Re: 4th Step Software

January 19, 2001

> LOL! And AA comes up with " You will be saved by your higher

> power, the tree/doorknob/group of drunks " ??

>

> p.s. What was the name of the story?

I'm sorry but I cant remember; I think its one I havent actually read

- I heard the extract on a TV program abt Dick. I think the film

called THX-11 (or something similar) had a kind of computer

confessional booth, with an oddly secularised religion: It would

confer " Blessings of the State " on the penitent.

I dont remember what the Judaism entry was in Dick's story ( I

improvised) but the Catholic and Islamic entries were what Dick wrote.

Possibly there was no Judaism option, all that Talmudic wisdom being

too much for mere 100GB optical disk drives...

P.

January 19, 2001

> LOL! And AA comes up with " You will be saved by your higher

> power, the tree/doorknob/group of drunks " ??

>

> p.s. What was the name of the story?

I'm sorry but I cant remember; I think its one I havent actually read

- I heard the extract on a TV program abt Dick. I think the film

called THX-11 (or something similar) had a kind of computer

confessional booth, with an oddly secularised religion: It would

confer " Blessings of the State " on the penitent.

I dont remember what the Judaism entry was in Dick's story ( I

improvised) but the Catholic and Islamic entries were what Dick wrote.

Possibly there was no Judaism option, all that Talmudic wisdom being

too much for mere 100GB optical disk drives...

P.

January 19, 2001

A good computer sponsor would also nag people to stop taking their

psychiatric meds.

> > Any day now they come out with HAL, the computer sponsor.

> >

> The computer sponsor will be like a Tamagochi pet (those little

> computer keychain " pets " which bark and poop and eventually die if

you

> don't take care of them) Let's say the computer sponsor keeps quiet

if

> you confess to it, show gratitude to the program and keep comin'.

If

> you express self confidence or doubt AA, it get's irate and

eventually

> disappears with a looming threat such as: " you're on the slippery

> slope, buddy, can't sponsor you anymore "

> Apple

January 19, 2001

A good computer sponsor would also nag people to stop taking their

psychiatric meds.

> > Any day now they come out with HAL, the computer sponsor.

> >

> The computer sponsor will be like a Tamagochi pet (those little

> computer keychain " pets " which bark and poop and eventually die if

you

> don't take care of them) Let's say the computer sponsor keeps quiet

if

> you confess to it, show gratitude to the program and keep comin'.

If

> you express self confidence or doubt AA, it get's irate and

eventually

> disappears with a looming threat such as: " you're on the slippery

> slope, buddy, can't sponsor you anymore "

> Apple

January 19, 2001

I keep thinking I've seen everything in 12-step lunacy and then

something else comes up. When I signed on to this list I never

thought I would feel the mixture of emotions that I have done. A

mixture of outrage, horror, dismay, and compassion for the worst of

XA's victims, but also complete incredulity and hysteria at its most

bizarre elements. 'Eco-Nut Anonymous', Lip Balm Anonymous, HESHE

Anonymous, Church-of-God Anonymous (complete with kneeling worshipper

at 's grave), Pewter 12-step figurines, and now " The Easier

Software Way " . It has me almost speechless. What an incredible

self-parody. It knocks all our attempts at pardy into a cocked hat -

it makes us look subtle. I lifted the below from the website, which

claims to be a magazine review of the s/w, but as the magazine name is

not given, it a complete paean to it and even appears to reproduce

some of the main text, I rather suspect the author of it and the s/w

are the same person. The person must be sincere however. How else

could they be so brazen? It reminds me of early white elephant s/w,

like keeping recipes best kept in an ordinary book. Read this through

- its worth it imo - the images it conjures up are both hilarious and

forboding. how to conjure up computer neurosis, running to the puter

to do 4th step inventories and and program yourself with the '96

fears' they have so conveniently entered for you.

I was going to say this is a wonderful mixture of Oxford Groupers

and Ford, but rather more it's Bill W. meets Bill G.!

P.

////

Rampant marketing of spirituality has become an ordinary

occurrence in today's New Age, feel-good society. A product

that actually maps a realistic way to experiencing a closer

connection to true Spirituality could be overlooked in such a

saturated marketplace. Conscious Contact's new 4th Step

Self-Examination Software is such a product and it offers a unique

opportunity for self-development and personal growth.

The last 50 years of the 20th Century have brought an

unprecedented search for the " examined life, " - a life lived on a

spiritual basis. Much of the credit for this pursuit of spirituality

can

be attributed to the development of recovery programs based on

the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. Alcoholics

Anonymous began in 1935 with Bill & Dr. Bob

when, effectively, " Twelve Step " programs were born.

Today there is a wide array of Twelve Steps programs for

virtually every kind of addiction or problem. And in spite of the

prevalence of such programs, the Twelve Steps have not yet

reached their full potential. This is due to the misconception that

Twelve Step programs are just for alcoholics or addicts. Not true.

The Twelve Steps are a spiritual legacy not to be missed. They

are for everyone - any individual or group of individuals - seeking

to live in spiritual balance or just to solve life's everyday

problems.

Twelve Steps are the Owner's Manual - the " How To " book none

of us received at birth. What is your particular difficulty? Financial

Trouble? Relationships not going well? Writer's Block? Career

choices? Parenting skills a problem? Now with the advent of a

new company and new software, living a Twelve Step way of life

is more accessible than ever.

It's an easier software way. Conscious Contact, Inc. and founder,

L. (anonymity an important tradition of the 12 Steps),

have developed and begun releasing a series of software

programs aimed at bringing Twelve Steps, recovery, and plain old

spirituality into the 21st Century. The " 4th Step Self Examination "

quickly followed the first release -The Basic Big Book Inventory

Program. The company anticipates later releases of a program

covering all 12 steps (including Christian and other versions) with

sections for journal work (11th Step) and monitoring of physical

exercise (Steps 10, 11 & 12). There will also be a contact

management (calendar/scheduling) program that will bring the 12

steps into all of the individual user's affairs. These sections are so

intimately connected that a user could discover upon scheduling a

business appointment that he/she is feeling fear or anxiety around

the appointment. At this point, the person can quickly do a

mini-4th Step and immediately reduce or eliminate the anxiety or

fear thus uncovering true motives and maximizing spiritual balance

and power. Eventually, all programs will be available either as

segments purchased separately or as a total package. The goal is

to keep individuals in " conscious contact " with all parts of

themselves - mental/emotional, physical and spiritual. These new

products fill a necessary niche in today's marketplace while

maintaining the original integrity of the Twelve Steps. They make

examining our lives easier and faster so we can get on with the

business of living.

Once we are past the 1st Step (admitting our powerlessness over

the problem and the unmanageability of our lives), recovery is no

longer about alcohol or drugs or even addiction. It is about the

personal challenge of making life worth living and becoming the

person God made us to be. Although all 12 Steps are necessary

and important, none seems to be more dreaded than the infamous

4th Step: " Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of

ourselves. " As defined in the Step itself, " Step Four is our

vigorous and painstaking effort to discover what these liabilities in

each of us have been, and are. We want to find exactly how,

when, and where our natural desires have warped us. We wish to

look squarely at the unhappiness this has caused others and

ourselves. By discovering what our emotional deformities are, we

can move toward their correction. " An inventory is about finding

out what doesn't work and replacing it with what does work. Just

like a business needs to determine its assets and its liabilities, so

too do we need to determine our positive and negative

characteristics.

The program is developed for ease of use with its Quick Start

Guide and Focus Center. After a brief introduction, the Continue

button will advance the user to the main control screen. The

Focus Center acts much like a home page that brings the user

back to the basic program choices and re-centers or " focuses " the

user on the inventory of choice. A handy 1,2,3 approach

maintains an easy to follow step theme. Additionally, built in drop

down lists in various sections, spark the reflective process and

help to get the inventory completed in a timelier manner. The

program includes a section for creating a data entry on people and

institutions in our lives that can be associated with any inventory

the user chooses - a single inventory or multiple inventories.

Inventories can be password protected and/or data encrypted.

So exactly how does it work? Just like in 12 Step recovery,

numbers are very important. 1) Create New 4th Step Inventory:

This section is for naming each inventory, stating the purpose and

making notes. 2) Add Fears: Ironically, this section is actually a

list of fears so thorough (96 in all) that it would take a long time

to

come up with any additional fears to add. But that option is

available. Clicking through the Fears List is a good way to get the

subconscious mind to begin thinking about fears that may be

buried and/or forgotten.

The 4th Step program is designed to start the inventory by

creating a list of fears and names (people, institutions, ideas and

beliefs) as required in the Big Book. The fears list focuses on all

fears but specific fears are selected for each inventory. It is far

easier to list fears, people, institutions, ideas, and beliefs before

moving to Section 2. Moving to Sections 2, 3, 4 & 5 introduces a

mind shift five different times and the need to think about five

different things to complete all sections. It is much easier to list

every fear, person, or idea first and then move to Section 2. Only

a sentence or two is necessary to complete Section 2. Once

Sections 1 and 2 are completed in this manner, the user can

choose to finish each section before moving to the next fear,

resentment, etc. or complete all sections one at a time.

2a) Fear Inventory: The guts of the inventory process - 7

distinctive sections that solicit details of fears, old ideas, motives

and feelings. The first 4 sections make up the details - Who or

what do I fear, why, which part of me is affected, what is the

nature of my wrong? Section 5 is an expanded look at

resentments. Although this section is not in the official Big Book

version of the inventory process, it is very important. It allows the

user to discover his or her part in any situation and thereby

making it easier to move into forgiveness. Section 6 reviews

motives for behavior and Section 7 focuses on the feelings before

and after facing each fear.

The above process it repeated with each inventory - resentments,

harm, and sex. Additionally, it is important not to overlook the

Positive Qualities Inventory. Human beings are so quick to focus

on the negative instead of the positive. The positive qualities

inventory list ranges from A-Z -from Assiduous to Zany and the

user may be amazed to discover the variety of positive words that

are applicable to his or her personality. The oft-heard disclaimer, "

I can't think of any good things about myself, " will have to go by

the wayside.

One feeling, one emotion at a time, the inventory evolves. One

user described the process: " At first it seemed difficult but after

completing one or two sections, a rhythm began to emerge. I was

gently lulled into thinking through each of my fears, resentments

and sexual issues until finally there was an accumulation of data

that resulted in a thorough and complete 4th Step. After doing any

one of the inventories -- (fear-resentment-harm-sex) -- I could do

the others with equal ease since the process is identical. With the

positive qualities inventory, I became more aware of how many

good things I have so often overlooked about myself. "

The 4th Step Examination can be used in all areas: Fears, Harm,

Resentments, Sex, and positive qualities. It can even be used for

10th step inventories. The process is based on and adheres to the

4th step as presented in Alcoholics Anonymous (Third Edition).

Inspiring quotes, definitions and helpful tabs (discussing feelings

and emotions) are sprinkled liberally throughout the program.

In conclusion, the joy of living is the theme of Step Twelve. It is

fit

and proper that it be the final step. The joy emerges when, by

practicing the Twelve Steps in daily life, people are able to

abandon themselves to love of God, self and others. The Twelve

Steps are wonderfully summarized in the final paragraph from the

text of Alcoholics Anonymous: " Abandon yourself to God as you

understand God (Steps 1,2,3). Admit your faults to Him and to

your fellow (Steps 4,5,6,7). Clear away the wreckage of your

past (Steps 8 & 9). Give freely of what you find and join us. We

shall be with you in the Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will

surely meet some of us as you trudge the Road of Happy Destiny

(Steps 10,11,12). Let 4th Step Software help you take all the

Steps to the beauty of an examined life. It is a life worth living!

January 19, 2001

>

> The 4th Step Examination can be used in all areas: Fears, Harm,

> Resentments, Sex, and positive qualities.

Darn looks like the last of those " negative qualities " is out for the

count too. Thank heavens for chocolate. lol

Mack

January 19, 2001

>

> The 4th Step Examination can be used in all areas: Fears, Harm,

> Resentments, Sex, and positive qualities.

Darn looks like the last of those " negative qualities " is out for the

count too. Thank heavens for chocolate. lol

Mack

January 20, 2001

> > HESHE Anonymous

>

> I know this isn't what it sounds like, but my g0d, you think they

>would have had enough sense to choose a better name!

Dan, I belive there actually is a transsexuals' 12-step program. These

folks probably decided that the acronym was cute (chosen by God)

because it shows it's for everyone of both sexes!

P.

January 20, 2001

> > HESHE Anonymous

>

> I know this isn't what it sounds like, but my g0d, you think they

>would have had enough sense to choose a better name!

Dan, I belive there actually is a transsexuals' 12-step program. These

folks probably decided that the acronym was cute (chosen by God)

because it shows it's for everyone of both sexes!

P.

February 5, 2001

> This is hysterical. Only in America Kayleigh?

>

> It is its own satire. Many AAs will find it offensive. This is " the

> easier, softer way " !

>

> P.

>

No, I think this will appeal to many people. When I attended AA there

were all kinds of 4th step aids around, some workbooks, some just

passed from hand to hand, some devised by counselors. Americans are

tech junkies, you know.

Only in America, however, would you find a truck driver being awarded

back pay because he lost his driver's license. They are ordinarily

very hard here on people who have commercial licenses and are

arrested for drunk driving. I doubt whether they could have offered

him alternative employment, from what I know about most trucking

operations, and certainly there was no reason to assume he lost his

job because he was alcoholic, or that he was alcoholic at all. The

irony of the court's reasoning here is that if he were not alcoholic,

they could probably fire him with impunity, and if he were, they could

not. Actually this is against EEOC guidelines (at least at the time

they were first published), that said you couldn't discriminate

against alcoholics *as long as they were not drinking.* However, two

drunk driving offenses some fifteen (?) years apart IIRC does not mean

one is alcoholic. I am told that 80-90% of people arrested for drunk

driving in this state are rearrested for the same offense within a

year.

I haven't posted for several weeks because my computer died and I had

to get a new one, so most of you will have forgotten this thread by

the time you read this reply.

February 5, 2001