First reaction by Richard Dawkins.

[heyjude]

Fucking knackered, TBH.

I'm not the only one, though. Others have worked very hard to plug the gap.

Oh yes.... and the same hug (not a wanky christian side hug, but a big smackeroony) to all the troops. You're all awesome.

Why don't you all come over to Thailand... me, my awesome hubby, and Spearthrower can take you out and try to pretend this shite never happened ... sniff sniff.

Hang in there all... and if there is anything we can do to help - say the word.

[Lion IRC]

..."over-the-top language"..

That is the the most valuable addition to my quote-mine stock pile to date. (Move over Calilasseia)

Good one Mr Dawkins.

Keep em coming!

Lion (IRC)
PS - Screwtape was right.

[SpokesGay]

..."over-the-top language"..

That is the the most valuable addition to my quote-mine stock pile to date.

Good one Mr Dawkins.

Keep em coming!

Lion (IRC)
PS - Screwtape was right.

Do they just keep you around here as a chew toy, Lion, or do they not know what you're about yet?

[Lion IRC]

Hi SpokesGay,
You think the RDF lock out was sudden?
Try being a theist on some fora where Ops/Mods/Bots kick/ban/killfile faster than you can finish a sentence.
You never know when you are going to take your last breath in some places.
I managed to keep skating upright on the thin ice at Pharyngula a LOT longer than expected.
Skinny Puppy would do well to think about "impermanence" and take it one post at a time.
This place seems pretty tolerant ............so far.
Lion (IRC)
PS - I think the term "chew toy" is disrespectful and I find it ironic/hypocritical that I have to choose my words very carefully in places where "free speech" seems to be held up as an ideal.

[virphen]

Whatever else you say about ol' Lion, he's shown more concern for this community than Dawkins has. So I hope that if you really have to chew on him, you'll just nibble lightly.

And there hasn't been a flood thread yet.

[RPizzle]

...And there hasn't been a flood thread yet.

For the love of my mental faculties, may it stay that way.

[eXcommunicate]

Whatever else you say about ol' Lion, he's shown more concern for this community than Dawkins has. So I hope that if you really have to chew on him, you'll just nibble lightly.

And there hasn't been a flood thread yet.

We may yet convert Mr. Lion if he keeps this up.

We have two secret weapons-- Bella and FIO-- and we ain't afraid to use 'em.

[Lion IRC]

Hi Virphen,

Mr Dawkins needs a new PR manager. It's a bit sad and full of pathos because (like many of the theists he has sincerely spoken of as well-intentioned good people - just deluded) he seems emotionally involved but so so very naive.

Think about these honest but really "OUCH!" comments.

"How can anybody feel that strongly about something so small? " Did you just call it small?

..."over-reacting so spectacularly to something so trivial." Sensitive New Age Atheist.

..."territorial atavism"..."private fiefdoms"... Is there an anthropologist in the house?

"Was there ever such conservatism, such reactionary aversion to change, such vicious language in defence of a comfortable status quo?" Ahem.....psst. Mr Dawkins. These are atheists not Southern Baptists.

Durro said somewhere, about the fundys rejoicing and he's right. I've already heard people saying....never mind...you can imagine. Now I really do wish I had tried harder to get tickets to the Atheism Convention.

Wonder if the speech is being changed?

Lion (IRC)

[Bella Fortuna]

Whatever else you say about ol' Lion, he's shown more concern for this community than Dawkins has. So I hope that if you really have to chew on him, you'll just nibble lightly.

And there hasn't been a flood thread yet.

We may yet convert Mr. Lion if he keeps this up.

We have two secret weapons-- Bella and FIO-- and we ain't afraid to use 'em.

[Thommo]

Thanks lion, your insight has made me feel significantly better.

PS: I feel compelled upon reflection to make a serious contribution to this thread. The treatment of the moderators and admins of RDF was terrible, we are talking about persons who put thousands of hours into serious defendance of prof. Dawkin's position, making sure he was adequately represented and not quote mined, and generally promoted his cause for a full working week, every week, for no pay. These persons were treated with a dishonest quote mine and out of hand dismissal based upon the comments made by someone else, the next day. This is unacceptable to me.

[virphen]

Lion, I think naive is probably the perfect word to describe his part in all of this.

I doubt any of those involved think they've done anything wrong tbh, they just seem incapable of understanding the impact of what they've done on a lot of great people. They treated people who'd given their time and energy into assisting their projects with contempt. They treated a wider group of generally well-meaning people with disdain. They made friends of mine cry. And they should apologise for that.

And the sad thing is I doubt they'll ever understand that, or that we ever will see a proper apology.

[DanDare]

Editorial control, mark you, by the person who, more than any other individual, has earned the right to the editor’s chair by founding the site in the first place, then maintaining its high standard by hard work and sheer talent.

Good grief! Not only did Josh NOT contribute to the content or community, such praise is entirely unjustified, but he is the last person I would want being the thought police for my expressions!

[heyjude]

Editorial control, mark you, by the person who, more than any other individual, has earned the right to the editor’s chair by founding the site in the first place, then maintaining its high standard by hard work and sheer talent.

Good grief! Not only did Josh NOT contribute to the content or community, such praise is entirely unjustified, but he is the last person I would want being the thought police for my expressions!

I'm sort of imagining that (and BY NO WAY justifying any of this crap - believe me!) ... that for Richard Dawkins, he saw Josh as creating the actual site as the user sees it when they first open it. You know.. the ugly page And it has all the links to all the RDF stuff - the things that bring in money, and the videos of him talking, etc etc. It's certainly what first got me to the whole thing... even if it is damn ugly!

And if I think about it, how many 100's of sites have I looked at that have a menu along the top that lists all sorts of content, one of which is "forum" that I never click on? I am willing to suspect (though as I've stated before - I hate conjecture in these matters) that as far as Richard Dawkins is concerned, the main content of importance is everything on the front of that site. That little forum button means nothing to them. He's gone in a bit, not liked what he's seen (as PZ Myers has attested) and never gotten a real sense of what truly lies behind the door. He didn't know the life of the site was IN THERE, not on the front page at all. So now... they want to back it more like the front page. Which they have every right to do, of course... but wow... there was a whole world in there.

[Bella Fortuna]

You know.. the ugly page

So true. That thing looks like my cat ate all his DVDs and sicked them up.

[paceetrate]

Yeeeeeah, as a graphic designer, I have to say, I've never like RD.net's front page. Good grief, it's so CLUTTERED! What for degree did Josh freaking GO for? Not one in design, I hope. The only thing I like about it is the top banner.