Can we get a bit of perspective please

[Elessarina]

I am sorry if what I say annoys anyone but I can't help but think that everyone is overreacting when all that seems to have happened was initially .. nothing.. I have survived other forums being closed before, you move on. It's not the end of the world. We have not had the internet removed from our lives, we can still find communities and many people have found their way here. I don't vcare who did what and who started what.. it's done and name calling and abuse won't change anything

Until 2 days ago this forum was a fairly intimate place, a community - many of us have met in person..it certainly feels that no member feels more than one degree of seperation from any other..it has become a special place.

I understand that many of you did not know where to go and scrabbled to find someone and when you got here you wanted to vent... but now you have come here and vented and now our community finds itself in the spotlight and being quoted by Dawkins himself. Many of us here have done nothing, played no part in any of it, criticsed no one (because franlly we don't care we camp out here now) and yet our forum is now gannering attention for the wrong reasons.

If you want to criticise what has been done, then criticise what has been done. Please don't resort to name calling. It's not the behaviour or adults and certainly not the behaviour of rational people.

It's just a forum.. I am grateful to it and always will be.. that forum allowed me to make a lot of new friends, it led me to travel to Chicago, it had a huge impact on my life and in nurturing and stregthening my atheism, educating me in science and evolution and thanks to Durro's posts some amazing stories about life in Saudi Arabia.

If I have offended anyone I'm sorry. But it's just a bloody forum.. it's not my life, it's not real life.

Can everyone please calm down about it. if you want to join our community, join our community but let this matter rest no, I don't appreciate my name or my community's name being dragged through the mud and into the spotlight.

Elessarina


Edit: For clarification: Please note I do not have a problem with us having a lot of new members and I have never expressed that. What I am annoyed with is everyone coming over here posting abuse about RD and Josh.. that getting picked up and noticed by RD and PZMyers etc and it appearing now that I am part of some witchhunting community

[j.mills]

I've just realised that what with joining this forum, catching up on the state of play at rd.net, sticking something on YouTube, adding my comments to the Open Letter page, etc, I have not yet eaten the yogurty thing I got out of the fridge 4 hours ago. And you say a forum isn't real life??

[DoctorE]

What can I do except for putting Dawkins behind me and take it like a man, I never was the one for holding a grudge

[Valden]

I am sorry if what I say annoys anyone but I can't help but think that everyone is overreacting when all that seems to have happened was initially .. nothing..

Didn't look like "nothing" to me.

I have survived other forums being closed before, you move on.

This is my first time. RDnet was my forum home. I am upset how it was handled, and how the staff and members have been treated.
Will I move on? Sure, that's why I came here. But I'm still upset about it, and how Josh is lying to Richard.

It's not the end of the world. We have not had the internet removed from our lives, we can still find communities and many people have found their way here.

While that is completely true, RDnet was very dear to my heart. I'd like to think that I "grew up" there in a way.
When you move away, and leave your friend behind, it's only natural to be upset about it at first.

I don't vcare who did what and who started what.. it's done and name calling and abuse won't change anything

I care.

Until 2 days ago this forum was a fairly intimate place, a community - many of us have met in person..it certainly feels that no member feels more than one degree of seperation from any other..it has become a special place.

And that's how it was for many of us at RDnet. However, I know many members here, who left during the first Purge. I already like it here, and believe this will become my new forum home.

I understand that many of you did not know where to go

I knew where to go.

and scrabbled to find someone and

:/

when you got here you wanted to vent... but now you have come here and vented and now our community finds itself in the spotlight and being quoted by Dawkins himself.

It's not the first time though, considering many of the vet members here, were also from RDnet.
Now Ratz just has even more ex-RDnet members.

Many of us here have done nothing, played no part in any of it, criticsed no one (because franlly we don't care we camp out here now) and yet our forum is now gannering attention for the wrong reasons.

I'd say the right reasons.

If you want to criticise what has been done, then criticise what has been done. Please don't resort to name calling.

Josh is a terrible liar.

It's not the behaviour or adults and certainly not the behaviour of rational people.

I'd say it's rational to be upset over the treatment of friends.

It's just a forum..

That's like saying "hey, it's just life."

I am grateful to it and always will be.. that forum allowed me to make a lot of new friends, it led me to travel to Chicago, it had a huge impact on my life and in nurturing and stregthening my atheism, educating me in science and evolution and thanks to Durro's posts some amazing stories about life in Saudi Arabia.

And again, that's how RDnet was for many of us.

If I have offended anyone I'm sorry.

No need to apologize.

But it's just a bloody forum..

That "bloody forum" held a lot of great memories for many of us. It was a fantastic community, before Josh murdered it.

it's not my life, it's not real life.

So the people who post here are not real? Their jokes, their thoughts, are not real? You said yourself you've meet some. They are clearly very real. This forum IS part of your life.

Can everyone please calm down about it.

Working on it. I've vented enough.

if you want to join our community, join our community but let this matter rest no, I don't appreciate my name or my community's name being dragged through the mud and into the spotlight.

Again, it was bound to happen, due to fact that many of the vet members here were already from RDnet.
Ratz is not being dragged around. It has become more like a safe haven.
Besides, most of the "venting" is happening in just one section of this forum. It's not like wearing running around, spamming it across the entire forum.

But as you already said, we'll all eventually just move on, and find nice warm, cozzy spots here for ourselves. Just like the venting run it's course, it will stop eventually and one day we'll all look back and think "Josh is still a moron."

[num1cubfn]

I am sorry if what I say annoys anyone but I can't help but think that everyone is overreacting when all that seems to have happened was initially .. nothing.. I have survived other forums being closed before, you move on. It's not the end of the world. We have not had the internet removed from our lives, we can still find communities and many people have found their way here. I don't vcare who did what and who started what.. it's done and name calling and abuse won't change anything

Until 2 days ago this forum was a fairly intimate place, a community - many of us have met in person..it certainly feels that no member feels more than one degree of seperation from any other..it has become a special place.

I understand that many of you did not know where to go and scrabbled to find someone and when you got here you wanted to vent... but now you have come here and vented and now our community finds itself in the spotlight and being quoted by Dawkins himself. Many of us here have done nothing, played no part in any of it, criticsed no one (because franlly we don't care we camp out here now) and yet our forum is now gannering attention for the wrong reasons.

If you want to criticise what has been done, then criticise what has been done. Please don't resort to name calling. It's not the behaviour or adults and certainly not the behaviour of rational people.

It's just a forum.. I am grateful to it and always will be.. that forum allowed me to make a lot of new friends, it led me to travel to Chicago, it had a huge impact on my life and in nurturing and stregthening my atheism, educating me in science and evolution and thanks to Durro's posts some amazing stories about life in Saudi Arabia.

If I have offended anyone I'm sorry. But it's just a bloody forum.. it's not my life, it's not real life.

Can everyone please calm down about it. if you want to join our community, join our community but let this matter rest no, I don't appreciate my name or my community's name being dragged through the mud and into the spotlight.

Elessarina

A) Your post misunderstands what happened that made people upset (tip: it wasn't the closing of a forum).
B) Your post sounds a LOT like American racist republicans who want to "keep out the illegals" to ensure that America stays "clean"
C) We are very thankful to have a new forum to write in.
D) We are posting in a specially made section that is specifically for what we are using it for: "Announcement about RDF"
E) When someone gets quote mined, the person who wrote the original statements is not to blame.
F) Thanks for welcoming us with open arms and making us feel like we are wanted here.

[Stephen]

I understand your sentiments. I'm not sure how to read you on the change of dynamic here as a result of the influx of users. You seem to loosely imply that it was special, and may not be any longer. I don't want to peg you with that, but then again, I couldn't peg you with anything as your post is noncommittal. Which is fine, I'm just sayin.

Personally, the more users on a forum, the better, if you ask me. Especially when they're all as intelligent and well spoken as this lot. I came here via Charlou's signature on RDF and initially declined to sign up because it looked slow. So I think this is a good thing. Hell, now you have more potential meet ups, even!

Just a few thoughts.

EDIT: And besides, if you want to claim "It's just the internet, we move on" and all that business, you'd be hypocritical not to apply the same line of thought to the migration of RDF'ers to rationalia, no?

[Matt H]

If you don't want us here I'm sure something will be worked out. People leaving RD.net had two choices: Rationalia or TAF. Well, one look at TAF put me off for life and from the looks of it, it was the same for many others. We recognised people here, and we were made to feel very welcome. You even made a new forum for us to come together and plan what to do. We're still working things out, it will take a few days. Obviously we aren't going to the new RD.net, so we'd prefer to stay here.

Of course I'm not the official spokesperson for the new RD.net refugees, so feel free to substitute 'we' for 'I'.

[Valden]

If you don't want us here I'm sure something will be worked out. People leaving RD.net had two choices: Rationalia or TAF. Well, one look at TAF put me off for life and from the looks of it, it was the same for many others. We recognised people here, and we were made to feel very welcome. You even made a new forum for us to come together and plan what to do. We're still working things out, it will take a few days. Obviously we aren't going to the new RD.net, so we'd prefer to stay here.

Of course I'm not the official spokesperson for the new RD.net refugees, so feel free to substitute 'we' for 'I'.

I feel the same. I looked at TAF and was like "...no." and then remembered I had friends here, at Ratz. I like it here already.

[life]

It's just a forum..

It's not.

I can understand where you're coming from and I've been to a lot of forums as well.
I don't really care what Richard does with his site, it's his site but he/his helpers could have given us the chance to save the content we value just like they announced it. Now half of my bookmark collection is useless because the initial topics are gone. There was sooo much brilliant content, much of it ground-breaking and broadening our horizons. RDF managed to combine the efficiency of the internet with so many intelligent minds/contributions that it really makes me furious to never have access to parts of it again, ever in my life.

Granted, life goes on but this doesn't leave me untouched. RDF was a role model and a very good one at that. No other forum comes close...

[Stephen]

Well, one look at TAF put me off for life and from the looks of it, it was the same for many others.

I'm looking at it now, what is the offensive element? Curious. There was another forum suggested, can't recall the name, I looked at it and indeed one look was enough to put me off it. They use that hideous papyrus font for the headers.

[Elessarina]

[

A) Your post misunderstands what happened that made people upset (tip: it wasn't the closing of a forum).
B) Your post sounds a LOT like American racist republicans who want to "keep out the illegals" to ensure that America stays "clean"
C) We are very thankful to have a new forum to write in.
D) We are posting in a specially made section that is specifically for what we are using it for: "Announcement about RDF"
E) When someone gets quote mined, the person who wrote the original statements is not to blame.
F) Thanks for welcoming us with open arms and making us feel like we are wanted here.

People overreacting to the forum being changed and the starting insulting people is what closed the forum

[Valden]

[

A) Your post misunderstands what happened that made people upset (tip: it wasn't the closing of a forum).
B) Your post sounds a LOT like American racist republicans who want to "keep out the illegals" to ensure that America stays "clean"
C) We are very thankful to have a new forum to write in.
D) We are posting in a specially made section that is specifically for what we are using it for: "Announcement about RDF"
E) When someone gets quote mined, the person who wrote the original statements is not to blame.
F) Thanks for welcoming us with open arms and making us feel like we are wanted here.

People overreacting to the forum being changed and the starting insulting people is what closed the forum

I'm curious, did you see the large 28+ pages "Changes" thread? We were hardly overreacting.
The worst I personally saw was an image of a man (posted by Gallstones, now an ex-mod) flipping the bird.

The insults mostly started AFTER Josh turned the forum off.

[Clinton Huxley]

B) Your post sounds a LOT like American racist republicans who want to "keep out the illegals" to ensure that America stays "clean"

I presume this is some delightful variant of Godwin's Law?

[Elessarina]

It is just a forum .. it might be a special place, it might be many things but ultimately it is just a ROOM..in which you interact with other poeple.

You can still stay in touch with those people. There are also many like-minded people here - join our community.

Repeatedly venting is not going to change anything. You may be angry and upset but all you are
doing now is dragging this forum/community through the mud and making all us who have been posting here for a year feel uncomfortable and out of place is a forum we started.

Have some respect

[Pappa]

I am sorry if what I say annoys anyone but I can't help but think that everyone is overreacting when all that seems to have happened was initially .. nothing.. I have survived other forums being closed before, you move on. It's not the end of the world. We have not had the internet removed from our lives, we can still find communities and many people have found their way here. I don't vcare who did what and who started what.. it's done and name calling and abuse won't change anything

Until 2 days ago this forum was a fairly intimate place, a community - many of us have met in person..it certainly feels that no member feels more than one degree of seperation from any other..it has become a special place.

I understand that many of you did not know where to go and scrabbled to find someone and when you got here you wanted to vent... but now you have come here and vented and now our community finds itself in the spotlight and being quoted by Dawkins himself. Many of us here have done nothing, played no part in any of it, criticsed no one (because franlly we don't care we camp out here now) and yet our forum is now gannering attention for the wrong reasons.

If you want to criticise what has been done, then criticise what has been done. Please don't resort to name calling. It's not the behaviour or adults and certainly not the behaviour of rational people.

It's just a forum.. I am grateful to it and always will be.. that forum allowed me to make a lot of new friends, it led me to travel to Chicago, it had a huge impact on my life and in nurturing and stregthening my atheism, educating me in science and evolution and thanks to Durro's posts some amazing stories about life in Saudi Arabia.

If I have offended anyone I'm sorry. But it's just a bloody forum.. it's not my life, it's not real life.

Can everyone please calm down about it. if you want to join our community, join our community but let this matter rest no, I don't appreciate my name or my community's name being dragged through the mud and into the spotlight.

Elessarina

I agree completely.

All the dramatics and invective are making us Ratz look bad. We only exist as a forum to enable the community that we were all part of to continue existing. We're friends, mostly we know each other really well. It feels like we've been invaded by an alien culture... just because you've all got nowhere else to go. I'm more than happy to see how things pan out but I do have some concerns that the wonderful vibe we've always had will be upset by the addition of a couple of hundred people from another forum.

As a community, we've been through a lot of forum dramatics before and really, it's just the internet. It's really not earth shattering stuff. In a few weeks you'll probably see it with more perspective... besides, you should have seen this coming, I certainly did. All the warning signs were there and had been lit up a long time ago. It's clear that Dawkin's wished to narrow the focus 2 years ago to mostly science/reason themes, and there was talk of changes too. Josh's arrogance has been evident for a long time too... but I'll not go into that further.