Announcement about RDF

[CJ]

They were originally going to leave it open for 30 days but appear to have been rather unprepared for the reaction...so much for planning then. And consideration.

They were informed a while ago about possible and probable reactions from the membership if they just threw the forum away. They also experienced a bit of a rough ride from staff in the last few weeks so they knew that people would go bananas if they dumped the forum.

Bloody hell. As if they even needed telling in the first place. But they were told anyway, and still went ahead.

Not to mention that they deleted two accounts of two long standing members: CJ and Mazille. All their posts gone, all their contributions to the forum. This amounts to something like 13000 posts. This is outrageous.

They didn't just disable the accounts? They deleted the posts as well?

EDIT: Just checked, and indeed they did. I found a thread started by CJ - the one about lowering the number of posts in a page. The Tech. Support index says he started it, but his posts are missing from the thread. That's just vandalism.

The one I found missing was the one about the make up of the atheist members in terms of being ex-theists or native atheists. It had a poll and everything, all gone now. A bet future historians would have loved that bit of information when they are researching how atheism finally triumphed over theism but in a fit of pique it's gone. Josh is a vandal of the worst kind.

[klr]

...
The one I found missing was the one about the make up of the atheist members in terms of being ex-theists or native atheists. It had a poll and everything, all gone now. A bet future historians would have loved that bit of information when they are researching how atheism finally triumphed over theism but in a fit of pique it's gone. Josh is a vandal of the worst kind.

It makes one suspect that JT was unfamiliar with the most basic technical aspects of forum moderation, to say that he panic-deleted accounts like that.

[95Theses]

I just posted this over at the JREF Forums :

http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php? ... ost5647085

Richard Dawkins Forums Closed

Hello all,

Due to some overlap I thought that you all might be interested to hear of the developments over at RDF, a forum that while primarily for atheists also had a thriving debunking paranormal section and that Randi was a member of.

it was the busiest Atheist forums on the net, and had 85,000 members and garnered over 2,000 posts a day.

Last night the Admin, Josh Timonen posted this to the moderators :

***Snipped Josh's Mod message****

As this appeared to be both rude and condescending, and due to the fact that for months Josh had been personally assuring the mods that very soon new forums with a working search function was coming, to have this thrust upon them was a shock.

A thread discussing this was quickly started, which was in the majority critical of the way this was being handled.

in response to this Josh shut down the forums, removed all critical posts and made it read only and removed the PM function.

The upshot is that members who have spent years battling for reason wether as members or mods now no longer have any way of contacting friends they made on the forums.

This is not the way to build a community.

A few managed to get word out that we were joining a new forum for now before those threads got burnt along with the other books and all dissent quashed.

Thread is at Rationalia but I can't post a link as I don't have enough posts under my belt here, i mainly lurk.

[CJ]

...
The one I found missing was the one about the make up of the atheist members in terms of being ex-theists or native atheists. It had a poll and everything, all gone now. A bet future historians would have loved that bit of information when they are researching how atheism finally triumphed over theism but in a fit of pique it's gone. Josh is a vandal of the worst kind.

It makes one suspect that JT was unfamiliar with the most basic technical aspects of forum moderation, to say that he panic-deleted accounts like that.

+1

[JimC]

The fundies must be rejoicing at the end of a major tool against their BS.

Durro

That has been a daydream of mine for a few hours now.

In the enclave of the Vatican a shrill voice is heard between the grunts and whip noises behind the Popes bedroom door.

“Your Holiness, it has worked the Lord has finally heard our petitioning prayers and the RDF forums have had their satanic plug pulled.” The cardinal jumps for joy and gives one of the surprised guards a quick kiss of brotherhood.

“Thank you cardinal” replies the Pope “and please ask the choir master to send a new boy as this one has just had his voice broken by a few octaves.”

Meanwhile on the Lubbey Jubbley Jesus dot Net another moderator has a heart attack whist reading yet another bored Atheist post about how evolution isn’t just a theory.

[Durro]

Can anyone tell me Richard Dawkins' direct e-mail address ?

[Shaker]

A phrase that rhymes with 'clucking bell' would seem to be in order here

[klr]

Can anyone tell me Richard Dawkins' direct e-mail address ?

I could, but then I'd have to kill you. Seriously.

Not that I don't think he deserves to be spammed six ways 'til Sunday for letting this happen, but I just can't bring myself to divulge the addy.

I'm sure he'll get the message in the next day or so, one way or another.

[CookieJon]

A phrase that rhymes with 'clucking bell' would seem to be in order here

Why on Earth is sucking Nell appropriate in this situation?

[JimC]

A phrase that rhymes with 'clucking bell' would seem to be in order here

Why on Earth is sucking Nell appropriate in this situation?

It will cheer her up, since she can no longer post on RDF?

[95Theses]

Can anyone tell me Richard Dawkins' direct e-mail address ?

I could, but then I'd have to kill you. Seriously.

Not that I don't think he deserves to be spammed six ways 'til Sunday for letting this happen, but I just can't bring myself to divulge the addy.

I'm sure he'll get the message in the next day or so, one way or another.

Durro was a mod and held in high regard on the RDF forums.

While I agree that you shouldn't publicly post Richard's personal email, I do think that it would be appropriate to give it to Durro, who spent so much of his time policing Richards forums for no personal gain. I'd trust Durro to keep it confidential.

[leo-rcc]

Is it possible that I am banned? I can't seem to log in anymore since yesterday.

[SnowLeopard]

I am awake and still pissed off.

I had 2 replies in my inbox on RD from revolutionist and aunt nancy. I managed to reply to revolutionist but as was said I am getting the bloody you cannot post so soon after etc.

Im asking them to come here and stuff

Nice to see you here 95T.

[Mazille]

Is it possible that I am banned? I can't seem to log in anymore since yesterday.

What was your username?

As far as I'm aware CJ and me were the only ones deleted (not only banned), but I guess it's reasonable to assume that others got shot down too.

[klr]

Is it possible that I am banned? I can't seem to log in anymore since yesterday.

What's your exact username over yonder? Is it leo-rcc as well?