Why I created this site....

[MikeWaters]

This was not a spur of the moment decision. Let me fill you in on the history.

Cougarboard is a great community. Many of us have gotten to know each other very well, both electronically and in person. The great part is that for many of us, it allows us to discuss topics germane to the LDS experience amongst folks that are relatively normal (not the nutjobs on the religion-only sites). I'm interested in what my friends on cougarboard have to say, not what some anonymous guy on some other site thinks.

However the leadership of cougarboard has determined that they prefer to steer their board towards sports. Occasionally they have cracked down on religious-type posts and other things deemed inappropriate to a "family" audience. I actually asked El Jefe to start a separate board that would allow religion. He said he would consider it....but that was many months ago. I know he is very busy. Though I may not agree with El Jefe on everything, I like the man. He was very helpful to me when I needed him on a work-related project. I've met him in person. I have nothing against him and other moderators. I just wish for a more free environment when it comes to discussing issues that I care about.

Others and myself had discussed starting a new board with just this in mind. And now I'm the one that has actually buckled down and done the dirty work. Is this site setup the same as cougarboard? No. Is it as feature-rich? No. Am I planning to make money off this? No. Will I probably lose money? Yes. But on the good side, we do have private messaging, and a number of other features.

Did I start this site to replace cougarboard? Of course not. I see this more as a supplement to CB, rather than a replacement. This will be a different place with a different take and perhaps a slightly different culture. Cougarboard is a much bigger place than it used to be. With greater numbers have come greater chaos, and frankly a less cozy environment. Offshoots of a message board or email list are part of a natural progression. I certainly hope this board always stays smaller than cougarboard.

Will this site be completely unmoderated? No. There are some things that will obviously not be tolerated (porn, nudity, violent images, violation of laws, etc.). We'll have to see how things go. I hope we can create an atmosphere of vigor and respect.

If you decide to come on board and register for the site (and I hope you will), please use the same moniker you have used on cougarboard. That way we can keep each other straight.....welcome aboard.

MikeWaters