Why create another UFO discussion forum?

[isaackoi]

Hi,

I am a barrister in England with an interest in various issues regarding UFOs.

I've participated in quite a few UFO forums over the years (including, to a fairly limited extent, the old MUFON forum).

I'm curious as to the purpose of this forum.

There are already many, many UFO discussion forum. The sheer number of such forums tend to fragment discussion and make it harder to collate relevant information.

In short, why create yet another UFO discussion forum?

Will some of the MUFON leadership and/or MUFON consultants participate here? They were noticeable in their relative absence on the old MUFON forum.

Or will there be an opportunity to discuss some of MUFON work and resources with those that have knowledge of such things?

I've had some very friendly and useful contact directly with some people involved in MUFON at a grass-roots level, but a more efficient way of getting information from MUFON leadership would be very welcome.

Please don't think that I'm hostile to this forum. I'm just wondering about its focus and objectives.

All the best,

Isaac

[skywalker]

Hi, Isaac.

I don't think the MUFON leadership has any interest in sharing knowledge or taking part in a forum. If they did they would never have cancelled the old one. This forum appears to have been created by people who actually do want to participate in it and who actually do give a rats rearend about MUFON and ufology. If the people who created this forum were in charge of MUFON it would be a much better organization.

[isaackoi]

Sept 7, 2011 8:41:24 GMT -5 skywalker said:

Hi, Isaac.

I don't think the MUFON leadership has any interest in sharing knowledge or taking part in a forum.

Hi skywalker,

Thanks for your comments, although I hope you are wrong about both of those points...

All the best,

Isaac

[lemon]

I think it's just that with devoting time to following up on sightings, investigating, and "performing other duties" voluntarily on top of regular day jobs / families it's difficult for many to find time to hop on here. I know college is keeping me away from "the UFO world" much more than I would like. Also with the forum changing three times in a year it's a bit difficult to feel like your posts really matter if they are just going to get deleted again or have very little activity on them.

I will say that there are several members of MUFON who are down with posting on the boards.

[isaackoi]

Sept 9, 2011 0:16:11 GMT -5 lemon said:

Also with the forum changing three times in a year it's a bit difficult to feel like your posts really matter if they are just going to get deleted again or have very little activity on them.

Hi lemon,

Thanks for the response.

I didn't post as much on the old MUFON forum as some members, but I know I was a bit concerned that a few posts I'd spent a fair bit of time researching and writing were simply deleted along with the rest of the old forum...

That's one of the several reasons for me wondering whether it would be better for MUFON to simply recommend one or more larger existing forums than start another pretty small forum of its own with little activity - unless this forum will have something extra to offer or a particular focus (but no-one has identified any such extra factor or focus in response to my initial query...).

All the best,

Isaac

[skywalker]

I think the only thing that sets this forum apart from the hundreds of other UFO forums out there is that this one is the "official" forum associated with MUFON. That right there, along with the world-wide recognition that the MUFON name has, should ensure that it will be successful. The only thing that could cause this forum to fail is if the Board of Directors decide to pull the plug on it like they did the original one. When they cancelled the first forum they ended up alienating and angering a lot of people who at one time were very loyal to the organization. Many of the members of the original forum have since created their own forum and they have no intention of ever coming back over here. That's what happens when the management makes decisions without taking into consideration the feelings of those people who will be affected by those decisions. I guess you could say that this is MUFON's second chance (or third actually) to get it right. Whether or not it succeeds is up to them.

[isaackoi]

Sept 9, 2011 20:35:41 GMT -5 skywalker said:

I think the only thing that sets this forum apart from the hundreds of other UFO forums out there is that this one is the "official" forum associated with MUFON. That right there, along with the world-wide recognition that the MUFON name has, should ensure that it will be successful.

The problem with simply relying upon that name would be that the forum would not be very active and/or reflect very well on ufology. I hope that some of the MUFON leadership or more MUFON Field Investigators participate here.

There are a number of issues in relation to which I'd be interested in the views of MUFON Field Investigators and several projects which MUFON archives/databases might assist me. I am sure there are quite a few other "independent" researchers and people with an interest in UFOs in the same boat.

Perhaps this forum could become an interface became MUFON and the wider UFO community?

Personally I'd also welcome seeing more MUFON people interacting on various other UFO discussion lists and forums.

All the best,

Isaac

[skywalker]

I agree with every one of those suggestions. They are all excellent ideas. The problem is getting the MUFON people interested in doing it and from what I have seen so far not many of them are. There are some FIs who participate in forums every now and then but the people higher up than that don't seem to want to get involved. I don't think they realize what a golden opportunity a forum provides to reach out and interact with the general public. This is where people will come to learn about MUFON and UFOs, this is the face that MUFON is presenting to the public. If people have a positive experience here than they will have a positive opinion about MUFON, if they have a negative experience here than they will end up with negative feelings. It's up to MUFON which image they want to present.

[lawsinium]

i agree with you that being in a forum is a good place to exchange views. I have experiments and theories that were developed partially from places like discussion boards. You will gain so much information whether they are speculations, contradictions or whatever ideas posters have. What is important here is they are NEW information that you can use to balance or strengthen your theories or ideas. You dont need to be a scientist to prove something is factual or not....sometimes it is merely shear common sense - which in day to day real life we usually use.

[skywalker]

Very true, lawsinium.

A lot of what I know about UFOs and the Paranormal I learned from the old MUFON forum, as well as the other ones I am a member of. They really opened my eyes to a lot of things. It was being on the old MUFON forum that made me decide to join MUFON in the first place. I probably never would have otherwise.

[lawsinium]

Thanks skywalker
Actually this is my first time to join a UFO forum. I was just attracted by one of Mufon TV series about how they handle stories of sightings using top notch technology. I was impressed by the way they investigate logically and by the way they debunk most ufo stories. This simple way of debunking is one way to weed out facts from speculations.
BTW skywalker, do you have any UFO encounters? Thanks

[lawsinium]

How about you isaac, maybe you can share also some of your UFO experiences. If you have a website, maybe you can also share it to us....thanks

[skywalker]

I have had several UFO/alien encounters that I am still trying to understand. Coming up with explanations for this stuff isn't easy. The events don't always fit into the established laws of science.

[mo]

Hi ALL

My name is Morgan and I am one of those dedicated and very busy MUFON field investigators that also holds a leadership position as Florida's STAR Team coordinator, MUFON state section director, MUFON Web Administrator and recently appointed MUFON Technology Director. I also hold a full time job. To. Say I am busy is a understatement.

No one organization is perfect but MUFON is now taking serious steps geared improving these items you guys are talking about. We are developing two really pivotal items. One being the mobile application soon to release on iPhone and iPad. The other is the complete redevelopment and management of the website. Before it was always run by a single individual who understandably had limited time because they were volunteers. We have now created a web development team that is made up of some really talented and dedicated individuals.

We are currently in the design phase moving to the production phase. Features include that will be in the new site like the Star team page, mufon radio, news room, and my mufon. The is a monumental task being worked on a daily basis. Every frustration you mentioned is and will be addressed. So you know skywalker none of the issues in the past were intentional nor at the time avoidable but we have examined all these items and are tackling each one on a individual basis to make the experience so much better and easier for the public. So much to come my friends, I cant wait to show everyone what we have been work on. Please keep you suggestions and critiques coming in, we are making this website for you.

[lawsinium]

HI morgan
if you need some volunteers, I'm willing to be one. I know a little about html programming. If you are setting a UFO HQ like that of a NASA Headquarter in a smaller scale to start with I might be of help too. I'm a technically inclined too.
BTW, I'm Joey. thanks.