First reaction by Richard Dawkins.

[eXcommunicate]

I LIKE YOUR NIPPLE PIC, PZ!

Sorry for shouting. Just had to try flora's tactic

Now he'll never accept your FB request.

[Crazyfrog]

...And then there's the Calibre of minds that were composing those posts...

Talking of which, anyone know where Cali's gone? I shall miss the train wrecks (and free education with every post) .

[David M]

Someone managed to screencap the dissension thread

Does anybody have a link to that?

I read it when Thinking Aloud first posted a link to it - now it seems to be unavailable but I'm sure TA still has a copy.

http://rationalia.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... er#p350317

[cowiz]

...And then there's the Calibre of minds that were composing those posts...

Talking of which, anyone know where Cali's gone? I shall miss the train wrecks (and free education with every post) .

Cali's been a member here for a while.

[j.mills]

Cali's in the area. Watch for him fluttering by.

[ozewiezeloose]

Someone managed to screencap the dissension thread

Does anybody have a link to that?

Would love to see it, yes.

[Apollonius]

Open discussion forums are not for everyone. RD is one of those people that should not have one.

I hope he likes his new ego-trip site and and I hope people that like to interact stay away.

There are other places to hang out.

[Katherine]

PZ - it might help Richard's situation if in general, he was longer on sensitivity and empathy towards the forum's staff and shorter on diktat, condescension, sneering, belittling and bullying. I was in general expecting a lot of defence of him from his high-profile colleagues such as yourself, but this friendship comes across to me as some sort of over-chummy 'love-in' at times. His conduct on programmes such as 'Root of All Evil' do not project a positive image of atheism. As he has never voluntarily been a Christian, he has never been in a position to empathise with those of a religious mindset and therefore does not adequately understand why they believe from the mindset perspective of someone such as myself, who has been a believer but is no longer a Christian. He hasn't got that vital Judeo-Christian psychological information to improve his argument. I am sure that someone like John Loftus, author of 'Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity' could deliver a more persuasive, tactful argument in favour of atheism, given his own show.

By the way, my Christian parents are currently loving this situation and are asking me if I'll be going back to church this Sunday. When I said my estimation of him had significantly decreased as a result of his badly-pitched explanation, they started with the hoorahs and the I-told-you-he's-arrogants etc... etc... to compound matters, they've been to a course on Lent at their local centre for indoctrination tonight with one of the topics being 'how do you speak with atheists?' as well! It is pretty difficult living with them at times, especially when my mother (one of three of the church's pianists) is practising the hymns on the piano which is located on the other side of my bedroom wall! Both are confirmed and practising BTW. My Dad has become a Street Pastor too! AAAARG!

[Orkaney]

Reading through all the posts, is it verified that Mr. Dawkins was the actual author of his reply? Seemingly, looking at the actions of Chalkers and / or Josh, I'm not sure it would be below their capabilities, or moral for that matter. Just my 2 cents worth, now I'll shut up and go to bed.

[Simon_Gardner]

Now it’s got me to wondering… after that kind and gracious apology from Ricky-boy, is anyone here still planning on going back to RDNet?

My interest on RD.net in (case anyone hadn’t perhaps noticed) was primarily news, politics and current affairs quickly - albeit often but not exclusively with a religion/atheism perspective. At first glance it would seem that neither the ‘quickly’ [threads having to be “approved” - how’s that going to work 24/7 then?] nor the ‘news and current affairs’ [sounds like these have zero place in the future] are likely to be part of the plans as so far floated. So with no animus, probably not anyway. But I’ll see.

As I have commented elsewhere, whilst I have personally long been a student of biologist Richard Dawkins, I have never been a ‘fan’ of celebrity atheist Richard Dawkins. RD.net was just somewhere I could do my thing. Doesn’t look terribly like it will be in the future...

[klr]

Open discussion forums are not for everyone. RD is one of those people that should not have one.

I hope he likes his new ego-trip site and and I hope people that like to interact stay away.

There are other places to hang out.

This very issue has come up here before in passing, and some of us would be of the same general mind.

[Simon_Gardner]

...And then there's the Calibre of minds that were composing those posts...

Talking of which, anyone know where Cali's gone? I shall miss the train wrecks (and free education with every post) .

I think I saw a few post from Cali on PZ Myers blog today.

[Azathoth]

By the way, my Christian parents are currently loving this situation and are asking me if I'll be going back to church this Sunday. When I said my estimation of him had significantly decreased as a result of his badly-pitched explanation, they started with the hoorahs and the I-told-you-he's-arrogants etc... etc... to compound matters, they've been to a course on Lent at their local centre for indoctrination tonight with one of the topics being 'how do you speak with atheists?' as well! It is pretty difficult living with them at times, especially when my mother (one of three of the church's pianists) is practising the hymns on the piano which is located on the other side of my bedroom wall! Both are confirmed and practising BTW. My Dad has become a Street Pastor too! AAAARG!

Try not to kill them in their sleep. You obviously might as you have no morals whatsoever now you are a dirty atheist

[virphen]

Reading through all the posts, is it verified that Mr. Dawkins was the actual author of his reply? Seemingly, looking at the actions of Chalkers and / or Josh, I'm not sure it would be below their capabilities, or moral for that matter. Just my 2 cents worth, now I'll shut up and go to bed.

I think you can count on it. Would you tolerate it if someone else put words like that in your mouth?

The benefit of the doubt RD still has with me is the question of how much he's been told is the truth.

[Weaver]

...And then there's the Calibre of minds that were composing those posts...

Talking of which, anyone know where Cali's gone? I shall miss the train wrecks (and free education with every post) .

I think I saw a few post from Cali on PZ Myers blog today.

He's started his own thread in this very sub-forum ... he's hardly hidden.

To Katherine: Remember to wear gloves to obscure the forensic evidence.