If the offender(s) quit & RDF forums restored to normalcy...

[Robert_S]

To disrespect so many members (85,000) in such a characterless, cowardly way must be a near record on the net.

I won't have that....

There was AOL's treatment of Usenet and Microsoft Internet Explorer. These kids have a lot to learn

Well, I did say NEAR! Besides, at least MS and AOL had the style to delude the people they were screwing into thinking it was for their own good!!



WE KNEW we were being screwed and we liked it not.

The kids made an effort, piss poor, to convince us it was for our own good. They tried to protect us from the moderators and told us how excited we all were.

[M]

What is this "normalcy" of which you speak? I know it not.
What the fuck would any of us know about normalcy?

+1

[Alan C]

Yes, I'd go straight back and continue to bicker with SD and the others in Politics & Current Affairs.

It's okay, we can do it here instead... and now our avatars are ARMED

Indeed, I feel much more comfortable taking on a superhero as Lt. Col. Richard Sharpe than a common woodpigeon.

You've got a few mates behind you packing guns too, unfair!

I suppose I might but only if most people went back but that's probably unlikely, especially the mods [Yes, I thought you were awesome in a purely unsycophantic way ]

[tnjrp]

I don't think it is possible to have a relaxed forum when some cause or person's reputation is on the line.

But RDF could have very easily have put up a sign that read:

"We are going to be a science discussion site, if you are looking for a less formal community you might want to check out these places..."

It would have been very considerate and civil and it did not happen.

Well said

Ultimately, I consent it's entirely up to those who "own" the forum to do any freakin' thing they choose with it, so I bear them no particular ill will for "thowing out all the old lumpy bitz" (to paraphrase Kenny Everett) per se and essentially suplanting the old community for a little more opentopped version of the front page (or so it seems to me). So I might even go to the new, shiny "Josh Timonen version" if I thought I had anything much to contribute intellectually or scientifically (fat chance).

But it seems this change was handled extremely badly.

I admit I wasn't really even trying to be up to speed on what was in store for the forum in general (heck, I missed the first writing contest completely for example!) but this was a very big thing that snuck up on me all unawares. Looks like the shit hit the fan bigtime during one single night (well, a night for me, day for the majority of forumites)...

[JimC]

I left after the first schism, and since then I have only gone there to ask some questions regarding science, and reading some fundie-nuking threads. I also lurked occasionally, so if it got back up I'd probably still use it for that.

I'm assuming there's not as much science and fundie nuking here, then? I'll miss that

There is definitely science, and the new mob will only increase that.

As for fundie nuking, it was never a sport that appealed to me...

[Babel]

Uhm, so where do we put the gun threads?

It might look a bit stalkerish, but YOU MADE IT!

[Matthew Bailey]

I would return even if the Offenders did not quit.

I would expect a lot of explanations about things.

However, at this point, anything that can be said or done is going to be seen as a retreat by fundamentalists opposed to the RDF, as is most of the behavior of the members surrounding the incident.

I don't know what happened. I have only scant information. But, I know that I have already heard from others how the religious right are making this out to be a great and glorious defeat for atheism due to their perception of a very angry, disgruntled and fragmented response to the closing of the RDF forums. Whether this is true or not makes little difference to them either, I would imagine.

I don't know what the mentioned misbehavior by members and moderators is supposed to be.
I don't know what the new site's content is supposed to be like.
I don't know how this fits into RD's future plans (maybe adding "Sir" to his name).

There are just too many other things that I don't know for me to pass much judgment upon anyone or anything.

Matthew Bailey

[Matthew Bailey]

I left after the first schism, and since then I have only gone there to ask some questions regarding science, and reading some fundie-nuking threads. I also lurked occasionally, so if it got back up I'd probably still use it for that.

I'm assuming there's not as much science and fundie nuking here, then? I'll miss that

There is definitely science, and the new mob will only increase that.

As for fundie nuking, it was never a sport that appealed to me...

Ditto... I am all for pointing out that they have an inaccurate idea (or ideas) about certain things (or many things), but I felt that the way this was being pointed out was too overwhelming and it only produced a retraction from the person who was under attack.

I found it easier to just say something along the lines of "I think that some of your facts are in error, and thus your conclusion may need adjusting." to be far more effective at getting the individual to take a look at where they may have gone wrong.

Others on the forum have said that those nuclear responses were for those who were lurking. All well and good, except that it cannot be demonstrated that it ever really did much good in the long run.

And, by actually reaching a person who is adamant about their faith and teaching them that they have been wrong about some of their beliefs, I feel, goes a lot further toward influencing the lurker than a carpet bombing.

Matthew Bailey

[jd]

Hello, first post here, and my first on any forum since the shenanigans at RDF (I was without internet connection for a few days so missed a lot of the drama).

I got banned from "Evil Bible" a few years back, for arguing with the site's owner that I thought he had unfairly accused another member of being a liar. I looked in from time to time as a visitor for a while to see how discussions were progressing, but it's just not the same. If the forums are going to be a "closed shop" with only the favoured being allowed to post, I don't see how RDF can be nearly so vibrant - and that's before we account for everyone who's left.

I don't know if I'll go back to RDF. I've not been banned and not been personally vilified but a lot of people I respect have been. The fact that so many of them are now here could well mean I've got no cause to go back, but the problem that other sites may have is attracting the same number and quality of religio-nuttery without Dawkins' name on the front.

Chew toys need to be regularly replenished, otherwise they lose their flavour.

[virphen]

Glad to see you made it jd .

[jd]

Thanks for the heads up. I notice that Gawdzilla got his history sub-forum, so I look forward to a "Historical Jesus" thread in good time (Bruce Burleson has a thread that hints this may be shortly on its way).

Cheers!

[Mysturji]

When the "New & Improved" version comes online, I'm certain that there will be a thread about "That do you think of the new forum?" or something such.
I will post my last ever RDF post there:

Goodbye.

If some arsebiscuit replies...

Good riddance.

I may just be tempted to make one more post:

Good riddance.

Are you talking about your penis?

But otherwise, meh. Fuck'em. There's nothing of value there anymore.

[Skylarking]

I might have, if the asshole didn't delete all my posts from the entire forum.

I think I'll just lurk now though. Ratz is my new forum home.

I kind of feel guilty having my user account untouched, whilst yours was completely raped.