Well, folks, I'm more or less back. During most of this spring, I just haven't had the time, energy, or thought to say much of anything online -- which is bad for a blog, since people stop checking back to see what you've said if you don't update. Well, what can I say? I'm not Juan Cole.
But this weekend I've been messing around a bit on Wikipedia, and posting a little to an email list, so I thought I'd stop by here. One thing that has developed during my vacation is Steve Marshall's website Baha'is Online It contains a fine collection of opinion essays, articles on mysticism, news affecting the Baha'i community, discussions on the arts, humor, and satire. The material comes from a variety of Baha'i perspectives. The site began rather slowly, mostly recycling a lot of old articles, including my own, but Steve has brought together a lot of good stuff -- worth checking out.
Steve commented that there has been a great resurgence of individual Baha'i activity on the Internet -- partly due to technical developments, and partly due to a weariness with the "Baha'i Wars". Well, that's one reason why I started blogging. And, actually, this change seems to be resulting in better quality material being put out there. Maybe it's turning out that people are not at their best when they are crossing swords; debate too easily devolves into personal hostility and name-calling.
3 comments:
Karen and Steve,
I don't see what's wrong with using material that's been put up elsewhere -- so long as it's chosen *really* well. The problem with the internet is that there's no discrimination. Anyone can start a website, anyone can post to a newsgroup, so things get buried in junk. What's so great about what Steve is doing, is that *selection* is taking place. The good stuff is being put together in one place. I find that gratifying.
Brendan
Karen, I'm glad to see you posting again!
I just stumbled across Baha'is Online a few days ago. I was wondering why I hadn't seen it before.
I like Steve's idea of including a variety of diverging interests.
Jim
Hello Karen.
Your site is interesting. Maybe you could write an article about Bahai laws. something that has always interested me. Bahaullah wrote abuot a 100 books -- How many of them are direct revelation from God, how many the utterences of the head of a religious community, how many that of a Persian prisoner in Akka. for example he said the countryside is the seat for the soul -- I read this somewhere -- surely this is the utterence of a holy man whos been a prisoner, not the direct revelation from God. Also I was told some of his writings have been stolen and are not present. Anyway -- interesting topic which Ive always wondered about.
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