posted to a now-deleted complaint from someone who has tried unsuccessfully (twice now) to post a link to his exmo website.

He couldn't understand why exmormon.org wouldn't allow that.

Here is my response:
I don't think the reason for this is related to competitiveness. They don't make money for running this site, and in fact it costs them more money and takes more volunteer time if it gets more traffic. There is no financial incentive to keep people here.

I think deleting links could be related to protecting people on the board. I'm guessing that if they don't have a trusted relationship with the other site, they don't want people linking up with it from a trusted site, like this one. Also, sometimes other sites get pissed when a link brings too much traffic (and controversial comments) to their boards. Just last week I tried to link to an ex-LDS support site that I thought was okay, but it got deleted. I did notice that the events on it seemed legit, but out of date. Then I linked to one that lists some of the same activities, but more current, and the link is still there.

I've been here for 12 years, and I've witnessed time and again when admin has edited posts to remove personal information, when they've warned people about giving out personal info and e-mails, about responding to people seeking personal stories from exmos. If they allowed anyone to post links to their sites, they might be exposing recovering people to breaches in privacy or attempts to reconvert.

If you want to post a link, try it. But if they take it down, try asking. It's THEIR website, so it seems reasonable that they should control the links.

I agree. I think it's about them not wanting to seem like they are endorsing other sites that they may not have time to scan for non-facts or untruths. Guilty by association? You just never know or can fully trust every single random link. Especially when people are here to recover and find their own truth. I think it's a reasonable thing. We can all google if we are wanting to view different sites on the same subject on our own. This just isn't the place for that.

It's pretty simple.

The owners of this site have a very definite purpose and mission they want to fulfill in their mind with this website.

We know what some of their concerns are:
- Keeping bandwidth under control so the site can stay up
- Protecting themselves legally
- Create an atmosphere that they feel is conducive for recovery.

I personally disagree with some of their approaches - some even strongly. However I'm not going to complain or even outline what they are. I understand some of what they are trying to do and why they are trying to do it. More importantly, I see that they are very successful in so doing and have I found this site to be very personally helpful in doing exactly what this site is meant to do.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/2012 11:35AM by bc.

This site works for quite wide variety of people...and so many others just don't.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The word banning is curious, but whatever. It only affects me once in a while...and I have had to learn to view trolls as a sign of success and a minor annoyance instead of yet another Mormon intrusion into private space.

Anagrammy

Those that have been around a while will remember the horror that ExMoSocial became. Admin trolling their own board, reading PMs, illegal activities and a whole bunch of things I will not go in to.

We learned a valuable lesson.

Our rule of thumb is get something up and running for a year, we will keep an eye on it and decide then. Must be free, open to read (we understand how hard it is to run a no registration to POST board). Issues like trashing others, respecting posters privacy and nothing illegal are important to us.

Eric NEVER tells others how to run their sites but for some reason people feel they have a RIGHT to tell him how to run his. Sad.