Tom:

I have some suggestions for additions to the Discussion Board. I solicit everyone's suggestions for how we might implement (or should we) these suggestions so that my thinking can be extended by everyone elses. Or if you think the general ideas are good, Tom, you can do the initial revisions to the board to create the forums and we can work things out as we go along. My intent is that we, the participants, work out the concepts and do most of the implementation so that you don't have to do this on top of everything you are already involved in. Of course, anything specific you want, just tell us. It will be good for the group to act together on something like this. Can we avoid conflict and confusion in completing a complex task. The whole purpose of these suggestions is to relieve some of the detail and repetitive work that you do on the forums so that as you get more exposure and more participants, especially newcomers who have not yet read MBT, you can more readily handle a hopefully reduced load with these aids we create. I suggest the following in a third major division besides the present two. Perhaps there are even other new forums of this utility kind that others might suggest.

First, I suggest the addition of a FAQ thread in the present divisions to eventually lead to a FAQ forum in the new division. [FAQ - New to the MBT forums? Try here first with your questions.]. People know what FAQs are and will hopefully look there first for simple beginning concepts. I propose that we start a new thread, or use this one, for this and that we post suggestions for the FAQ there. Someone can then combine these
suggestions and repost the consolidated list for further commentary and additions. We can continue this process until we reach a concensus that we have covered the most needed items. You would have to clean up the old threads and post the final FAQ after your review. I suggest as a locked forum with only one thread open for suggestions for additions or other comments. I would hope that the effort on your part would be relatively minimal, if we can do the job properly for you without your intervention. A lesson in responsible membership in a society.

Second, I suggest that we create an Archive. [Archive - Fundamental discussions of frequently arising concepts and memorable discussions] A separate forum where the threads are memorable past threads with high information content or significant interaction. Where real advances in clarity are provided. Again I suggest that we the participants do the work for you of making initial suggestions. All we need to do is to make our posts on a thread and periodically consolidate the posted suggestions. Everyone has threads that they remember and might like to read again, or refer someone to, but where are they? You have even recently mentioned a post but did not remember where it was to refer someone. I think this would save a lot of time once completed. If it doesn't get read by someone new at first that is asking an oft repeated question, they can at least be referred to the right place in the Archive rather than start from the beginning again. This should be a locked forum when complete with changes made only by yourself as administrator. Perhaps an open thread to suggest additions to the archive.

Third, I suggest that you create an Index to MBT. You will have to do the initial work as only you have the original files to scan with an indexing program. Sorry about that Chief. But after the initial pass is made, surely there will be some of us who can take a little time to parse a page or two and flag the page references that are trivial or redundant references that should be removed. Where a word is merely used rather than where it is defined or discussed in detail and it's meaning clarified or expanded. And I guess you will have to do the final version and satisfy your self of the quality of the results. I hope that you have keept the same page numbers in all the printed versions. I can see several ways that this could be implemented but you may have to tell us what you want in this case. Perhaps a PDF file linked from the forum as well as the actual index on line. And doing the initial work, we can either post simple text files as posts in threads in several lists which someone wanting to help can copy off the thread and process that page of indexed items and then re post it as corrected. We need to use a program that everyone has access to. Everyone should have access to Notepad and Wordpad. Wordpad permits RichText formatting, but will this be needed?

If you wish to give this your blessings Tom, just create the needed new division on the index page and whatever main headings you want us to work on.

Ted

Ted,

Great ideas.

Over the last month or so, I have been thinking that one day, perhaps in a year or two, this forum would contain enough valuable information (if intelligently and usefully organized) to support the publication of another book : My Big TOE: Questions and Answers. Sounds like your suggestions might be taking that first step toward a more intelligent/useful organization. The end point is the same: to help others more easily and efficiently find information, meaning and direction -- a better perspective and understanding from which to live their lives.

I will try to figure out how to generate these topics with controlled access. That way others can read them and give us constructive feedback as those who have access build them. Who is better able to organize an information resource than its users?

Hardback and paperback versions have the same page numbers. The individual books each have consecutive numbering (1, 2, 3, ... n). However, the all in one binding books also have consecutive numbering so after book 1, page numbers will not be the same as in the individual books (in books 2 and 3, the page numbers will be shifted (relative to the individual books) by a unique constant for each book)

What do the rest of you think of Ted's idea. Is it a project you would work on? Do you see the value in it being worth the effort it would require? There may be nothing in it for you except what you might learn in the process, and the opportunity to contribute to something that would be valuable to others.

Tom C

Those are great ideas. Lately the discussions have been great and I can see them progressing to bigger and better things in the future. A Q&A book would definitely be a useful addition.

I am not sure if this is what you were suggesting, Ted, but I think a searchable version of the MBT trilogy would be immensely helpful. The book is packed with so much information that I have forgotten where certain things were said. If I was able to search the whole text it would be a great help.

Maybe that is too tall of a task, and there might be piracy concerns (depending on how the text is made available to search), but I wanted to throw that out there.

I've been thinking about ways of aiding your efforts, Tom, for some time. It's why I was rather excited when I saw your videotaped lectures, because I knew right away that it is a great tool for getting out, in an easily accessable form, a fine encapsulation of your book(s).

I have time I can donate to the project, and I would do so with great pleasure. And the same goes for other endeavors, whatever they may be.

Count me in.

JoshM: I am not sure if this is what you were suggesting, Ted, but I think a searchable version of the MBT trilogy would be immensely helpful. The book is packed with so much information that I have forgotten where certain things were said. If I was able to search the whole text it would be a great help.
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I agree with you. And this is Tom's call. I think many readers would have liked to have had an index to the book(s). Only Tom knows why there isn't one or whether he'd even want one. But being that it cannot be amended, at this point, a companion book might be a good idea. But it should be far more than an index or FAQ set. Also, I'm in favor of it having an academic format. By this, I mean all of the functionality for the enhancement of the study of this body of work.

Good to hear. Looks like we have a going project

good suggestion -- Perhaps some sort of non-downloadable, non-copyable, but searchable PDF file could work in addition to creating an index.

I don't know what I am doing yet with the forum software, but I have generated two additional forums and experimented with the permission software to give Ted and Moji full control (whatever that means) and all registered users read only access. Once Ted and Moji and I figure out exactly what I have done, and what else I need to do, I will give others the permissions they need to join the effort.

Tom C

Tom,

I suggest you give packages like Joomla a serious looking over. It is a very advanced collaberative package that is open source. It is also installed on some of the better hosting sites, which means it's there, installed, and ready to go; you just have to set up the site. Setting up the site chiefly entails having an idea of what you're trying to accomplish and how it's going to be organised. Joomla can do the forums, collaberative publishing, project management, and more, because it has many plug-ins written by it's large user base in the open source community.

Mmm...

1- I would like to see MBT available on my iPad...

2- I would like to read other people's accounts in the format Robert Monroe presented his.

3- I would VERY MUCH like to read details regarding the research and experiments that generated for Tom the ideas and conclusions to MBT. Why or how does he come to the conclusion of there being multiple NPMR and multiple PMR within each. What steps could I follow to obtain my own proof or come to the same conclusions? If I mix water, lemons, ice and sugar I get sweet, cold lemonade. If you do the same well... you get the picture. I would like to experience these experiments. :D

4- INTENT seems to be key, so what specific intents do I use to GET the big picture or navigate these realities in a consistent manner and prove to myself I am not just IMAGINING things.

5- It would be great if we set up in the forum a global intent for all members to meet OOB on specific dates at specific locales in both this PMR and other NPMRs or PMRs, say our Moon on Mondays, Mars on tuesdays, the inner earth/north pole, Bermuda triangle, the bottom of lake Titicaca or other places where we are not really welcomed. :D Each week, more people would participate and perhaps increase entropy in this PMR experience. I have very limited available time like many others, but it would make a huge difference if I knew on Mondays for 24 hours I would have the opportunity to use the same intent as many others to be on the surface of the Moon for example. It would be encouraging and perhaps motivational to those who lack the will to take action and get more involved.

Well, those are some of the ideas that came to mind in an instant. Any thoughts?



Success!

Immendez,

Intent as Tom uses the term is an extension of the ordinary word and concept of intent. It is not a matter of 'I intend to go to the store' or 'I intend to retire at age 60'. It is something (in the sense that it is not like a region of your brain) within your IUOC that represents your understanding of your self and your relationship to what and all others, IUOCs and all, that are not your self as your IUOC. You can't deliberately think good thoughts/have good intents. It is part of your being and inherent to you. Look up Tom's discussion of it here on the board, there are many such places, and also in the books on the Internet version.

Ted