Who needs soap operas when we’ve got small towns?

[ken_sylvania]

Now you’re on the right track. I don’t know y’all’s friends and family and I wouldn’t expect y’all to share that either unless it’s using an allegorical alias when telling about a situation that everyone might learn from. We been doing that for generations in real life to give folks growing room.

I think some folks are suspecting that JohnL and MaxPC are allegorical aliases being run by a person with "generations"? of real life experience.

I don't really have an opinion about whether JohnL is who he says he is. I think MaxPC had a vivid imagination and at best only a small part of what he described about himself was accurate. The posting styles are different enough that I think it would be exhausting for one person to maintain the separate styles of writing so I sort of doubt they are sock puppets run by the same person. It doesn't really matter to me either way.

[temporal1]

We're all kin, you just have to go back to the three brothers who came over with their parents on the big boat.

i tried to find an article shared on forum about how family trees more resemble spider webs.
On forum, Charlemagne has shown up as an unexpected common ancestor.

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/headlines/20 ... y-everyone
https://iere.org/are-we-all-related-to-charlemagne/

[Wesleyb]

I think some folks are suspecting that JohnL and MaxPC are allegorical aliases being run by a person with "generations"? of real life experience.

If I were a person (or non-person) wanting insight into how conservative and semi-conservative Mennonites are thinking, one tactic would be to go to one of the few places they openly discuss doctrinal and cultural matters online, adopt an affable non-confrontational persona, maybe that of an older gentleman who believes many of the same things - an interested outsider, engage in small talk and humorous story-telling to build trust and familiarity without revealing personal details, studiously avoid being drawn into any controversy or real debate so no one sees you as a threat, then steadily introduce "queries" and topics for discussion under the guise of wanting more information or being slightly confused about what Mennonites believe. People are generally quick to share their opinions, especially if they feel they are correcting misconceptions or sharing truth with someone who needs it. As active forum members are constantly changing, the same subject could even be introduced multiple times to elicit a broader range of input. Somebody should try this . . . it just might work.

[barnhart]

We're all kin, you just have to go back to the three brothers who came over with their parents on the big boat.

i tried to find an article shared on forum about how family trees more resemble spider webs.
On forum, Charlemagne has shown up as an unexpected common ancestor.

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/headlines/20 ... y-everyone
https://iere.org/are-we-all-related-to-charlemagne/

That is a function of mathmatics, the doubling of ancestors with each generation eventually produces a number so large every person in a historic geographic location is included. So not only are all people with ancestors from that region related to Charlemagne, they are also related to the peasant who mucked out his toilet and the petty thief whose ear he notched.

[temporal1]

We're all kin, you just have to go back to the three brothers who came over with their parents on the big boat.

i tried to find an article shared on forum about how family trees more resemble spider webs.
On forum, Charlemagne has shown up as an unexpected common ancestor.

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/headlines/20 ... y-everyone
https://iere.org/are-we-all-related-to-charlemagne/

That is a function of mathmatics, the doubling of ancestors with each generation eventually produces a number so large every person in a historic geographic location is included. So not only are all people with ancestors from that region related to Charlemagne, they are also related to the peasant who mucked out his toilet and the petty thief whose ear he notched.

i think correct, why not? Jesus came for all.
royalty is easier to track through multiple records, whereas the early humble might have no record, even of birth-death.
Jesus counted them, whether tax assessors did or not.

the future might be genetically very odd, considering how many ordinary men father multiples of children, being father to none, relying on government to protect and maintain. not to mention IVF, where some men father multiples of children, likewise without earthly ties or responsibilities.

poor man’s Charlemagnes everywhere?

[JohnL]

We're all kin, you just have to go back to the three brothers who came over with their parents on the big boat.

i tried to find an article shared on forum about how family trees more resemble spider webs.
On forum, Charlemagne has shown up as an unexpected common ancestor.

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/headlines/20 ... y-everyone
https://iere.org/are-we-all-related-to-charlemagne/

That is a function of mathmatics, the doubling of ancestors with each generation eventually produces a number so large every person in a historic geographic location is included. So not only are all people with ancestors from that region related to Charlemagne, they are also related to the peasant who mucked out his toilet and the petty thief whose ear he notched.

Well now does that mean marrying cousins isn’t out of the ordinary after all? No my wife isn’t my cousin. She was born in another state.
The pork chops smoked up nice so I’m all set to start doing up the hams on Saturday. Closer in to the towns I see fireworks stands setting up. We’re getting some rain from the outer edges of that storm Arthur.
Gas prices are dropping so I topped my tank today. Ran into Mike again and he said the fish turned out great. I was glad to see him smiling.

[Anthony]

I think some folks are suspecting that JohnL and MaxPC are allegorical aliases being run by a person with "generations"? of real life experience.

If I were a person (or non-person) wanting insight into how conservative and semi-conservative Mennonites are thinking, one tactic would be to go to one of the few places they openly discuss doctrinal and cultural matters online, adopt an affable non-confrontational persona, maybe that of an older gentleman who believes many of the same things - an interested outsider, engage in small talk and humorous story-telling to build trust and familiarity without revealing personal details, studiously avoid being drawn into any controversy or real debate so no one sees you as a threat, then steadily introduce "queries" and topics for discussion under the guise of wanting more information or being slightly confused about what Mennonites believe. People are generally quick to share their opinions, especially if they feel they are correcting misconceptions or sharing truth with someone who needs it. As active forum members are constantly changing, the same subject could even be introduced multiple times to elicit a broader range of input. Somebody should try this . . . it just might work.

This seems like so much more work than straight up asking whatever question you want. If you create a fake persona theres probably an element of roleplaying or wish fulfilment going on

[Wesleyb]

This seems like so much more work than straight up asking whatever question you want. If you create a fake persona theres probably an element of roleplaying or wish fulfilment going on

Maybe . . . although people tend to give a different quantity and quality of information when sitting around informally with a group of friends than when an interviewer with a notepad asks a list of questions.

[JohnL]

T minus 7h45m until smoke down.

[ohio jones]

T minus 7h45m until smoke down.

As you wish.