Procrastinators Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from chronic procrastination.
OLD: Sundays 7:30pm GMT: online 12-step meeting of Procrastinators Anonymous
[edit]:
- see updated topic http://procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/1398
well i am finally starting this new topic to store our continued working of this. It is indeed PROMISING since it "worked" (sortof, for most people, not me so much, but that's ok) and people had a positive experience.
so the time and date seem set for now. I suggest we continue, and if/when this time starts to not work for some of us, we can move it or ideally make a second meeting.
Sundays 7:30pm GMT starting 4/6/2008 (find your timezone equivalent)
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see updated topic
see updated topic http://procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/1398
sun 4/20 7:30pm GMT--i'll be there
i will in the chatbox. see you there.
yesterday's meeting was moving
that was my first 12 step meeting. I did not know that it was basically sharing w/o conversation. That is certainly different. I never would have guessed--but i had a feeling of a great power in that format. There was something about people simply telling their stories, and letting that just sit there. Something like: it needs no comment, it just is what it is. The "no reply" somehow makes a powerful statement!
I can't put my finger on it. But it was a powerful and positive and moving experience.
Oh yeah, and i'm so glad people came late. Otherwise we would have missed out on the irony that is unique to us: procrastinating going to the procrastinators anonymous meeting. he he.
the first PA meeting
It's very exciting to me that we've now had our first real PA meeting. (I wasn't there, but apparently there was a meeting). Yay!! :)
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
pa.org chat for today's mtg
i believe the consensus is to use pa.org chat for today's meeting. I do not plan to go to stepchat, so if you are, post here or tell us in the pa.org chatbox.
chat choice summary
I cut and pasted Edge's summary, and updated it based on pro's suggestion of both the phpfreechat and removal of logs.
PA Chat - Pros:
PA Chat - Con
* * *
Stepchat (or any other service) Chatroom- Pros:
Stepchat (or any other service) Chatroom- Cons:
it seems to me that the pros and cons are stacking up in favor of a PA-hosted solution.
I also have an idea about logs. There are "chat bots" which are automated attendees of a chat room. Often, their sole purpose is to log discussion. The one i've seen used is "supybot" but there are many out there. If we could arrange a bot to join the chatroom, it could log the chat. then the operator could boot it for the 12-step meeting. then invite it to rejoin after the meeting's over.
Just another idea.
As for the one remaining stepchat pro--can we brainstorm some other way of doing step 12 and "reaching out to the person who still suffers" as e so aptly stated?
online meeting is...on
i will be here. This Sunday 7:30pm GMT 4/13/2008 (find your timezone equivalent)
on the topic of chat:
I applaud my esteemed fellow sufferers about their discipline in not addressing this topic all week. I hope and pray that everyone's meditation on the 12 traditions has been rewarding and revealing for them. I hope it will give us guidance.
For my part, I am willing to yield to the will of God as expressed in our group conscience about which chat to use. I think that means i will yield to the will of the group. My position right now (given that i am the first to break the silence, and so the will of the group has not yet been expressed) is that i will log into both chats. Once the group has chosen, i will use that chosen chat.
which chat?
The only discussion seems to be around whether we use stepchat.com or the chatbox here. Pro has considerably improved the situation by enabling cron on his server which started the "chabox log purge" job, amonst others, as pro stated elsewhere.
stepchat is a bit more private, only viewable to those who's names are revealed as "in" the chat. It has a few features like color, and "x is typing" and emoticons.
chatbox keeps all our interaction at one site, which has advantages. (Pro, if other people are like me, they already feel like this place is a second home, where they find camaraderie and acceptance. I can't imagine how going to another chat facility would weaken that, anymore than having a face to face meeting would. Note that stepchat doesnt even have a forum. People would still do check-ins & bookending here--and chat--especially me! :) :)
After rebooting i WAS able to get into stepchat. So that's good.
i encourage y'all to opine on chat choice.
I suggest keeping the meetings on this website
I know that pro is busy and out of town.
If and when pro has time to disable the chatbox logs, as he/she has offered, that would be great. If pro doesn't have time to do this, I still would prefer to meet here. We can adjust the content of our meeting to knowing if the log is enabled or disabled.
Keeping the meeting here is just simpler.
-- movingalong
Chatroom choice
Thanks for posting this, Clement :-) I was wondering whether we were going to have a meeting this week :grin: The timing is perfect for me and I will most certainly try to be there.
For the chatroom, I'm going to detail a few pros and cons for both options to help us decide (please add to the list if you can think of any more):
PA Chatroom - Pros:
PA Chatroom - Cons:
* * *
Stepchat (or any other service) Chatroom- Pros:
Stepchat (or any other service) Chatroom- Cons:
I think that what we should do is use the PA chatbox for this meeting, and then the meeting after this we can go to stepchat - but this time with fellow members who've never experienced stepchat but who prefer the PA chatbox more - and have them see what the meeting is like there so that we can all get together afterwards and discuss which of the two options we all feel would be a better tool.
Proper decisions can only be made when complete information is available, no? :-)
new chat software for site
I also can install new chat software for the site that has more features. We're using an old version of Drupal. I'd have to update Drupal first.
I can't do this today, though - visiting someone out of town.
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
chat software demo - try this
You like this one?
http://www.phpfreechat.net/demo
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
Pro, I like it.
Pro, I went to the site and tested it. Very nice.
If you want to install that, that makes it clearer to see who is talking, and has smileys, but I wouldn't need those frills.
stepchat uses this software: http://parachat.com/
I think they needed that because they have multiple chatrooms operating at once.
I think the chat you had us check out (phpfreechat.net) would be just fine.
But I am conscious that this might be a lot of work for you, Pro. I don't think you should feel you have to do this. Only if you want to -- and when you actually have the time. I am fine with the current "plain text" chat.
-- movingalong
parachat has no Drupal module
I only can install a package that has been adapted for Drupal. Parachat has no Drupal module.
The big work involved is that adding a new chat probably will require updating the forum software, which is likely to break other things. That's why I didn't do it this morning. I need enough time so if something breaks I can fix it. Also, it might be better to do it at night when people aren't logged in (although I, also, like to sleep).
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
I like the drupal better than parachat anyhow
I like the Drupal better anyhow.
And if it takes you a few weeks or months to getting around to installing the updated Drupal, that's fine. As I said, the current plaintext chat is fine for me.
Perfect!
That's much nicer! Very user friendly :-D Two thumbs up from me :-) Will you have to pay anything to install that new software, Pro?
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Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson
can turn off one-day chat log
I can turn off the chat log completely if that's what people want. There's no switch for that, but I can hack the code - it's written in PHP (which I know well).
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
Re: turning off the one-day chat log
The log was the thing that concerned me. I would be grateful if you would be willing to completely disable it. And I know you don't have time today. Whenever you have the time, I would be very happy.
There is a saying in many 12-Step meetings: "Who you see here, what you hear here, let it stay here". This usually means that you don't tell anyone who you saw at the meeting, or what they said -- even to other regular members who just didn't happen to be at that particular meeting that day. That way, anyone telling their personal failings at a meeting -- knows that only the people in the room hear it, and nobody else.
I come from that experience, so that is why I didn't like the chatbox logs.
I didn't mind the 24-hour chat log when we were just working together to do paperwork or chores or discussing things informally. Or having any sort of informal meeting.
I just wanted the more unlogged "private" setting for official "12-Step" meetings.
(Obviously, if you delete the logs, they get deleted for everything. You wouldn't be able to change the settings for different types of chats).
But despite my personal preferences ...
I am willing to bow to the wishes of Pro -- and/or the the wishes of the majority. If the decision is made to keep the 24 hour log, then I would simply choose to come to the meetings but not make personal confessions. (Just my choice -- Not telling anyone else what to do.).
I am willing to work with whatever is finally decided -- and will adapt accordingly. I don't want to impose my ideas on anyone else.
I think this is a lovely website, and I am sorry I caused so much controversy a while back -- by my suggesting to find a more private place to do chats. I wasn't trying to create a separate meeting, and I am sorry if it seemed that way. I apologize to everyone.
I would much prefer to have the chat meetings here on this website. I will adapt to however things work out.
My only issue was the chatbox logs. Period. Pro, if you are willing to dissolve them, I think that would make things "feel" safer for some of us.
But I won't insist. I will adapt to whatever is decided.
[I edited this post about 6 times -- I kept adding/inserting more thoughts.]
Peace,
movingalong
very gracious of you,
very gracious of you, moving. I commend you.
Until you mentioned it, i had never considered it you who caused the controversy. Because you just made a suggestion and then lots of people jumped on your bandwagon and favored the other chat. You're so gracious to adapt to whatever is decided, but i dont think it was all your fault by any means.
As for the issues of logs. Personally i LOVE to view the log history to see who's been on. i know others do too, because they comment on what i have written hours before. And i comment on what they have written.
But, i also want the privacy during the 12-step thing. I want to see everyone i'm speaking to if i'm going to be vulnerable.
I wish we could have it both ways. Alas.
meeting software
I would prefer to have the meetings here because this is home, but I would prefer to use software that does not eat posts when it refreshes. If that represents an expense or loads of time, then I would suggest we meet elsewhere for the time being until such a time as that can be enhanced here without taking too much time or money. If the new software will be fine for that, I am happy. In terms of the chatlogs, I don't really need one (I will procrastinate on reading the log just as I get tied up reading all the posts, lol)
I want to make amends for whatever role I played in disprupting the harmony of this website last week. I participated in the meeting last week, both in this site as well as at stepchat, and I greatly appreciate the fellowship of the meeting, no matter where it happens. Keeping in mind that one of the 12 steps is to reach out to the person who still suffers, I think that the more people who begin to recognize procrastination as an addictive/compulsive behavior, the better. Personally, I believe that having meetings on stepchat or another mechanism will grow our fellowship and this site. I offer the followingshare as my own experience as a means to thinking of what can happen when the 'stranger' wanders in.
I once went to a face to face meeting in the VA hospital in the states and got there late. I quietly took my seat and then shortly thereafter realized that it was not the OA meeting I had thought, that it was in fact an Al-Anon meeting. I was too embarassed to leave so stayed put, but found I identified enormously with the experiences of others sharing at the meeting. Through that experience I was able to see the commonality of what is behind the behavior of 12 steppers of all persuasions. I was able to see how my grandfather's alchoholism had affected my mother and therefore my own experience. I am more able to see when my addictive/compulsive/anxiety driven behavior crosses over into other realms.
I am a 'card-carrying Procrastinator. I am also a potential member of any other 12 step program: that is the nature of my dis-ease. The blessing of Bill W. and Dr. Bob was that they came to see that they could not get stay sober unless they shared their stories. The further blessing was that AA developed the 12 traditions, a set of concept that has been able to weather the storm of literally millions of addicts and still remain strong. I would only suggest that we not be afraid to follow those principles in order that others benefit from our fellowship.
Having said all this, I want to say that I am happy to bow to group conscience. It is the miracle of 12 step that we can resolve our differences and move on.
okay, group hug!
re: can turn off one-day chat log
I think if that's taken care of, then we won't have any sort of objections what so ever against the PA chatbox :grin: I personally haven't got a problem with the one-day log, but since it is a source of some discomfort for others, I think it would be best to turn it entirely off it possible :-) Thanks for being so understanding and proactive, Pro :-) *hugs*
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Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson
chat on this site is more private
You left out something. Everybody here has been screened and is here legitimately. On this site, only members - the people who have been screened - have access to the chat. On another site, there is no control and no privacy.
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.