AMA with Jana Riess on right now

[Calm]

Think it started a half an hour ago:

https://www.reddit.com/r/latterdaysaints/comments/b3xz2v/discussion_of_the_next_mormons/

Focused only on her research

[cinepro]

This comment about ex-Mormons is interesting.  Someone pointed out that their experience online (in the ex-Mormon subreddit) contrasted with the conclusions in the book about the demeanor of ex-Mormons, and here is Jana's response:
 

Quote

[F]ar less research has been done on former Mormons, so some ideas have taken hold that do not seem to actually be representative of that population. It's easy for us to assume, based on the numbers of people who are active online in ex-Mormon affinity groups of various kinds, that their experience is representative or normative. But the reality is that most former Mormons are like most former members of other religious traditions -- they left when they were quite young and were, more often than not, not fully active. The most visible and vocal story is the one about people who were "all in" -- served a mission, married in the temple, etc. And that's a real story for many people, but they are not statistically the majority.

 

Edited March 22, 2019 by cinepro

[hope_for_things]

11 hours ago, Calm said:

Think it started a half an hour ago:

https://www.reddit.com/r/latterdaysaints/comments/b3xz2v/discussion_of_the_next_mormons/

Focused only on her research

Thanks much, I wish I had seen this last night.  I'm currently reading her book and I had a couple questions I would have loved to ask.  I'll read through the comments and see if she ever addresses my questions. 

[clarkgoble]

14 hours ago, cinepro said:

This comment about ex-Mormons is interesting.  Someone pointed out that their experience online (in the ex-Mormon subreddit) contrasted with the conclusions in the book about the demeanor of ex-Mormons, and here is Jana's response:

In general people who post on forums like this one or Reddit are a tiny, tiny, tiny minority and not representative of anything. That applies not just to religion but to most tech topics too. The Apple HomeKit Reddit, for instance, is not representative of all the people who use HomeKit devices in their home.