Some thoughts, these of course simply my own opinion:
Folks who want to find something to dislike in Rick Ross's work and in these forums will find it, words and motivations can be twisted. If a reader decides that one disliked post is enought to color their opinion of the entire forum and also of Rick Ross's work, and even of the entire theme of evaulating destructive groups, they can do that, though they are missing out on a lot of good information.
The forums are very well moderated and we get reminded when need be to stay on track. I think the forums can be a place to express some bias, along with our choices and process, our experiences. Some of us in our recovery process may be in the "That's crazy!" stage, and it seems like there is room for that also. The forums consist of many posters and our opinions, along with our quest for various facts, they are ongoing discussions. To me, the discussions are healthy and vigorous.
Quote
All messages on this board should be evaluated critically, through a process of individual reflection and independent judgment.
I like the Disclaimer on this forum, especially the line above.
We posters are at various levels of knowledge, research ability, we have all sorts of beliefs and biases, a forum such as this one is a great place to mix it up, communicate, puzzle over things, compare notes, and learn from. Both readers and writers are at varying levels of critical thinking ability.
And this forum and Rick Ross's work aren't the only games in town, there are so many other resources for folks to choose from, according to their own preferences.
I am pretty sure that my posts, for instance, no matter how muddled or whatever, will not destroy the Rick Ross site. :) This is such a well moderated intelligent forum, hopefully readers will note the disclaimer, will understand that this is a forum, and will continue their research as they are led to.
I suppose my main point is that I believe the Rick Ross site and these forums to be valuable, that forums can and do include opinions and emotions, and that there is room for all of us who keep within the guidelines.
SL