Announcement about RDF Part 2.

[ozewiezeloose]

I've stuck peter's entire blog post up at the JREF Forums and linked to the page too.

It's important to get that blog out there, it's excellent.

So I've noticed. You just expanded that thread by about 2 (two) pages. Good man!

[locutus7]

Silly number of people viewing my blog just now. I hope that's just all you guys and Facebook friends... otherwise you may get another wave stampeding in here! Also, ilovelucy's #timonenfail hashtag on twitter has actually brought some people to my site by searching for that tag on Google, so it's been noticed by someone! Maybe Josh?

Peter, your blog on this (posted elsewhere) was astonishingly detailed and insightful. I can only hope someone passes it to RD. Josh is the kind of person I can't stand, and I hope he gets what is coming to him.

[life]

Hah, I just thought; anyone up for re-starting the 'Are you Proud to be a Member of RDF?' thread?

Hilarious! Please do!

[ozewiezeloose]

On the bright side, the Dawkins forum is running like a dream now! Without all those pesky members searching through the site and making posts, I haven't have a General Error all day!

Yeah, well... my toilet flush doesn't give me any general erros either. Not like I can learn anything from it, either, though.

....and you don't need prior approval from Josh Timonen before you use it.

No! All's fairly democratic over at my shithouse!

[InYourFaceNewYorker]

I think I need to play Devil's Advocate here, and I don't mean that pinball machine from a certain Simpsons episode.

I am with you in that I am frustrated and disappointed in what has happened. But the fact is, we don't know just WHAT happened. I was thinking a little, and I strongly suspect this is a legal issue. I seriously doubt that Josh-- or anybody-- would make such a drastic move for the sake of going on a power trip. I would guess that the Foundation was likely given some kind of ultimatum, something that would take their status away as a charity and tax exempt. I'm not defending the decisions made, but when something like this happens, there has to be a reason. I wouldn't be surprised if Josh was instructed by lawyers to delete anybody who fought back, to defriend RDFers on Facebook that he didn't know, and so forth.

It makes me think of when Ren and Stimpy was hijacked from John Kricfalusi, the show's creator. I was twelve years old when I first learned about that, and as I understood it, it was all about Nickelodeon execs wanting to censor material. Years later, in animation school, I learned the real story: John K and his team were missing deadlines and were constantly going over budget.

The moral is this: It's horribly frustrating, but it's never as simple as you think. I'm not saying to just sit back and say, "Oh fiddlesticks," but at the same time don't be so quick to judge and to disown yourself from the forum. I will continue to go there.

And as for not contacting Richard Dawkins himself... of course you wouldn't do that! I'm sure the man's busy enough without getting bombarded with emails from people about something that he has little control over. Guys, whether it's through PM or through his email account (if you have it; I don't, of course), just leave him alone.

Julie

[locutus7]

In fact, Peter, your blog could serve as the basis for a movie on the rise and fall of RDF. Now who could play that snake Josh?

[Skinny Puppy]

Well lucky Josh can poke himself, sorry, post all by himself until he’s blue in the face.

He can be a mod, pesky poster, intellectual (no, scratch that one) etc. all rolled into one. I’d say he can even give himself shit when he posts OT, but I understand he eats it, he doesn’t give it… but hey, I could be wrong.

[virphen]

Julie, I'm all for benefit of the doubt, but if it really was a legal issue, why not just tell us? It was handled incredibly badly. And I say "bollocks" to any calls to not contact RD - although I do say it's best left to the RD mods to co-ordinate. He established that community, and by allowing what happened to happen in the way it did, he's let us all down. Most particularly the mods who put so much effort into helping his foundation and his forums.

[95Theses]

I've posted about this on the Skeptics guide to the universe forums with a link to Peter's blog :

http://sguforums.com/index.php/board,31.0.html

[locutus7]

I think I need to play Devil's Advocate here, and I don't mean that pinball machine from a certain Simpsons episode.

I am with you in that I am frustrated and disappointed in what has happened. But the fact is, we don't know just WHAT happened. I was thinking a little, and I strongly suspect this is a legal issue. I seriously doubt that Josh-- or anybody-- would make such a drastic move for the sake of going on a power trip. I would guess that the Foundation was likely given some kind of ultimatum, something that would take their status away as a charity and tax exempt. I'm not defending the decisions made, but when something like this happens, there has to be a reason. I wouldn't be surprised if Josh was instructed by lawyers to delete anybody who fought back, to defriend RDFers on Facebook that he didn't know, and so forth.

It makes me think of when Ren and Stimpy was hijacked from John Kricfalusi, the show's creator. I was twelve years old when I first learned about that, and as I understood it, it was all about Nickelodeon execs wanting to censor material. Years later, in animation school, I learned the real story: John K and his team were missing deadlines and were constantly going over budget.

The moral is this: It's horribly frustrating, but it's never as simple as you think. I'm not saying to just sit back and say, "Oh fiddlesticks," but at the same time don't be so quick to judge and to disown yourself from the forum. I will continue to go there.

And as for not contacting Richard Dawkins himself... of course you wouldn't do that! I'm sure the man's busy enough without getting bombarded with emails from people about something that he has little control over. Guys, whether it's through PM or through his email account (if you have it; I don't, of course), just leave him alone.

Julie

I like you Julie, but I disagree in this case. There may come a day when Richard will ask why no one TOLD him what was happening. Some of the senior mods have certainly earned the right to contact him on an issue this serious.

[ozewiezeloose]

/stup

Julie, they could've explained. It's not THAT it was done, it's THE WAY in which things were done.

[life]

I wouldn't be surprised if Josh was instructed by lawyers to delete anybody who fought back, to defriend RDFers on Facebook that he didn't know, and so forth.

And to write "Hey guys, we got legal issues...sorry" is too much to ask for then?
I would be very surprised if there would be any legal issues regarding the message boards.

[95Theses]

Julie

Why the ban on allowing us to get together and move elsewhere then?

Why remove signatures from the locked board just because some people had linked here to give people a chance to congregate and meet friends again?

[SnowLeopard]

Also seemed odd that it happens when Richard is half way round the world. I know that isn't a huge barrier these days but still time differences can make it difficult to keep up with something as fast moving as this thing.

[ozewiezeloose]

Julie

Why the ban on allowing us to get together and move elsewhere then?

Why remove signatures from the locked board just because some people had linked here to give people a chance to congregate and meet friends again?

:YES: