Clarity,
Office 17622,
PO Box 6945,
London.
W1A 6US
United Kingdom
Phone/ Voicemail:
+44 (0)20 3287 3053 (UK)
+1 (561) 459-4758 (US).
Hilary,
12 may also be suggesting a separation between this forum and your private reading/consulting/teaching practice. A different look, name, positioning, etc. This avoids the line extension trap, which contrary to what most others here seem to be saying, I believe is harmful to your practice and profit.
I'm not clear what you mean by 'line extension trap'. Intrigued by the way your concept of the forum seems to be utterly different from mine, though.
Bear in mind that, whatever else I do, it's utterly essential to have a free offer that lets people get to know me. Doesn't it make sense to have the ICC be a part of that? Maybe not. Not sure any more.
LiSe-- I'd want a 'Place'. This is a pretty notepad and it does a great job for this forum but obviously not for something where you come and spend money. I'd pay for a real 'Place'.
That's really, really intriguing. How can a 'place' be made of web pages? (Can you find an example of one?)
bold added.Common sense says that it's a shockingly bad idea to have a free forum where people give away readings and information on a site where I'm trying to sell these things…
This suggests to me that whatever good sense may say, this community has the potential to do wonders for Clarity. Also that it isn't doing so right now, because of 12-ish things (like my not being here enough - something I'm working on!).
Your ideas blend interestingly with what Ben was suggesting about forum descriptions, headers, etc. (I'm looking into what I can add.) Do they make a 'place'? Not sure. Places for me are pretty much made of people, especially online. Something as simple as encouraging everyone to display their photo on their posts (as an 'avatar') would make it place-ish for me. Not going to happen, though, in the public forum, where many are reluctant even to give their names.
Common sense says that it's a shockingly bad idea to have a free forum where people give away readings and information on a site where I'm trying to sell these things. Meng says things that are subtler than that, but also suggests it does me no good.
So the Dispersing (now of my readings journal) continues -
Question I asked Yi last month:
'What effect does this great free forum have on my business?'Yi says 14.1.2.3.5 leading to 12.
This suggests to me that whatever good sense may say, this community has the potential to do wonders for Clarity. Also that it isn't doing so right now, because of 12-ish things (like my not being here enough - something I'm working on!).
The sense of place can be built in two ways--one like LiSe's site where all of her offerings are displayed or at least available from her homepage.
Of the false experts and silly slackers.
I don't feel that way about Clarity. I get tired of the endless wrangling, lecturing, sniping, posturing, and opinionated talk. Of the false experts and silly slackers. Of the interminable casual chat and chronic deafness. Sometimes I wonder, isn't there some other way we can connect with each other on a subject of mutual interest? Isn't it possible to learn and create and build? Writing to Clarity feels like writing letters on the beach. Everyday the tide comes in, and everyday we start over. Why bother?
Yes, this is a free, unmoderated, open forum. But that is all it is. Most of my contacts with real people in the real world are more satisfying. Certainly more polite. The average I Ching book is far more rewarding. Certainly more informed. You can all congratulate yourselves on hanging around here, but nevertheless the gruel is pretty thin.
I would pay for something better.
Lindsay
Clarity,
Office 17622,
PO Box 6945,
London.
W1A 6US
United Kingdom
Phone/ Voicemail:
+44 (0)20 3287 3053 (UK)
+1 (561) 459-4758 (US).