ASAH Contingency Plan

[FirstLight]

There are a few things that have caused me to toss & turn these past few nights and I wanted to share them with my ASAH family.

We have been closer than close these past few YEARS, and I would hate to take the chance of losing you in my life.
I know we all connected as much as we could via Facebook, and some of us have emails of one another, and that's a good start. Maybe we need to make a backup plan... if things get squirrely over the near future.
The move to DU3 and the new fee schedule is one thing that has me concerned, because there may be several of us who cannot manage the monthly fee proposed...also with the actions of mods over the past couple days, I myself worry about getting TS'ed for some crazy reason. Add to that the whole possibility of the interwebs themselves being crippled by the PTB, or the possibility of some equally unforseen event that knocks us back into the turn of the century as far as technology...

should we try to make sure we at least know where each other are regionally so we can stay connected somehow?
I havbe no idea how that would work logistically, but i would hate to think my ASAH family is out there on their own, when we have been such lanterns on the path for so long...

maybe i am just feeling doomday-ish for some reason today... if so, please feel free to try and cheer me up :cry:

[I Have A Dream]

1. FL, skinner said that we'll no longer need a star to be able to post in these groups...

so nobody will be kept from being able to post in the groups once DU3 is put in place.

I hope that you feel better soon. :hug:

:grouphug:

[FirstLight]

2. thanks for that

I guess i have been livestreaming Occupy stuff and sleeping at odd hours too much this week! feeling like things are definitely on a roll, and that things as we know them are not going to remain in place for long...maybe a little 2012 anxiety coming on pre-new years?

[elleng]

3. Skinner said

'stars (and the benefits that come with them) will be available for purchase on a monthly or yearly basis for as little as $3.50 a month. And as always, those who choose not to purchase a star will still be able to post and participate free of charge.'

NO WORRY, FL.

:grouphug:

[FirstLight]

4. maybe it's bigger

like i just worry the big stuff is going to hit the fan soon too... i dunno :scared: it's been a helluva day, and yet nothing "bad" has happened...you know?

[elleng]

5. Yes, FL, I do know, 'waiting.'

[BlueIris]

6. So happy someone posted about this. While I have nothing against Skinner or the mods

for their desire to move us to a new format, or much hostility re: the new fee schedule, I will now respectfully predict that DU3 fails. Completely.

I've been feeling this for a while. Even Skinner himself has admitted that he feels there is a significant chance this could happen. My personal prediction is that participation falls by a full thirty percent, and the Admin will see a massive drop in donor-generated revenue after this fall. I'm also feeling that the site may undergo a full blown change in ownership. (Sorry, Skinman.)

I think it would be a GREAT idea to have some other "meeting" place for this group which is (oh, please, please) not Facebook. I loathe and despise Facebook, and will never post there.

[FirstLight]

7. facebook is going away too

i think we are going to lose a chunk of our communications somehow, or maybe there will be a pirate internet once all the privacy laws get enacted...
so ya, i feel like my time at Facebook could be limited as much as i have enjoyed it...
\
i know wishadoo has forums, but i worry about our visibility too...

[OneGrassRoot]

8. Groups can be totally private. Ours already is. :)

:hug:

Edit to add that if everything (or most) online networks disappear as you guys are predicting, chances are Wishadoo won't be around either. ;)

Just sayin'...

[Celebration]

10. If people can post in the groups without stars

As Skinner says, I don't see the big deal. Are people going to leave because of a few ads? For some reason that seems unlikely to me.

But what do I know? Nothing.

[Avalux]

9. I am having anxiety over not having a landline phone....

what will happen if TPTB decide to "turn off" cell phone service? Internet service? For so many people, this is the only way they communicate; it seems no one has actual land lines anymore.

My parents are far away; daughter away at school; friends.....I'm thinking we should all have them so we can communicate if need be.

Yes, I know I'm probably just being paranoid. But these days, I won't say "that can't happen here".

[shanti]

11. land line

i was concerned about that too and found a way around it: NetTalkDuo. There are other brands too, but this one is only $30 a year for phone service. I've had it for a year and it's working fine.

[rucognizant]

21. We need to ..........

to support the USPO big time........we really can't lose them. I am going to send out old fashioned letters this season, I hope you all do too.

[LiberalEsto]

12. Let's PM one another nt

[Howler]

13. Other then feelin "Doomish"

How are you doin FirstLight? Is the healing going well?:hug:

[FirstLight]

14. had an UP day yesterday

and today i am still in bed...so i guess it's comme ci-comme ca

:hug: thanks :)

[Howler]

19. I hope you feel better Firstlight .

Even if you decide to linger in bed just for the fun and relaxation for a couple of days.

[kimmerspixelated]

15. I think it's going to be alright...

Think happier thoughts! Your thoughts are incredibly powerful. Use them wisely!:hi: :grouphug:

[BlueToTheBone]

16. ...

:hug:
My teacher would say that you must first breathe to the stomach, it will help calm you. When you breathe only in the upper lung, it produces anxiety.

I know that each day feels wound tighter than the one before; but breathe. It is the only way through. This isn't about "out there", but "in here." Maybe a good novel will distract you. I just finished "To Cook a Tart"...funny and distracting.

:hug::hug:

[Digit]

17. Maybe it is the old Realtor in me

I am accustomed to taking what is written very literally when it comes to policies, contracts and the like.

What I read is that you will still have ACCESS to the groups, which you do now when you don't have a star. Currently, there are restrictions posting in the group forums if you do not have the star.

IF you don't have a star, you can still post in General Discussion and maybe the Lounge...I forget.

Even when asked specifically, the answer was not a direct "yes, you will still be able to post in groups without a star", so the word "access" makes me nervous.

And really, think about it...if you don't have to contribute to post, how many would contribute?
I am sure a lower overall contribution would not be acceptable.

FirstLight, I think I am on your same wavelength and I am glad you brought this up. I have been sad after reading of the upcoming changes, so sorry I am unable to cheer you up.

[I Have A Dream]

18. Hi, Digit! I specifically asked Skinner about this.

My question was as follows:

Will you continue with the policy of not allowing people without stars to not be able to post in groups? If so, there will be a lot of people who will no longer be able to post in groups who were able to do so in the past because people bought them stars. (I think that I had a double negative there... :blush:)


His answer was as follows:

Good question: On DU3, Groups will be open to people without stars. On DU3, we are doing everything we can to raise the profile of the groups, and get lots more people posting in them.



To me, this means that we don't need a star to post in groups. What do you think?

:hug:

[Celebration]

20. I agree

And if they DIDN'T do that, this policy would not work at all for them.

[Digit]

22. I hope I am wrong but the issue still nags at me

He says "open to people without stars", and then the rest of the statement is non-specific, IMO. To me, open means being able to read the forums and not necessarily post.

I would have been happier to see a more non-ambiguous statement such as: Groups will be open to people without stars and they will be able to continue to post in them without stars.

If you don't have to donate in order to post in group forums, and the only downside would be viewing advertisements, my thinking is that donations may indeed drop, not for reasons of not wanting to donate, but because of the predicament that many of us find ourselves in with the poor job market.

It is possible that Skinner has not decided and things will be decided upon as they progress.

I don't think we will truly know until just before it happens, so I would like to think of contingency plans just in case.

I've been quiet lately, not wanting to bother my friends here with my own situation. After all, there are people here worse off than myself and I come here to be enlightened and learn and hopefully become a better person. It all has to do with the company you keep O8) and it really helps me personally to be around such enlightened souls like you guys.

I will try to remain positive regarding this although it is difficult as my perceptions are discolored by my situation. Just another reason I keep my mouth shut!

Think positive, think positive, think positive,........!

[I Have A Dream]

24. ...

:hug:

:loveya:

:pals:

[FirstLight]

23. I really wasn't *just* talking about the star issue...

I am serious that there may be a upcoming change in our communication system, and of that happens, how would we try to stay in touch, or could we at least stay close with those that are geographically near? Is that an option...?

[I Have A Dream]

25. Yeah, I guess we should know who lives geographically close to us.

I know that Rick and Metta live close to me. I'm not sure if there are other people.