The Richard Dawkins Forum Meltdown in Brief

[livius drusus]

I was telling some people in chat about this then some other people logged in and I had to re-explain and then some more people were like "wait, what?" and I got sick of it so here's one last explanation then you're on your own.

So Richard Dawkins has a website, right?, and on this website there was a phpBB forum which over the past couple of years became fairly substantial in membership and postcount. Too substantial for their shit software and shit server to handle, so they started getting endless errors and lockups and all that jazz.

The moderation staff asked the website sysadmins if consumption be done about it. "Of cough, of cough," they said, but nothing ever seemed to actually get done. Finally the sysadmins announced to the staff that they had come up with A CUNNING PLAN that would solve all the problems and growing pains the forum had been experiencing: they'd shut the forum down and replace it with some fully moderated threaded comment/discussion system which would require no staff beyond a sysadmin who would become the sole editor and administrator.

The forum as they knew it would be taken offline in 30 days, so anybody who wanted to save their pearls of sciencey and/or anti-religious wisdom had to get on that, because there was not going to be an archive.

As an extra special expression of love, they also told the staff to stfu about it, to not attempt to contact Richard Dawkins, who is a Busy Man attending to Very Important Things, and by no means attempt to point the membership to any other forums via post, PM or email.

You can find the complete post to staff along with tons of background and about 148 teal deers in this blog entry (http://realityismyreligion.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/locked-entry-will-open-soon/) from one of the now former mods.

A dark pall descended upon the happy elves of Dawkinsland. That pall became only darker and larger when the CUNNING PLAN was revealed publicly. (See above teal deer for the public post which was a slightly different flavor of hamfisted from the one posted to the staff.)

Things fell apart, the center could not hold and people became like unto animals feasting on the still-warm entrails of what had once been so pure a beacon of enlightenment in this cold, cruel world. Within a day of the announcement, sheer chaos reigned. So the sysadmins closed the PM system, aware that AGAINST HIS SPECIFIC ORDERS, people were using PMs to tell each other where they were off to. Then the shut off sigs, aware that people were using signatures to tell each other where they were off to. Then they closed the whole forum.

It is now read-only and will remain that way for the 30 promised days. Mebbe.

Now, the RD.net forum members, maddened by pain, were sure if only they could reach the Great and Powerful RDoz himself, somehow this train to Bedlam could be stopped. Surely he would appreciate what they had once had, what they had once been to each other. Surely he would not let them down. So they emailed him, and despite his being a Busy Man attending to Very Important Things, he heard their pleas and decided to reply to them on the now-defunct forum.

Here is that reply (http://forum.richarddawkins.net/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=110356). Speaking of the sysadmin's announcement, the Great and Powerful RDoz wrote:

The aim of the letter is to describe an exciting new revamping of our site, one in which quality will take precedence over quantity, where original articles on reason and science, on atheism and scepticism, will be commissioned, where frivolous gossip will be reduced. The new plan may succeed or it may fail, but I think it is worth trying. And even if it fails, it most certainly will not deserve the splenetic hysteria that the mere suggestion of it has received.

Surely there has to be something wrong with people who can resort to such over-the-top language, over-reacting so spectacularly to something so trivial. Even some of those with more temperate language are responding to the proposed changes in a way that is little short of hysterical. Was there ever such conservatism, such reactionary aversion to change, such vicious language in defence of a comfortable status quo? What is the underlying agenda of these people? How can anybody feel that strongly about something so small? Have we stumbled on some dark, territorial atavism? Have private fiefdoms been unwittingly trampled?

Be that as it may, what this remarkable bile suggests to me is that there is something rotten in the Internet culture that can vent it. If I ever had any doubts that RD.net needs to change, and rid itself of this particular aspect of Internet culture, they are dispelled by this episode.

And it is then that aspie heads all over the atheonet asploded in a huge Scanners-like torrent of goo. For Richard Dawkins did not give a rat's ass about them, their feelings, their invaluable contributions to his site, their drop of reason in a pool of confusion, their years of unceasing humpings of his leg.

Most of the wounded are being assembled at the Rationalia field hospital (http://rationalia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=75&t=8864), which unfortunately only has 1000 beds so any attempt to check in now, or even look in the window, returns an error. Truly, tragedy on such epic scale has not been seen since the digitally remastered burning of Atlanta in Gone With the Wind.

~ fin ~

[Ensign Steve]

The runoff is still going to be better than what we got from FG, aspies and all.

[Adam]

Wait, what?

[livius drusus]

I hate you, Kenneh.

[Naru]

:lolwut:

[Watser?]

Wot's an FG or aspies? :duh:

[livius drusus]

FG = ForumGarden, a forum where ages ago there was some dramz and refugees brought it here. Aspies = people with Asperger's syndrome (http://www.aspergers.com/).

[Watser?]

nm

[Crumb]

Doesn't look like the run-off will be coming here. :phew:

[livius drusus]

Naw, we're off the radar. Remember when people were like "OMG SUBVERSERS OF IIDB" to us constantly? Good times...

[Clutch Munny]

Someone alert the Rational Responders! They'll fix Dawkins but good.

Or, um, maybe Penn and Teller?

[Ymir's blood]

While I've always felt that the owners of a website or forum were free to do whatever they wanted with it, preventing people from trying to stay in touch seems especially dickish.

[Crumb]

:unnod:

[Qingdai]

Yeah, what's up with that? I don't like the way you communicate so, blow off.

[Ymir's blood]

NO U!

[Qingdai]

:you:

[Ymir's blood]

:duck:

[livius drusus]

O HAI ALL UR PMS ARE BELONG TO US NOW AMSCRAY

[viscousmemories]

Wow, I haven't read about forum drama of that magnitude in a while. :laugh:

Also, why am I completely unsurprised that Dawkins thinks community is trivial?

[BrotherMan]

YOU CAN'T SILENCE MY VOICE WITH YOUR ADMIN POWARS WE ARE THE PEOPLE WE ARE SPEAKING


By reading this post you are only instigating the anti-:ff: sentiment that must be crushed wholly and without regard to who starts it. Know this, peons, I will finish it.
400livius hatus drusus

[But]

If I found myself, by whatever mistake, on a forum or whatever titled

"The Official Richard Dawkins Website - A Clear Thinking Oasis"

I would feel compelled to call someone an utter twat or a suppurating rat's rectum for no particular reason whatsoever.

[Doctor X]

I think Chris Rock said something about trying not to live up to your negative stereotypes.

--J.D.

[But]

I think someone sucked a suppurating rat's anus and then shat himself - or shot himself, I can't remember.

[ITSOZAZ]

good riddance.

and i certainly hope they come here. i'm getting hungry for more stupidity from smart people.

(and there would be NO anti-religious pearls of wisdom...which is an oxymoron come to think of it)

[But]

I'm getting hungry for more stupidity from stupid people.

come to think

:nope:

[Ari]

I liked Gould better.

[livius drusus]

Especially in MASH. :yup:

[Demimonde]

Naw, we're off the radar. Remember when people were like "OMG SUBVERSERS OF IIDB" to us constantly? Good times...

I wouldn't be too sure about that. (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7TSHB_en&q=Richard+Dawkins+Forum&start=10&sa=N) The :ff: Google Fu is strong. Even "Dawkins Forum" as a search had this place at the top of page two. Also, by virtue of the name and the free speech policy, once word gets out it might spread quickly.

But that's okay, I like company.

I will say, it still bugs me that my old nick from the Darwin Awards Forum was registered at all the atheist websites during my several year web hiatus. It's already at Rationalia in the lifeboat thread. I've always wondered if they were posing as me. Ah well, ancient history.

[Stormlight]

Happy Easter, my little atheists!




Looks like your website is under attack from supernatural forces...




these little insignificant fools try to use science to destroy every mystery in the universe...

but not this one!





First of all: Nostradamus demolishes "atheism"

__________________________________________________ __
wait, wait...

I forgot something...

you little shits even talk about me....

GOATS ON FIRE....


LIBERATION!

Sing from the rooftops:

"Atheism is dead!"

[Qingdai]

Stormlight, Easter's next month, my little atheist.

Are you trying to say they all went to Randi's boards?

[livius drusus]

I miss stormymabus2000. :sadcheer:

[Stormlight]

CHECKMATE, FREETHINKERERS!

[Sock Puppet]

Gawd, that poast of Dawkins' is amazing. I knew he was arrogant, but I've never seen him flat-out proclaim his own awesomeness so explicitly before.

I AM REDESIGNING MY WEBSITE. YOU MAY EVEN COMMENT WHEN I DEEM IT WORTHY. AM I NOT MERCIFUL?


ETA: Followed liv's link to the Rationalia site, which is uglier than an incontinent hyena's butt. This comment from one of the newly landed refugees made me lollerskates:

Now, how do I get rid of this ugly-ass brown? It's like I'm in UPS Hell.

[livius drusus]

The British press is picking up the story. Outraged atheists lose faith in Dawkins as he censors website (http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article7041878.ece)

LOL CLEVAR TITLE GET IT FAITH LOL

The Times religion correspondent -- who was apparently depicted in less than flattering light once or twice in the forum -- blogged about it yesterday (http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/2010/02/richard-dawkins-offended-by-atheists.html). The comments on her entry are particularly entertaining. You might even recognize a name or two.

[LadyShea]

I too peeked at rationalia, and yeah we aren't even on the same continent as the refugees apparently.

[Ensign Steve]

You might even recognize a name or two.

:lol: Gurdur.

[ceptimus]

PZ Myers blogged about it too (http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/02/i_so_do_not_want_to_get_sucked.php). I found this passage eminently reasonable and a little depressing at the same time:

I've been active in forums on the web in the past, and I've also played a role as a moderator. It takes a lot of work to keep a forum afloat. Every one I know of follows one of two paths: a slow decline into quiet apathy, or a rapid growth in membership and activity which leads to an eventual implosion into chaos, acrimony, and drama as disparate interests try to tug the forum in different directions.

[livius drusus]

I too peeked at rationalia, and yeah we aren't even on the same continent as the refugees apparently.

We didn't even rank when IIDB imploded and we had actual historical ties to them. I wouldn't expect the Dawkinsites to have any idea that we exist.

[Sock Puppet]

Don't worry, guys! This youtube video is GETTING THE WORD OUT about the troof behind this great scandal.

YouTube- Dawkins Forum taken down

What's really funny is that every post I've read has just congratulated this guy for this video. Not the slightest bit of, ahem :cough: -- constructive criticism.

[Corona688]

Thanks, from: ITSOZAZ (Today) Like a bad drug, they just keep drawing you back...

[livius drusus]

Cute accent.

[Adam]

I liked Gould better.

While I have my issues with Dawkins, I prefer his writing to Gould's.

[Garnet]

I too peeked at rationalia, and yeah we aren't even on the same continent as the refugees apparently.

We didn't even rank when IIDB imploded and we had actual historical ties to them. I wouldn't expect the Dawkinsites to have any idea that we exist.

That isn't necessarily a bad thing.

[livius drusus]

Oh, neither of them are. I'm quite pleased, maybe even smug tbh, about how after all the crap we took in the first few years of :ff:, when it all came crashing down were far removed from the fray. And we continue to be far removed from the fray.

[Crumb]

We seem to be avoiding the two forum fates that PZ described quite well. Perhaps we are keeping just the right level of membership. An influx of RDers would probably be too much. :yup:

[ChuckF]

Do you see now why I am so newbophobic?

:peek:

[livius drusus]

You just hate what you cannot understand.

[Sock Puppet]

We seem to be avoiding the two forum fates that PZ described quite well.I agree, and the fact that PZ actually used to post here makes me want to tell him, "Uh. Dude."

[Kevlar]

Yeah, I just saw 'District 9', and I think the parallels to our situation are pretty clear.

Keep the refugees isolated and contained... at least until one of the smart ones can fix their mother ship and then they can GTFO.

[BrotherMan]

a slow decline into quiet apathy

I'd posit that this is where PZ would place us. Oh, our apathy isn't for this forum. Rather, it's for the rest of the webonets.

[Corona688]

What do we have in common with Dawkinites? We inherited perhaps some userbase bias from the fallout of other forums, but FF isn't "about" anything other than a few people's conception of a more open forum. I don't know the religious stance of a lot of new folks here and don't much mind. That's apparent enough at a glance that ideologues aren't really champing at the bit to swarm this place. Smilies may tear our membership apart but doctrine never will.















:discmon:

[livius drusus]

http://www.freethought-forum.com/livius/dinorage.gif

[Corona688]

http://www.themaskedloser.com/images/squirrel.jpg

[Ensign Steve]

:starnosemole:

[Adam]

:lolstarnosemole:

[D. Scarlatti]

i'm getting hungry for more stupidity

Somebody remove your feeding tube?

[D. Scarlatti]

Dear Grauniad,
I fully agree with you on the need for civility.
Gurdur

Hilarious.

[Ymir's blood]

When the routine bites hard
and ambitions are low
And the resentment rides high
but emotions won't grow
And we're changing our ways,
taking different roads
Then smilies, smilies will tear us apart again

[livius drusus]

:starnosemole:

:lolstarnosemole:

http://www.freethought-forum.com/livius/squirrelrage.gif

[Adam]

THAT IS NOT A STARNOSE MOLE, MR DRUSUS!
:loud:

[livius drusus]

It's you. You're a starnose mole.

[Corona688]

http://www.freethought-forum.com/livius/squirrelrage.gif

:blink:

How long have you had that thing? :p

[Ymir's blood]

and what about chicken?

[livius drusus]

http://www.freethought-forum.com/livius/squirrelrage.gif

:blink:

How long have you had that thing? :p

I just made it. I needed some big guns for that level of impudence.

[Stephen Maturin]

darker and larger

OMFG t3h congoidz!!!1! :freakout:

Does Höss know about this?!?!?!?!?

[livius drusus]

lol congoids Remember when I told that Nazi that Roland98 wouldn't fuck him with Eva Braun's pussy? Days of wine and roses, man.

[Stephen Maturin]

:laugh:

I love this country ("this country" being FF, of course).

[Qingdai]

:pantsonfire:

Let's see some rage, ms. "I hate fire, liv."

[Ensign Steve]

:diaf:

[Qingdai]

Oh, point taken.

[The Lone Ranger]

I liked Gould better.

I've gotta say that I find Dawkins' writing style far clearer. Gods, Gould could have used a good editor!

I also think that Dawkins shows/showed a much clearer understanding of the logic of natural selection and how it drives evolution than did Gould. Frankly, an awful lot of Gould's work was all but plagiarized from Ernst Mayr, and Gould never gave Mayr the credit he deserved. What's more, in my opinion, Gould greatly overstated the significance and importance (and frequency) of punctuated equilibrium.


That having been said, both Dawkins and Gould have contributed greatly to the general public's understanding of biological evolution. Having read a great deal of each one's work, though, it does seem as if ego was a motivating factor for both. Their positions weren't nearly as different as each of them claimed. And it often seemed as if they were deliberately misunderstanding/misinterpreting each others' positions.

That might not have happened as much if Dawkins had chosen a better title than "The Selfish Gene." Even he admitted that it was a poor choice that led to much confusion, and said that if he had it to do over, he'd have come up with a better title. Even so, I met Gould at a conference once, after he and Lynn Margulis had been savaging The Selfish Gene. I was annoyed because they'd both been seriously misrepresenting Dawkins' work. He didn't give me the opportunity to explain, however. (Yes, Gould was every bit as arrogant in person as you've heard.)

Maybe it comes with the territory. Both Dawkins and Gould were/are brilliant, but both have something of an apparently well-earned reputation for egotism and arrogance.


Cheers,

Michael

[livius drusus]

Time for you to write a layman's science book or ten, TLR.

[The Lone Ranger]

I'd love to! One of these days ...


[Would that turn me into an arrogant jerk, too? I hope not!]*

I've never met Dawkins, but my biggest impression upon meeting Gould was that he didn't tolerate fools lightly. And that he thought everyone was a fool compared to him.


Cheers,

Michael


*Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm assuming that I'm not already an arrogant jerk.

[livius drusus]

I doubt the simple acting of writing would turn you into a jerk. I'd wager Gould and Dawkins had painfully engorged egos long before they made it into print.

[Adam]

Time for you to write a layman's science book or ten, TLR.

Oh, yah, that's a great idea. ADVERTISE his big juicy brain to the zombies.

[BrotherMan]

But then don't we run the risk of losing our science answer engine to his own website? That makes me sad.

[livius drusus]

NO WE ARE KEEPING HIM I DON'T CARE HOW FAMOUS HE GETS

[Ari]

I'd wager Gould and Dawkins had painfully engorged egos long before they made it into print.
Yep, but that's what happens when you wear a cock ring around your head too long.

[Doctor X]

*Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm assuming that I'm not already an arrogant jerk.

Oh no, no, no, NO! But at least you will have evolved into one rather having been created.

--J.D.

P.S. I use Gould's Non-Overlapping Bullshitism as a prime example of classical fallacies. It is a veritable celebration of them, if he but knew it.

[JoeP]

:lolstarnosemole:

:starnosedmolenosebubble:

a slow decline into quiet apathy

I'd posit that this is where PZ would place us. Oh, our apathy isn't for this forum. Rather, it's for the rest of the webonets.

It's not quite that ... oh, I couldn't be bothered.

[JoeP]

Time for you to write a layman's science book or ten, TLR.

YES PLEASE

Michael, you really should.

[Stormlight]

:yeahthat:

[Crumb]

:unnod:

[JoeP]

Since the linked pages are :tldr: and I practice apathy, can anyone clarify whether thousands of posts have in fact been deleted? That's the only detail that unnerves me.

[livius drusus]

Yes, an estimated 30,000 posts were deleted when the sysadmin tweaked out over some of the moderators posting the "do not attempt to direct people to another site" note and deleted their accounts. In phpBB, when you delete a user it automatically removes all of their posts.

[ChuckF]

pfft, 30,000 posts. We have that many posts in one thread.

[Deadlokd]

Still, that is extremely fucked up. It really reads like a power tripping wanker with his fingers in the ACP. No wonder people are pissed.

Seen this? (http://rationalia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=75&t=8983) It's the "Lifeboat Muster Roll" at Rationalia. And it's fucking hilarious because all the names I recognise are highly active members of other forums and really didn't need to go to yet another forum to complain about a different forum.

[Ymir's blood]

pfft, 30,000 posts. We have that many posts in one thread.In one poster, even.

[JoeP]

One poster ... hmm ... that reminds me of a phpBB board, not unknown here, where the admin deleted herself. (Just to see if she could.) All her old posts remained but appeared to be posted by a guest.

[Crumb]

:moosie:

[LadyShea]

That's cute that they are listing all their peeps.

You know what's funny? A couple times I have peeked in on sites and found some manner of "Where are they now" thread. I have seen people wonder about me, about lisarea, about livius, and a few others that post here that I don't specifically remember. I don't post, but I do laugh, I didn't know I was missing!

Is :ff: in some kind of temporal bubble away from the rest of the webiverse or what?

[Corona688]

One poster ... hmm ... that reminds me of a phpBB board, not unknown here, where the admin deleted herself. (Just to see if she could.) http://burningsmell.org/images/cat-balloon.jpg

[livius drusus]

She didn't use phpBB at the time, iirc, but rather Proboards.

[JoeP]

I think that was a previous board (that I never got to visit). iirc it died of system error not user error. The self-deletion was certainly at the current board with continuous posting from other members.

[livius drusus]

That's cute that they are listing all their peeps.

You know what's funny? A couple times I have peeked in on sites and found some manner of "Where are they now" thread. I have seen people wonder about me, about lisarea, about livius, and a few others that post here that I don't specifically remember. I don't post, but I do laugh, I didn't know I was missing!

Is :ff: in some kind of temporal bubble away from the rest of the webiverse or what?
I guess we are. Part of it is that a lot of the post-II sites made a point to link to each other and make this big deal out being "the atheist community" or whatever, but vm and I were way over the whole organized atheism stuff when we even opened :ff: which was a full 3 years before II's meltdown. When we were asked to join link partnerships we refused.

[JoeP]

That's cute that they are listing all their peeps.

You know what's funny? A couple times I have peeked in on sites and found some manner of "Where are they now" thread. I have seen people wonder about me, about lisarea, about livius, and a few others that post here that I don't specifically remember. I don't post, but I do laugh, I didn't know I was missing!

Is :ff: in some kind of temporal bubble away from the rest of the webiverse or what?

:ff: is an oasis of calm. Like Beninia in Stand on Zanzibar, invaders are assimilated or give up and leave.

[Corona688]

When we were asked to join link partnerships we refused. I've always felt link partnerships to be a bit petty. Link at need, not because you're obliged to like some damn product.

[ceptimus]

Presumably there were backups but if the guy who deleted the posts is also the keeper of the backups, then that probably isn't much use.

[Corona688]

Off-site backups are nice. I've seen several situations where a raging sysadmin nuked something in a narcissism-fueled bender, only to have other mods restore it somewhere else. This pisses them off So. Much. So very much. Seldom do they realize they could be the random disaster someday..

Only once have I ever seen an angry volunteer sysadmin hand over something to others voluntarily and walk away. Whatever his other faults I give him kudos for that; when things go bad, most want to ride the bomb...

[Adam]

I think we need links to these "whar are thay now?" threads. For the lulz.

[LadyShea]

Oh gawd I don't even remember where I saw them now. Try looking up "where are they now" at like TR or rnr which is prolly where I seen em

[Crumb]

Yeah that's useful... :brooding:

The following words are either very common, too long, or too short and were not included in your search : where, are, they, now

[Ensign Steve]

I know, right?

[LadyShea]

try looking up "lisarea" or "livius drusus" then...gah why do I have to do all the work

[Crumb]

YOU BROUGHT IT UP!
:loud:

[LadyShea]

I didn't mean for anyone to go try it, just mentioning I saw some shit one time!

[viscousmemories]

A large part of the reason I've opted to run a forum for the past 6-7 years is so nobody else could edit/delete my posts.

[livius drusus]

:shiftier:

[viscousmemories]

:freakout:

[Crumb]

This is just how I pictured it: baldbantam / Subtitle movie with BombayTV (http://www.grapheine.com/bombaytv/index.php?module=see&lang=uk&code=76f82e283feb73d9fafdfe4b37990549)

[viscousmemories]

:lol: When was that made?

[Crumb]

Talk Rational! (http://www.talkrational.org/showthread.php?t=104&highlight=livius+drusus)

[Ymir's blood]

I still remember the shitstorm when SingleDad went Berzerko at IIDB... yikes.

[viscousmemories]

Before or after his poodle-lover incarnation?

[viscousmemories]

Talk Rational! (http://www.talkrational.org/showthread.php?t=104&highlight=livius+drusus)

Hmm, I can't access that forum without logging in and I don't think I've ever joined.

[livius drusus]

THE SMILIES HAVE GONE OVERBOARD?! HERESY!!!!1

[livius drusus]

Anyways that thread isn't people wondering war we've gone to 'cause the people who mention us know we're here.

[Watser?]

:inquisit:

[Ymir's blood]

Before or after his poodle-lover incarnation?



I don't remember a poodle lover thing. I do know he had a later incarnation as Malcalypse or somesuch. This was original one, when he was an admin. The details are fuzzy, but he got into it with (can't remember name but the guy that answered feedback on the main site). SD posted an angry rant in the admin forum, then banned himself. Before doing that though, he was thought to have copied a lot of log in information on other posters. Oh, and he did an email campaign trying to get supporters in his vendetta.

[Adam]

Talk Rational! (http://www.talkrational.org/showthread.php?t=104&highlight=livius+drusus)

:lol:

They all had an orgy without FF and begat TalkRational.

[viscousmemories]

I don't remember a poodle lover thing.
He posted as PoodleLovinPessimist for a long while, eventually storming out again for some reason or another.

[Ymir's blood]

ETA : nevermind, confused it with another forum

[Ymir's blood]

I don't remember a poodle lover thing.
He posted as PoodleLovinPessimist for a long while, eventually storming out again for some reason or another.
I remember PLP now. Heh, it's been too many years.

But yeah, he was pretty explosive.

[Crumb]

Talk Rational! (http://www.talkrational.org/showthread.php?t=104&highlight=livius+drusus)

Hmm, I can't access that forum without logging in and I don't think I've ever joined.
Well the thread is from March of '08

[livius drusus]

I don't remember a poodle lover thing. I do know he had a later incarnation as Malcalypse or somesuch. This was original one, when he was an admin. The details are fuzzy, but he got into it with (can't remember name but the guy that answered feedback on the main site). SD posted an angry rant in the admin forum, then banned himself.
It was Richard Carrier who pissed him off by suggesting some essay he had submitted for the site was crappy, which it doubtless was. SingleDad melted down on New Year's Eve, so when people came back the next day all hungover, they found nothing left of him but his freakout.

[Ymir's blood]

I don't remember a poodle lover thing. I do know he had a later incarnation as Malcalypse or somesuch. This was original one, when he was an admin. The details are fuzzy, but he got into it with (can't remember name but the guy that answered feedback on the main site). SD posted an angry rant in the admin forum, then banned himself.
It was Richard Carrier who pissed him off by suggesting some essay he had submitted for the site was crappy, which it doubtless was. SingleDad melted down on New Year's Eve, so when people came back the next day all hungover, they found nothing left of him but his freakout.
It was Carrier that 'started' it but that's not who he faced off against.

It was the feedback guy. All I can remember about him is that he chided me for double spacing after sentences, during my admin days.

[Adam]

Don Morgan?

[Ymir's blood]

That's the guy, thanks.

[specious_reasons]

I originally came from JREF, and this Dawkins thing reminds me a lot of the JREF forum dramas, except Randi belatedly realized he wanted to have a forum community.

Either Dawkins is not so inclined, or he is even more indifferent to his forum than Randi is....

[Megatron]

LAWL... SingleDad. I remember that shit.

You know what's funniest of all to me - Bill more or less admitted later on that SD was made admin primarily due to his post count. I wish that thread was still around, there were lulz aplenty.

[Qingdai]

I have never been in a "where are they now" or forum melt down hoo-haa.
Could we stage one now for me?
:beg:
I guess I don't inspire that sort of drama.

[Ymir's blood]

LAWL... SingleDad. I remember that shit.

You know what's funniest of all to me - Bill more or less admitted later on that SD was made admin primarily due to his post count. I wish that thread was still around, there were lulz aplenty.
Unfortunately, the 'qualifications' didn't change that much over the years.

[Megatron]

I have never been in a "where are they now" or forum melt down hoo-haa.
Could we stage one now for me?
:beg:
I guess I don't inspire that sort of drama.

Eh, you don't want it, trust me.

Most of us with 2004 reg dates were IIDB mods/admins and there's a reason most of us never went back... that kind of shit really ruins a community.

I do miss the QTMP though. :D

[Qingdai]

Fine, I'll just stage something with my son's finger puppets, instead.

[Megatron]

LAWL... SingleDad. I remember that shit.

You know what's funniest of all to me - Bill more or less admitted later on that SD was made admin primarily due to his post count. I wish that thread was still around, there were lulz aplenty.
Unfortunately, the 'qualifications' didn't change that much over the years.
Perhaps not, but we did have some good ones along the way. I thought you did pretty damn well, for instance.

[viscousmemories]

Wait, Ymir's Blood is Pitshade?!

[Megatron]

:lmao:

[Watser?]

It reminds me of the meltdown of the Universist Forum, which is where I met Shelli, Smilin, Biochemgirl and Malloch. Some others from that one hung out here a while but have moved on to other forums. I'm the only one who used a different monniker then on that forum though.

The guy in charge there, Ford Vox (aka Ford Baxter) was as arrogant and cold as Dawkins but without having written any books. In fact he was mostly famous for his luaus I think. :sniggle:

[Ymir's blood]

LAWL... SingleDad. I remember that shit.

You know what's funniest of all to me - Bill more or less admitted later on that SD was made admin primarily due to his post count. I wish that thread was still around, there were lulz aplenty.
Unfortunately, the 'qualifications' didn't change that much over the years.
Perhaps not, but we did have some good ones along the way. I thought you did pretty damn well, for instance.
Thanks.

There were a lot of good people but it wasn't enough. Eventually the bad ones drive everyone else away.


Wait, Ymir's Blood is Pitshade?!
:chin:

[livius drusus]

I think Randi, Dawkins and the Internet Infidels organization all suffer from the same kind of ambivalence/ignorance of the realities of internet bb dynamics. They want the big group of supporters who shower them with praise and write smrt things and made them look good, but then when they find that people who are giddy, mean, raunchy, disinterested, stupid, etc. are inherent in the system, they become obsessed with the potential "damage to their reputation."

So then in comes the increasing moderation and the heavy-handed attempts to contain the troublesome parts as they inexorably succumb to Governor Tarkin syndrome: the more they tighten their grip, the more the forums slip through their fingers. What they're left with in the end is some half-assed moderation Frankenstein (like JREF), a pathetic shadow of its former self spin-off (like the artist formerly known as IIDB), or a glorified comment system (like RD.net will soon have).

[Adam]

:giggle:@vm.pitshaderevelation

[Ymir's blood]

It reminds me of the meltdown of the Universist Forum, which is where I met Shelli, Smilin, Biochemgirl and Malloch. Some others from that one hung out here a while but have moved on to other forums. I'm the only one who used a different monniker then on that forum though.
Oh, it's your fault, is it? :whup:

[Ymir's blood]

Hey, I tried to get my name changed but livius refused and now it's long past too late.

[Adam]

I had never thought about it those terms, liv, but that's a very good point.

[Qingdai]

A glorified postive only comment section, that may be worse than reading comments on YouTube.
:shudder:

[Watser?]

It reminds me of the meltdown of the Universist Forum, which is where I met Shelli, Smilin, Biochemgirl and Malloch. Some others from that one hung out here a while but have moved on to other forums. I'm the only one who used a different monniker then on that forum though.
Oh, it's your fault, is it? :whup:

Actually it was Shelli who played the leading role in taking them down. It was pretty awesome :grin:

And yeah, what liv said was exactly how it was at the UF.

[Ymir's blood]

It reminds me of the meltdown of the Universist Forum, which is where I met Shelli, Smilin, Biochemgirl and Malloch. Some others from that one hung out here a while but have moved on to other forums. I'm the only one who used a different monniker then on that forum though.
Oh, it's your fault, is it? :whup:

Actually it was Shelli who played the leading role in taking them down. It was pretty awesome :grin:
I was joking about bringing them here...

[Watser?]

Oh...

:whoosh:

:duh:

[livius drusus]

Fine, I'll just stage something with my son's finger puppets, instead.
That sounds pretty awesome. Put it on YouTube and we'll flood it with abusive comments so you can have the full experience.

[Qingdai]

OK, but you're going to be the poorly knitted santa and my camera doesn't have sound.

[davidm]

If we had a :richarddawkins: smilie and a :shakedawkins: smilie, perhaps this fateful issue could explored with greater depth. :chin:

[livius drusus]

OK, but you're going to be the poorly knitted santa and my camera doesn't have sound.

:riveted:

[ITSOZAZ]

If we had a :richarddawkins: smilie and a :shakedawkins: smilie, perhaps this fateful issue could explored with greater depth. :chin:


oh here we go!

[Deadlokd]

OK, but you're going to be the poorly knitted santa and my camera doesn't have sound.

That's oaky. We'll download it and add our own sound and/or subtitles. :lol:

[curses]

It can go viral like the Downfall.

[SharonDee]

Hey, whatever happened to Prembone?

[livius drusus]

She dropped off the radar a couple of years into the uBB IIDB. I read somewheres a few years back that she was around under a new handle, but if it's true she hasn't identified herself.

[ITSOZAZ]

this whole thread is proof there is no god. i think i'm almost ready to be converted. that richard dawkins is a genius. i have underestimated him.

my only problem is i'm not a trekkie.

[Anastasia Beaverhausen]

I wonder if that frikativ54 idiot ever joined RD.net and blabbered on about her college and other inane shit as much as she did on II. :shrug:


I tried reading The God Delusion, but never finished it because I find the whole "religious people are all developmentally delayed idiots" thing distasteful. It was bad enough at II; I can only imagine what it's like on the forum for the crown prince of the attitude.

[Garnet]

Here I thought I was the only atheist that didn't think much of the God Delusion. I got bored with it right around the third chapter and couldn't finish it.

[rigorist]

I wonder if that frikativ54 idiot ever joined RD.net and blabbered on about her college and other inane shit as much as she did on II. :shrug:


I tried reading The God Delusion, but never finished it because I find the whole "religious people are all developmentally delayed idiots" thing distasteful. It was bad enough at II; I can only imagine what it's like on the forum for the crown prince of the attitude.

Here I thought I was the only atheist that didn't think much of the God Delusion. I got bored with it right around the third chapter and couldn't finish it.

You are not of the Body!

[viscousmemories]

It's comments like those that made PZ stop posting here. Somebody say something mean about Jebus, stat!

[Anastasia Beaverhausen]

Why did Jesus die on the cross?


He forgot the safeword

/old

[rigorist]

It's comments like those that made PZ stop posting here. Somebody say something mean about Jebus, stat!
And here I thought it was just because he was a douchenozzle.

[Pyrrho]

So, basically, the Brights turned off the light?

[wei yau]

...but then when they find that people who are giddy, mean, raunchy, disinterested, stupid, etc. are inherent in the system...


I'm glad that the :ff: is long-lived because we not only accept the giddy, mean, raunchy and stupid...we actively nurture them.

[livius drusus]

I'm glad you feel nutured, wei. God know we try. :weiglomp:

[Plant Woman]

I'm glad you feel nutured, wei. God know we try. :weiglomp:

Are you saying wei is giddy, mean, raunchy and stupid? :yikes: Shouldn't that be in the mortally wound the poster above you thread? :giggles:

[livius drusus]

Oh I'm sure he'll take it as the great compliment it was intended to be. :giggle:

[viscousmemories]

That's how I took it, hence the "Thanks".

[Doctor X]

I wonder why Theists claim Atheists are close-minded, self-important pricks.

--J.D.

[Pinecone]

but then when they find that people who are giddy, mean, raunchy, disinterested, stupid, etc. are inherent in the system, they become obsessed with the potential "damage to their reputation."



I'm proud to be associated with a group whose reputation is such that it could not suffer damage. :happycry:



Oh wait... :narrow:

[Stormlight]

my only problem is i'm not a trekkie.

That's not a problem, that's a fucking huge character flaw, Michael.

[JoeP]

I didn't mean for anyone to go try it, just mentioning I saw some shit one time!

Hey, I saw some shit this morning ... but you won't be able to search for it ... unless that Google Toilet parody is ever actually released.

[JoeP]

OK, but you're going to be the poorly knitted santa and my camera doesn't have sound.

It's a shame liv doesn't use custom user titles.

[Qingdai]

OK, but you're going to be the poorly knitted santa and my camera doesn't have sound.

:riveted:


The role of liv, head ballerina, was substituted by her underling, the poorly knitted duck.

YouTube- Interweb dramas! the finger puppet_1.

[Miisa]

OMG! Parental advisory sticker, plz! :eek:

[livius drusus]

The beer and lime concentrate in the background really make it. Ingmar Bergman, eat your heart out.

[Stormlight]

:foocl:

[davidm]

Of course, if we HAD a :richarddawkins: and a :shakedawkins: smilie, we could get a proper SMILIE analysis of this profoundly consequential matter, narrated by :lolhog:

Just pointing that out. :chin:

[livius drusus]

Yeah, not going to happen. I made you that stupid Michael Behe one when you hounded me for it, and you never did shit with it.

[slimshady2357]

.....Yo-u-u-u ne-e-e-ver did sh-i-i-it with me-e-e-e
:shakebehe:

[The Lone Ranger]

:shakebehe:

At least this smiley is intelligently designed ...

[Megatron]

:lmao:

[ITSOZAZ]

my only problem is i'm not a trekkie.

That's not a problem, that's a fucking huge character flaw, Michael.


i bring you dishonor

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3640/3449024616_267b982972.jpg

[Leesifer]

Of course, if we HAD a :richarddawkins: and a :shakedawkins: smilie, we could get a proper SMILIE analysis of this profoundly consequential matter, narrated by :lolhog:

Just pointing that out. :chin:

Yeah, not going to happen. I made you that stupid Michael Behe one when you hounded me for it, and you never did shit with it.

RECALL DAVIDM

[Doctor X]

"Doing shit with Behe"

I am not sure I want to t3h G00gle that. . . .

--J.D.

[livius drusus]

The Swiss Family Dawkins have built a new treehouse: rationalskepticism.org (http://www.rationalskepticism.org), a "Lifeboat for the rational mind :D" (text smiley original), where many important issues are discussed including responses to media inquiries about the meltdown, all of which are so mind-numbling teal deer the media will doubtless run the other way.

[Leesifer]

Lord, they are a wordy bunch.

[livius drusus]

I know, right? I mean, it's one thing to go on and on about a topic that holds your interest, but you'd think they'd grasp the concept that a sound bite is far more likely to make into press than a detailed narration in 4 acts.

[JoeP]

rationalskepticism.org • View topic - ‘Our prayers took down Dawkins’ forum’ (http://www.rationalskepticism.org/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=303&sid=f7cfccf427c278f6114133d4a1d438df)
Quotes christwire.org:
For those of you who do not know, Richard Dawkins is one of the worst offenders before God. He promotes bestial relations. He thinks that a less evolved human man and a monkey woman had sexual relations to create us.

For years we warned atheists that we would take down their site entitled RichardDawkins.net, by the power prayer.

The atheists laughed and said prayer did not exist. They cursed us and said there was no God. I warned them time and again, and now, we see the true power of God as he has closed their sinful site, RichardDawkins.net.

[Ymir's blood]

:ff: quotes rationalskepticism.org quoting christwire.org!

If only we could get some other forum to quote us and keep the chain going... :chin:

[Miisa]

Yeah, JoeP, you get on that!


:caught:

[Corona688]

dear yog no, this could go bad fast

:shakediscmon:

[slimshady2357]

The Swiss Family Dawkins have built a new treehouse: rationalskepticism.org (http://www.rationalskepticism.org), a "Lifeboat for the rational mind :D" (text smiley original), where many important issues are discussed including responses to media inquiries about the meltdown, all of which are so mind-numbling teal deer the media will doubtless run the other way.

How long has that board been up? Because they already have a 6 page thread on whether 0.999... = 1 exactly :lol:

[JoeP]

At least an hour, then

[livius drusus]

Today is its third of existence. I don't think they're going to rest on the seventh, either.

[LadyShea]

I know, right? I mean, it's one thing to go on and on about a topic that holds your interest, but you'd think they'd grasp the concept that a sound bite is far more likely to make into press than a detailed narration in 4 acts.

Please be patient whilst I endeavor to examine and analyze this suggestion of acquiring the skills necessary to imbue my written communications with both brevity and concision.

[ChuckF]

rationalskepticism.org (http://www.rationalskepticism.org), a "Lifeboat for the rational mind :D"
lulz (short for L.O.L.s)

[Demimonde]

Someone named Topsy is using the Olympia avatar that liv made for me on that site. H8T!

Maybe Chuck should send her Mammimonde instead. :chin:

[Ymir's blood]

I think that's just cropped from the original painting.

And you're using the avatar I made. :P

[livius drusus]

Yes, you very hurtfully rejected mine in favor of Yb's. But I got him back with your Christmas avatar, by gum. :shakeskull:

[Doctor X]

rationalskepticism.org • View topic - ‘Our prayers took down Dawkins’ forum’ (http://www.rationalskepticism.org/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=303&sid=f7cfccf427c278f6114133d4a1d438df)
Quotes christwire.org:
For those of you who do not know, Richard Dawkins is one of the worst offenders before God. He promotes bestial relations. He thinks that a less evolved human man and a monkey woman had sexual relations to create us.

For years we warned atheists that we would take down their site entitled RichardDawkins.net, by the power prayer.

The atheists laughed and said prayer did not exist. They cursed us and said there was no God. I warned them time and again, and now, we see the true power of God as he has closed their sinful site, RichardDawkins.net.

Yet prayers for children with cancer remain unanswered. . . .

--J.D.

[livius drusus]

Okay, I feel bad for this guy because he had almost 14,000 posts deleted, but this is ... well, see for yourself:

I had been there for 3 years. Now the ONLY thing that really gets me is the wanton destruction of a historical document the like of which will never be seen again. How will future historians see this act by Josh and Richard? I think they’ll hold their heads in their hands and cry at the loss. There is NO record like this of the reaction to the publication of one book, The God Delusion, in the history of mankind. Nothing like it exists in the past because the Internet was not mature. Nothing like it will exist in the future as the nature of reading is changing out of all recognition. The forum is a unique resource that needs to be preserved not destroyed and it’s being destroyed, bit by bit, by Josh Timonen.

The last backup before this debacle needs to be preserved for future generations. Please, please, please make Richard see sense on this point if you do nothing else. Richard won’t listen to the people who have dedicated thousands of hours fighting his cause on his forum, so I hope with all my heart that he will listen to you and not destroy a unique historical document. 2.4 million posts gone as if they had never existed. Heart rending stories of theists finding their way out from the tyranny of religion, gone. Creationist arguments picked apart and destroyed, gone. If this forum is lost it will be one of the greatest acts on intellectual vandalism the world may ever see. And all they need to do is send a backup to a museum that will host it in a read only form for future generations to read

From the tealest of deers (http://www.rationalskepticism.org/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=454).

[ChuckF]

Wow. WOW. I can't can only think of one two three a few several other atheist forums with this level of unwarranted self-importance.

[Crumb]

:chuckle:

[Doctor X]

We certainly need to preserve Legs' Sphincter Bleaching thread in a museum or something.

--J.D.

[Demimonde]

That's right Ymir, you did make it! And you are right, my avatar is just a detail of Manet so it would be silly to imagine it's mine or anything. It did irk me for a moment, but mostly I just wanted to point out how much Chuck's shoop would be more apt for a Topsy.

[Corona688]

That alone out of everything else will probably survive somehow, life's like that.

[Ymir's blood]

Yes, you very hurtfully rejected mine in favor of Yb's.
:muahaha:

[LadyShea]

Okay, I feel bad for this guy because he had almost 14,000 posts deleted, but this is ... well, see for yourself:

I had been there for 3 years. Now the ONLY thing that really gets me is the wanton destruction of a historical document the like of which will never be seen again. How will future historians see this act by Josh and Richard? I think they’ll hold their heads in their hands and cry at the loss. There is NO record like this of the reaction to the publication of one book, The God Delusion, in the history of mankind. Nothing like it exists in the past because the Internet was not mature. Nothing like it will exist in the future as the nature of reading is changing out of all recognition. The forum is a unique resource that needs to be preserved not destroyed and it’s being destroyed, bit by bit, by Josh Timonen.

The last backup before this debacle needs to be preserved for future generations. Please, please, please make Richard see sense on this point if you do nothing else. Richard won’t listen to the people who have dedicated thousands of hours fighting his cause on his forum, so I hope with all my heart that he will listen to you and not destroy a unique historical document. 2.4 million posts gone as if they had never existed. Heart rending stories of theists finding their way out from the tyranny of religion, gone. Creationist arguments picked apart and destroyed, gone. If this forum is lost it will be one of the greatest acts on intellectual vandalism the world may ever see. And all they need to do is send a backup to a museum that will host it in a read only form for future generations to read

From the tealest of deers (http://www.rationalskepticism.org/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=454).

Um, wow. "Future generations"? are you fucking serious. "The world has ever seen..." Jesus Christ

I have been on forums and chatz and such for over a decade, never once did it occur to me that any of my shit might be important historically, let alone put in a fucking museum.

Write a book or blog you people!

[livius drusus]

I'm thinking of writing a book called The Dawkins Delusion. That post will be its core theme.

[ChuckF]

There is a ton of literary potential out there.

Like maybe I will write an alternative history in which the Dawkins forum was never shut down. Can you imagine where we would be as a civilization by now, if only that forum hadn't been shut down? CAN YOU IMAGINE IT?

[Naru]

Okay, I feel bad for this guy because he had almost 14,000 posts deleted, but this is ... well, see for yourself:

I had been there for 3 years. Now the ONLY thing that really gets me is the wanton destruction of a historical document the like of which will never be seen again. How will future historians see this act by Josh and Richard? I think they’ll hold their heads in their hands and cry at the loss. There is NO record like this of the reaction to the publication of one book, The God Delusion, in the history of mankind. Nothing like it exists in the past because the Internet was not mature. Nothing like it will exist in the future as the nature of reading is changing out of all recognition. The forum is a unique resource that needs to be preserved not destroyed and it’s being destroyed, bit by bit, by Josh Timonen.

The last backup before this debacle needs to be preserved for future generations. Please, please, please make Richard see sense on this point if you do nothing else. Richard won’t listen to the people who have dedicated thousands of hours fighting his cause on his forum, so I hope with all my heart that he will listen to you and not destroy a unique historical document. 2.4 million posts gone as if they had never existed. Heart rending stories of theists finding their way out from the tyranny of religion, gone. Creationist arguments picked apart and destroyed, gone. If this forum is lost it will be one of the greatest acts on intellectual vandalism the world may ever see. And all they need to do is send a backup to a museum that will host it in a read only form for future generations to read

From the tealest of deers (http://www.rationalskepticism.org/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=454).

LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA ITT

[livius drusus]

JOSH TIMONEN KILLED HYPATIA

[Miisa]

This is it, we are witnessing the beginning of the end of civilization, right now. We witnessed it, we few, we unhappy few, but were powerless to stop it.

[ChuckF]

THE UNBANNED SHALL ENVY THE BANNED

[Miisa]

FIRE AND BRIMSHACK SHALL RAIN FROM THE HEAVENS

[Leesifer]

Then they came for the Internet Forums, and I did not speak out—because I was not an Internet Forum Poster;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.

[Ymir's blood]

FIRE AND BRIMSHACK SHALL RAIN FROM THE HEAVENSThat is so much worse than mud and dinosaurs.

[Miisa]

When did it rain dinosaurs? I missed that apocalypse.

[ChuckF]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v317/ChuckF/1253138316477.jpg

[Leesifer]

Well, it can't have been more than 6000 years ago, surely.

[Miisa]

No, cuz that's Jeysus right thar, and that was only, like, 2000 years ago.

[Doctor X]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v317/ChuckF/1253138316477.jpg

But not as nearly as awesome as:

http://iconicionic.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/tyrannosaurus_in_f-14s.jpg

--J.D.

[Ymir's blood]

When did it rain dinosaurs? I missed that apocalypse.

A Christian Response - Page 6 - Freethought Forum (http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=812421#post812421)

[Garnet]

Apology from Richard Dawkins:

'An Apology' by Richard Dawkins - RichardDawkins.net (http://richarddawkins.net/articles/5165)

[Miisa]

:darn: Darn, missed that one.

[livius drusus]

Well at least he can take a hit. I mean for a douche.

eta lol black cloud of despond and enervating anxiety

[Ymir's blood]

Apology from Richard Dawkins:

'An Apology' by Richard Dawkins - RichardDawkins.net (http://richarddawkins.net/articles/5165)
He does not however make any mention of the attempts to keep people from staying in touch. Non-apology apology, indeed.

[livius drusus]

Yeah, he doesn't really get specific about anything except his Outrage post. No comment about restoring the LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA either.

[ceptimus]

Richard Dawkins likes to bask in his own self-importance so it's only natural that some of his followers do the same.

At least he's smart enough to eat humble pie (well... nibble at it anyway) when he senses that not doing so might impact negatively on future book sales.

[Leesifer]

OMG, you guys. He is taking responsibility for the WHOLE thing. Give him some slack, he is on a totally exhausting tour of Australia pimping his book AND having to deal with this.

[viscousmemories]

I'm sure that was motivated by the bad PR he's been getting in the MSM, but it seems pretty straightforward and honest. I'm impressed that he's willing to accept some responsibility for the situation and give credit where it's due. I don't remember the BoD at IIDB being equally reasonable or respectful throughout any of their meltdowns.

[livius drusus]

That's because nobody knows who the hell they are.

[Doctor X]

Or cares outside their very little cyberworld.

--J.D.

[lpetrich]

SingleDad was that gentleman's first incarnation at IIDB. He got very pissed off at Richard Carrier's negative comments about one of his essays, and he stormed out of there. He returned briefly as Malaclypse the Younger before dropping out. Some years later, he returned as PoodleLovinPessimist, but he stormed out in a huff after some months. He did much the same thing as the Barefoot Bum at the Secular Cafe.

He has a blog, "The Barefoot Bum", but he's on-and-off about it, and he doesn't like comments -- any comments. He can't stand negative ones and he's suspicious of positive ones. I know that gentleman, and I like him, but I concede that I'm very disappointed with his temper tantrums. He really ought to have a thicker skin.

It reminds me of the meltdown of the Universist Forum, ...The guy in charge there, Ford Vox (aka Ford Baxter) was as arrogant and cold as Dawkins but without having written any books. In fact he was mostly famous for his luaus I think. :sniggle:
Does anyone know what happened to FV? Has he started again with another "movement"?

I think Randi, Dawkins and the Internet Infidels organization all suffer from the same kind of ambivalence/ignorance of the realities of internet bb dynamics. ...
Great point. I think that the problem is that online communities tend to take on a life of their own, regardless of what their founders might have wanted. So the most suitable people to run community messageboards are those that like them for their own sake.

Hey, whatever happened to Prembone?
She dropped off the radar a couple of years into the uBB IIDB. I read somewheres a few years back that she was around under a new handle, but if it's true she hasn't identified herself.
She did indeed, but she soon disappeared again.

[Sock Puppet]

It's a shame that so many great usernames aren't put to better use by their creators. PoodleLovinPessimist is a fantastic screenname.

We've had some great username creations here that were never even freakin' used, or were used once for spam and cast away as chaff unto the cruel Internet wind. "Pastor of Muppets" comes to mind, "no one in particular," and of course the most brilliant of all, this_site_is_gay.

[Adam]

That's a goods point. I hereby officially petition the admins to rename the original this_site_is_gay account so my name can be changed to this_site_is_gay.

[livius drusus]

PERMISSION DENIED

[BrotherMan]

:freakout: OMG ADMIN STIFLING OF CREATIVITY AND INDIVIDUALITY ITT :freakout:

[livius drusus]

DELETING BROTHERMAN ACCOUNT IN 10 ... 9 ...

[BrotherMan]

Oh, please. Like I'm creative or individual.

[erimir]

Apology from Richard Dawkins:

'An Apology' by Richard Dawkins - RichardDawkins.net (http://richarddawkins.net/articles/5165)
He does not however make any mention of the attempts to keep people from staying in touch. Non-apology apology, indeed.What he ought to do, I think, if he wants to be decent, is allow some sort of transfer of the board to another site, which will then be unaffiliated with RichardDawkins.net . If/when lack of funds and apathy allow the board to then subsequently dwindle to nothing, he can avoid responsibility for the end of the community. As it is, even with the apology, he and his admin are still coming off douchey (albeit less so).

What he has in mind to replace it certainly won't be a community in the same sense. I can understand wanting that sort of system, but the problem is that there's already a community, not that he would rather have a much more moderated and limited system rather than a less regulated and sprawling forum.

[F-X]

Nobody cares.

[livius drusus]

http://www.freethought-forum.com/livius/icare.gif

[F-X]

.... I had to re-explain and then some more people were like "wait, what?" and I got sick of it so here's one last explanation then you're on your own.


Right. Like that is going to happen.

[livius drusus]

:convo:

[F-X]

Everybody knows you will never, ever, under any circumstances, shut up about it.

[ChuckF]

That's true, I told literally everyone. Literally.

SO, BURN!