Message Board Dynamics

Most of my readers know, I've been on various message boards on the internet for quite some time. No doubt it's my own personal way of interacting with the drama triangle...

Many of these message boards are centered around mormons or former mormons. There are simply lots of places to discuss mormonism on the internet. I'm not sure exactly how it happened, but it did.

I think that mormonism just leaves a lot for people to discuss. And I've argued for years that former mormons (and some mormons) just have a ton of very interesting things to say.

Another personal theory is that there is just a little box/group of things to talk about in mormon church services (due to correlation) that it's not surprising the mormons have a lot to say.

I was going to post on this myself, but I sometimes compare all the different message boards to all the different tables at the cafeteria in high school or college. (They would be pretty large tables and groups).

The Venn diagrams that I saw that someone did were also pretty cool.

Some people move between various tables, interacting with different people. Some stay at one table. Sometimes, people can overhear one another and will comment about it at their "home" table (I can't believe she has this political opinion, etc.) That's what can make everyone a little paranoid. But in high school/college, it was easier somehow. I knew all the other tables were there, I knew most of the other people by sight, maybe we had friends in common.

A person doesn't know what's out there, and who is reading/listening.

I simply find the social dynamics of the various boards really interesting, and sometimes feel there is a dual message/response from each post - a person is posting for the message board they post at, but there are lots of lurkers (from other boards, who may strongly disagree) and even people in the future who will look back at whatever was posted.

It does, honestly, make my head hurt sometimes.