Hey folks. Another one from richarddawkins.net. I must say I am somewhat surprised at what has happened.
A few years ago I was a member of the Universist forum, which was basically some guy's attempt to create a freethought movement. The forum was reasonably successful, at its peak attracting ten thousand or so members. Until one day, the founder decided that he didn't like the fact that the forum wasn't under his complete and total control, that people had all sorts of varied discussions and even -gasp- criticised him. So, what did he do? He went on a spree of mass bannings, deleting everything even mildly critical of him, before completely destroying the forum altogether. One day, there was a vibrant community at its peak, the next, ashes. Now, I realise history repeats itself, but rd.net seemed like the last place where this sort of abject stupidity would manifest. Here, Richard Dawkins had a tremendous asset - an 80,000 member strong "clear-thinking oasis" of discussion of science and reason, free to all, where atheists, theists and all between could come together in a friendly environment. Many a theist through the forum was able to break free of the chains of religion, which, presumably is Richard's goal. So, what happens? A power-crazed admin decides to get rid of it, in a move that almost makes the decision to sacrifice the 6th army at Stalingrad look rational. All because the admin wants to replace this highly successful forum with something else. And what exactly? A new 'forum', a special one where he is in control, where every new topic must be approved by the admins beforehand. Where nothing is discussed that the admins do not wish discussed. No levity, no humour, no place to gather community, but rather a place in which people in drab grey suits softly speak in solemn tones, as theologians would wish atheists would speak of their doctrines. A cold, static, sterile place where all off-topic posts are deleted on sight, lest we gain insight and imagination by exploring those tangents.
Well fuck that.
TEP from RD.net
TEP from RD.net
Formerly TEP of the richarddawkins.net forum, before Timonen had a Jim Jones moment.
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kiki5711
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Re: TEP from RD.net
Welcome!!!
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Faithfree
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Re: TEP from RD.net
Welcome Arcanyn!
Ratz is actually peopled largely by the survivors of two earlier forum meltdowns so we know where you're at.
Ratz is actually peopled largely by the survivors of two earlier forum meltdowns so we know where you're at.
Although it may look like a forum, this site is actually a crowd-sourced science project modelling the slow but inexorable heat death of the universe.
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FBM
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Re: TEP from RD.net
Yup! You summed it up quite well, methinks. Glad to have you aboard, Arcanyn! 
"A philosopher is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn't there. A theologian is the man who finds it." ~ H. L. Mencken
"We ain't a sharp species. We kill each other over arguments about what happens when you die, then fail to see the fucking irony in that."
"It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism while the wolf remains of a different opinion."
"We ain't a sharp species. We kill each other over arguments about what happens when you die, then fail to see the fucking irony in that."
"It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism while the wolf remains of a different opinion."
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