Dave, my mind is going. I can feel it.

[JoeP]

So I was searching for a doc on my hard drive and I came across an unrelated text file with something about "USENET begat alt.atheism" which was about IIDB and the origins of and I thought this is cool, I wonder where I got it from and if I know who wrote it. Probably at I thought so I called up the search function and found the posts.

And it turns out that I wrote it. Last year.

I have no memory of this.

In an earlier and more credulous age I would have put it down to divine inspiration and thought nothing more of it (except the chance for some free drinks at the local inn, maybe a parchment deal). But now?

I'm afraid, Dave.

Originally Posted by JoeP

1:1 In the beginning USENET begat alt.atheism;

1:2 And alt.atheism begat alt.atheism.moderated and alt.athesim FAQ that were as father and son and also as brothers;

1:3 And the alt.atheism family begat Internet Infidels that is called IIDB;

1:4 And IIDB wandered through many lands and hosts;

1:5 And IIDB begat these that are innumerable and are as brothers and yet deny each other and know each other not:

1:6 The Institute for Unicorn Research, and the Ebla Forum, and the Hyperboreans, and the Europeforum, and the Freethinkers Forum, and the UberChristians, and WinAce's Divine Comedy, and the Rational Pagans, and FRDB;

1:7 And WinAce's Divine Comedy begat Fundies Say the Darnedest Things;

1:8 And the Institute for Unicorn Research begat SecularLife;

1:9 And the Freethinkers Forum did change its form and raiment and become the Godless Heathens; and the Godless Heathens did change its form and raiment and become the Heathen Hangout;

1:10 And the Heathen Hangout begat the Kith and Kin;

1:11 And the Heathen Hangout begat the Heathen Hub;

1:12 And the Heathen Hangout begat the Rants 'n Raves;

1:13 And the Heathen Hub and Rants 'n Raves did lie with each other as a man with a woman and beget Talk Rational that is an abomination before the BOARD;

1:14 And Talk Rational begat the Secular Cafe;

1:15 And the Freethinkers Forum begat the Freethought Forum.

1:16 So all the generations from USENET to the Freethought Forum were four, or five, or six generations, depending on how thou countest.

Originally Posted by JoeP

2:1 Now the birth of the Freethought Forum was on this wise:

2:2 When its mother, livius drusus, was PMing with viscousmemories, before they came together, the Holy Goats on Fire planted in her the seed of an idea of light admin and self-moderation.

2:3 Then viscousmemories, her buddy, was minded that this would be a tall order and would need some kind of miracle.

2:4 But while he thought on these things, an angel of FREE THOUGHT appeared to him in a dream, saying "FUCK YEAH, LET'S DO IT!!"

2:5 And angel did say also, "Oh wait, one other thing: fear not to take livius drusus as thy partner in administration. For you twain shall bring forth a forum, and its name shall be FF, and it shall save the people from meltdowns."

2:6 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Nostradamus, saying,

2:7 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a hog, and they shall call his name George, and the third big war will begin when the big city is burning, which being interpreted is, we'll do anything to make it seem like a prophecy has been fulfilled.

2:8 And they knew not what they were doing until they found a host and bore the forum and called its name FREETHOUGHT FORUM.

[Doctor X]

You remember I have dibs on your stereo, yes?

Oh crap!





You are doing well, JoeP!

--J.D.

[JoeP]

Originally Posted by Doctor X

You remember I have dibs on your stereo, yes?

Who are you?

[Doctor X]

I woke up in a Soho doorway.

--J.D.

[Deadlokd]

Yea verily and vm and liv did look upon what they hath wroth and thought, "what the fucketh have we done?"

[Ymir's blood]

You left out the part where they built Freethought Forum on an ancient burial ground.

[JoeP]

[Watser?]

A radioactive ancient burial ground.

[Ymir's blood]

I do not glow in the dark.

[JoeP]

I'm pretty sure you glow in all lighting conditions, Yb.

[Iacchus]

Gee willikers Mr. Wilson!

[SharonDee]

OMG, JoeP, I do this all the time. Usually it's in the form of, "Holy shit, who wrote this spaghetti code?!" Only to find out that it's me. I'm the pasta weaver.

[Gonzo]

Originally Posted by JoeP

2:7 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a hog, and they shall call his name George, and the third big war will begin when the big city is burning, which being interpreted is, we'll do anything to make it seem like a prophecy has been fulfilled.

2:8 And they knew not what they were doing until they found a host and bore the forum and called its name FREETHOUGHT FORUM.

[Fencesitter]

I'm a little confused by the chronology. I'm not as familiar with all these communities as many people here.

I think FF was created before Secular Cafe. Is that right?

Who were the founders of the Freethinkers Forum?

JoeP, it's good that your mind hasn't completely gone yet. It's just going. It could take a while.

[JoeP]

Fencesitter, if you feel the need to examine the scriptural accuracy, go back and read the thread those quotes come from - there were quite a few revisions to the timelines and, umm, discussions over the (linked) sources.

[Miisa]

Sometimes someone will resurrect an old thread on some forum and I'll come across something I wrote a few years previously, and I will pretty much always be amazed at how much more coherent and intelligible I was compared to stuff I actually have some sort of memory of writing. Maybe that someone hacks the forums and writes those posts themselves just to mess with my head and make me think I am gradually but obviously getting dumber.

[JoeP]

Originally Posted by Miisa

Maybe that someone hacks the forums and writes those posts themselves just to mess with my head and make me think I am gradually but obviously getting dumber.

With hindsight, it's obvious that forum software like vbulletin is part of a giant gaslighting scheme.

[Gonzo]

Originally Posted by Miisa

Sometimes someone will resurrect an old thread on some forum and I'll come across something I wrote a few years previously, and I will pretty much always be amazed at how much more coherent and intelligible I was compared to stuff I actually have some sort of memory of writing. Maybe that someone hacks the forums and writes those posts themselves just to mess with my head and make me think I am gradually but obviously getting dumber.

I am the exact opposite. Everything I've written previous to today is total garbage, but this post is fucking golden.

[Crumb]

Keep telling yourself that. One day you may be right.

[JoeP]

[Gonzo]

[Fencesitter]

Originally Posted by JoeP

Fencesitter, if you feel the need to examine the scriptural accuracy, go back and read the thread those quotes come from - there were quite a few revisions to the timelines and, umm, discussions over the (linked) sources.

That was fascinating! I should have thought to look at that before I asked , but thanks for pointing it out.

My memory was better than I thought about how it all worked out, based on liv's post in that thread.

[Miisa]

Is there a link? Don't make us google. Or search. Tired.

[Fencesitter]

Originally Posted by Miisa

Is there a link? Don't make us google. Or search. Tired.

Here's a link to what I'm talking about in my post, in case this was to me. That whole thread brought back memories for me. And the linked thread within that thread was interesting too.

[Miisa]

I actually meant it for JoeP at #15, but thanks.

Wait, I'm IN THAT THREAD. I HAVE NO MEMORY OF THAT THREAD.