Atheism Plus/Free Thought Blogs (FTB)

[Zelenius]

The thing I found most troubling about the sex doll video is not what the person said in it, but that this person seems to have so many defenders in the skeptic community. Worse yet, this person is allowed to be a featured speaker at skeptic conferences to discuss or rather trash science they disagree with, even though they have no scientific expertise, and make poor, silly, incoherent arguments unworthy of a skeptic conference.

This doesn't mean I believe only scientists should be allowed to be speakers at conferences, since I think science journalists and other non-scientists have an important role to play in skepticism. Political extremists, on the other hand, offer nothing to skepticism, unless they are able to put their politics aside at conferences.

And I don't just have a problem with the far left, I also have problems with the far right. I'm a vegan, but if vegan, animal rights extremists were allowed to take center stage at skeptic conferences, and give talks on subjects in which they lacked expertise to push their vegan agenda, I would be very opposed to this.

 

[squealpiggy]

I suppose

Next time I'm bored, I'll research how to properly dox someone. As of now I suspect the technical details are over my head.

Doxing is easy. I can tell you everything you need to know about getting peoples' personal information over the internet.

Just send me a PM including your real name, address, telephone number, date of birth, social insurance number, annual income, make and model of car that you drive along with the license plate number and a labelled photograph of all of your relatives.

 

[Stout]

Doxing is easy. I can tell you everything you need to know about getting peoples' personal information over the internet.

Just send me a PM including your real name, address, telephone number, date of birth, social insurance number, annual income, make and model of car that you drive along with the license plate number and a labelled photograph of all of your relatives.

Info on the way and....I've also included a picture of my cat.

 

[Mr. Scott]

Wow, Atheism Plus Global Moderator ceepolk can be tracked down with google fairly easily, including her photo and LONG list of interests.

She's stated publicly "I don't give a **** [s-word] about the atheist movement at all," and her list of interests does not include Atheism, Humanism, Secularism, Skepticism, Critical Thinking, or anything like it.

(She does include in her interests: "Social anxiety, Shyness & Social Anxiety, Anxiety and Social Phobias, Mental Illness, Mental Health")

How does it make sense that someone with an official position on the A+ forum proclaims with pride having no interest in the 'A'?

Is this normal for Aplussers ... to have no interest in Atheism?

 

[theprestige]

The thing I found most troubling about the sex doll video is not what the person said in it, but that this person seems to have so many defenders in the skeptic community.

The thing I found the most troubling is how astoundingly boring RW is.

I didn't know it was even possible to make "go **** a mannequin" sound less interesting than an actuarial table.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Wow, Atheism Plus Global Moderator ceepolk can be tracked down with google fairly easily, including her photo and LONG list of interests.

She's stated publicly "I don't give a **** [s-word] about the atheist movement at all," and her list of interests does not include Atheism, Humanism, Secularism, Skepticism, Critical Thinking, or anything like it.

(She does include in her interests: "Social anxiety, Shyness & Social Anxiety, Anxiety and Social Phobias, Mental Illness, Mental Health")

How does it make sense that someone with an official position on the A+ forum proclaims with pride having no interest in the 'A'?

Is this normal for Aplussers ... to have no interest in Atheism?

So they put a mentally ill person in charge of their forums? Brilliant!! (It also explains a lot)

 

[brodski]

So they put a mentally ill person in charge of their forums? Brilliant!! (It also explains a lot)

Given the proportion of the western world that has some kind of mental health issue or other, and given the way that teh internet has given a voice to people who were more likely to be socially isolated in the past (such as many people with mental health issues)- I doubt that there is a moderated board on the internet which has not had at least one person with one mental health issue or another as a moderator.

 

[zooterkin]

Another great piece by Barb Drescher.

Just the intro:

Several people have asked me if I plan to respond to PZ Myers, considering the “beating” he gave me and others in a post last week.

No, I don’t. I may if I see a good reason, but the truth is that responding to him is a bit like debating a creationist. Sometimes one should, but this is not one of those times. In this case, PZ has so grossly misrepresented my writings and statements that it is very clear that no productive discussion can occur with him on the matter. This is not the first time he has done so and not the first time that I have essentially ignored it. The post is almost entirely built on mischaracterizations, straw men, and falsehoods. If anyone else wants to discuss it, I will be happy to do so after you have read what I actually wrote, context and all.

Instead, I think that this is a good time to gather some of the more recent materials on the matter in one place because I strongly believe that most of the discussion in the general community over these issues involve new members trying to get a handle on what we’re all about. So, I will summarize my views on the matter in a few bullet points and provide a list of links to posts, publications, and videos what are free to all.

 

[recursive prophet]

Is this normal for Aplussers ... to have no interest in Atheism?

Normal for A+ers Scott? Surely you jest? Were talkin new normal here. When you're looking at a group that considers unsolicited PMs to possibly be life threatening and equates an invite for a cup of coffee with sexual harassment bordering on molestation, you ain't in Kansas anymore.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Another great piece by Barb Drescher.

Just the intro:

I've been FB friends with her for a while. She's one of my favorites. She's been at TAM before, and hopefully will be again.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Given the proportion of the western world that has some kind of mental health issue or other...

This ceepolk person seems to have them all.

...I doubt that there is a moderated board on the internet which has not had at least one person with one mental health issue or another as a moderator.

I've long said that our mods are mentally ill.

 

[theprestige]

Also, does anyone else see the irony in someone from there saying "Brevity is a matter of courtesy and respect", while demanding that new people spend hours of their lives reading a basket of links?

I do!

In fact, in the OP for that thread, Eowyn submits a collection of excerpts from PZ, totaling a post at least as long as any of Mr. Samsa's contributions. Adding insult to injury, Eowyn also indicates that these excerpts are part of a much longer whole, and that members should read the entire thing.

So brevity isn't always a matter of courtesy and respect.

 

[zooterkin]

I've been FB friends with her for a while.

Me too, though I've not met her (can't remember how she got on the list; possibly I'm following her updates, rather than being a friend).

She's one of my favorites. She's been at TAM before, and hopefully will be again.

She's on the list for this year.

 

[qwints]

Is this normal for Aplussers ... to have no interest in Atheism?

Lacking an interest in "movement" atheism is distinct from lacking an interest in atheism. That said, there are certainly people on the board for whom advocating atheism is fairly low on or not even on their list of priorities. Basically, most people identify as atheist, but not everyone is interested in "Atheism."

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Me too, though I've not met her (can't remember how she got on the list; possibly I'm following her updates, rather than being a friend).


She's on the list for this year.

Glad to see Todd Robbins back too.

I wonder if Harriet will cause trouble again?

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Lacking an interest in "movement" atheism is distinct from lacking an interest in atheism. That said, there are certainly people on the board for whom advocating atheism is fairly low on or not even on their list of priorities. Basically, most people identify as atheist, but not everyone is interested in "Atheism."

I wonder if any of them identify as critical thinkers/skeptics? Because none of them are, near as I can tell.

 

[LashL]

I think it was quite some time before you were a mod that she stopped. Anyway, here's the official word:

It was also for only a brief period of time; rebecca was a mod for less than two months between October and early December 2005.

/aside

 

[qwints]

I wonder if any of them identify as critical thinkers/skeptics? Because none of them are, near as I can tell.

For what it's worth, I do. Reading Shermer's "Skeptic" column in Scientific American as a teenager was a major influence on my thinking.

 

[RandFan]

You don't have any way to demonstrate the truth of this counterfactual claim, and we have every reason to doubt it. Trolls hit her hard on YouTube for a very innocuous comment asking her own fans not to assume that she is up for sexual liasons with them the first time that they meet her at cons. The idea that making her advice to them about how to treat her even more thoroughly innocuous would have prevented the blowback is groundless at best.

I don't think we are communicating. She would have always gotten harassment. Anyone and everyone who puts themselves out in public are very likely going to get harassed. My point is that the atheist community would not have blown up in recriminations.

 

[RandFan]

The thing I found most troubling about the sex doll video is not what the person said in it, but that this person seems to have so many defenders in the skeptic community. Worse yet, this person is allowed to be a featured speaker at skeptic conferences to discuss or rather trash science they disagree with, even though they have no scientific expertise, and make poor, silly, incoherent arguments unworthy of a skeptic conference.

This doesn't mean I believe only scientists should be allowed to be speakers at conferences, since I think science journalists and other non-scientists have an important role to play in skepticism. Political extremists, on the other hand, offer nothing to skepticism, unless they are able to put their politics aside at conferences.

And I don't just have a problem with the far left, I also have problems with the far right. I'm a vegan, but if vegan, animal rights extremists were allowed to take center stage at skeptic conferences, and give talks on subjects in which they lacked expertise to push their vegan agenda, I would be very opposed to this.

The thing I found the most troubling is how astoundingly boring RW is.

I didn't know it was even possible to make "go **** a mannequin" sound less interesting than an actuarial table.

One would wonder if we could not do better.