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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Tim, re pt. #2, the distinction between OE and Dialogue, I dropped out of Dialogue because it seemed very political in a monolithic, partisan, groupthink kind way and often unrelated (in my opinion) to meaningful discussion of EI/ICA/the spirit movement. It seemed more centered on the conservative/liberal or Republican/Democrat divide, with an assumption that everyone participating was of one mind. For the most part, the OE listserv has seemed more focused, introspective (both internally and societally), analytical, and exploratory. If OE stops being that, I’ll drop out of that too. But so far I don’t think it’s in danger. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Monotype Corsiva";color:#080808'>Susan<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#080808'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#080808'>Susan Fertig-Dykes<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#080808'>(personal email account)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#080808'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? <i>Psalm 27:1 ESV</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#080808'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> oe-bounces@lists.wedgeblade.net [mailto:oe-bounces@lists.wedgeblade.net] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Timothy Wegner<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, June 25, 2013 10:02 PM<br><b>To:</b> Order Ecumenical Community<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Oe List ...] Some thoughts about the future<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Del wrote:<br><br>><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I would love a way that I might easily tune into, follow and contribute to conversation threads of substance among us. </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I have given the question of the limitations of the email listservs a lot of thought over the years. Some of those limitations are obvious, such as that there is no clear distinction between OE and DIALOGUE, and that whether or not the conversations appear threaded (keeping topics together) is the accident of how people's email clients work. Over the years various ones of us have tried alternative software platforms. This experimentation included (among others) <a href="http://wiki.wedgeblade.net">wiki.wedgeblade.net</a> and is continuing today using WordPress for the ICA archives.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I can (and will if asked) install other platforms at <a href="http://wedgeblade.net">wedgeblade.net</a> (or elsewhere) quite easily. And while I am willing to do that, I have reached some (never entirely final) conclusions that may not be too satisfying for the inquiring and restless:</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>1. Email lists work amazingly well for our aging community. Yes there are limitations, but folks seem to have come to terms with them. My guess is that these lists will continue while enough of us have not yet lost the ability to get to a computer and type. There is an enormous amount of useful discussion and news on these lists. But they are not the "true and beautiful", and sin abounds.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>2. These cats cannot be herded, OE and DIALOGUE will be what the evolve to be, some prefer one to the other for unfathomable reasons. Perhaps someone can articulate a useful distinction. Or not!</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>3. When we try new platforms, success depends much more on willing organizers and facilitators more than on the technical aspects of the platforms. Experimentation will continue, and folks deciding to commit effort will be the key to success.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>We will continue experimenting with new ways of being community online, but my guess is the email lists will exist for some time, then slowly fade away as the tide comes in and our footprints, one by one, are washed away from the beach of this world.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Tim</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></body></html>