Serious FSM discussion?

[The Meromorph]

What is his obsession with hate mail?

I believe he feels 'validated' if he's getting hate mail...

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

That stuff is amusing but only for a little while, after that...

Funny how now he is validating the guys of the hate-mail that call him immature. 

[Sibling Chatty]

That was my question.

He does seem to be validated by the idea of Poor Bobby, they HATE him, Poor Bobby, they're trying to steal his idea, Poor Bobby nobody loves him, everybody hates him, he's gonna go eat worms...

Yet, in his blog, there are times when he makes sense...refusing to attack true religious thoughts and principles, defending someone's right to believe, live his beliefs and not infringe on others, and even making the statement that ONE successful internet meme/phenomena does NOT make someone an expert on How To Be An Internet Success. (The NummaNumma Guy is evidently doing seminars. )

I'm semi-convinced that somewhere in there is a fairly bright, fairly interesting and possibly even likeable guy who just has not grown up to the point that he's able to relate to the Real world (such as it is) as an Adult, rather than a perennial Adolescent. And I'm afraid that if he does grow up, he's gonna be sorta tweaked out by his own behaviour. Ah, well, he'll face it or he won't.

But, yeah, the Hate Mail stuff is disconcerting. Like somebody's gonna hate him over what's basically third rate photography that looks interesting because it's black and white. (Blog goes into the $2,000 camera he bought that got ripped off by the druggie friends of the 13 year old daughter of the alcoholic next door at their apartment.)

He's got to learn about blending in with the Grown Ups, even if he doesn't want to Grow Up. I never did Grow Up myself, but I learned the proper behaviors and the lessons on Taking Responsibility For My Actions and Myself so that I HAVE been able to function in the Real World without Growing Up. His 'periodic' money-availability thing isn't helping him function, and it won't help him deal with Reality enough to exist, either.

Poor guy, so worried about being ripped off all the time. Makes you wonder...is it a case of Doesn't Trust because of Not Trustworthy?

Arrgh, I gotta quit feeling sorry for the guy. He could give a shit about me or how I feel (or felt), I'm not his Mama, and I didn't sign on to raise him. Crash and burn or fly, dude, you ain't my problem. (Psycho/tweaked girlfriend is a trip, though...)

[Scriblerus the Philosophe]

I'm glad I never dealt with him directly.


Is he really that whiney or does he just enjoy the fact that he gets to rip up silly little people and their silly little hate mail make him feel big?

[Bluenose]

I used to be quite active at TOP in the serious forums with a bit of play in the Pirates.  Nowadays I still visit to play Pirate, but I hardly ever visit and never post in the serious forums.  They just don't seem to have anything interesting going on there any more.

For serious discussion I much prefer the atmosphere here and also, I will never forgive Bobby for the truculent, immature, shabby and downright disgraceful manner with which he chose to deal with his dispute with Auntie Dee Dee.  No matter what justification he may have had (and whilst I do not know from first hand experience, I strongly suspect that he had no reasonable justification at all), there was no excuse for what he did.  I was utterly appalled at the message he ran across the top of the forum and from that moment on I have had no respect for the man at all.

I no longer consider myself to be a Pastafarian, I am much happier being just a simple Toadfish.

[goat starer]

i never was a pastafarian. I still have a FSM car emblem but to call yourself a pastafarian and take the whole thing too seriously was to miss the original point (a point bobby forgot rather quickly as celebrity took over). I will change it for a darwin fish at some point as this is much clearer (although my brother did get some nutter try to start a conversation about christianity in a car park because he thought the darwin fish was a christian symbol  )

The serious discussion on TOP was always hampered by trolls and you know how goats get on with them!

[Sibling Chatty]

.


Is he really that whiney or does he just enjoy the fact that he gets to rip up silly little people and their silly little hate mail make him feel big?

Bingo...and both.

[Sibling Chatty]

The whole "serious Pastafarian" thing was originally an obvious spoof take on the assorted religious orthodoxies in the Christian world, all claiming to be "The One Way".

The loose plans to play that angle up were dropped because of the huge "ARRGH, KILL CHRISTIANS" theme that came up so often. The really fun, interesting humorous takes got smothered with the aggressive and mean-spirited stuff that was the original reason that there was a moderating staff chosen.

The original request for 'nothing overtly offensive, so that my mother wouldn't be highly offended' was jettisoned in favor of a hate-mail approach, BUT the appointed admin wasn't told that... Aggressive, macho posturing became the desired approach, and that wasn't communicated.

The actual "serious Pastafarian" approach was originally though to be exactly what the concept SEEMED to be about...the promotion of proper science in science classes, and the application of religious thought in the churches--eliminating the overt preference in US educational institutions for ANY faith, not just the Christian/Evangelical ones. Of course, promoting the concept of the rights of any individual to their personal beliefs (as long as they don't substitute those beliefs for science, or history, or geography or any educational field) got lost in the mind games, and the need to one-up people in the serious threads. The concept of a tolerant approach to faith hit the floor early on. Being a person of faith was denigrated, the denigration was cheered...NOT the original intent.

A number of atheist groups wanted to interview Bobby (lots of radio stuff.) At that point, I was still his 'appointed media whore' but the fact that I wasn't an atheist just made it impossible to talk to me. Even when the thought was spelled out--this is about 'clean' education, NOT about killing religion--could they be persuaded to discuss ONLY the education point and keep my personal faith out of it.

I used to have a whole tongue-in-cheek prepared opening speech, espousing all the "church dogma" that was "canon"--and I did several radio interviews that focused strictly on the serious issues until the end, where the humor aspect was briefly discussed. Yes, the humor is my strong suit, but I can do the serious as well (if you don't pin me down on science info) and THAT was the original concept.

The very 'orthodoxy' that I was castigated for was EXACTLY what I had been asked for. Meanness and abusive or hateful issues were what I had been asked to control. The change in admin DID accomplish the goal of putting the best authority on religious pastiche in charge. (Theosophy? Yep, she wanted to discuss it, but it's a specific school of though that hasn't been taken more seriously that cargo-cults have been, for decades.)

The open thoughs, light attitude and non-aggressive situation we'd started with turned to other things. And, hey, there was some cash to be made from the suckers...

Thus, an internet phenomena dies. RIP, pastaguy. You were a cool idea, but your 15 minutes weren't good enough to pass the audition, babe. Too much bullshit factor in there.
======================

That's what happens when you put someone in charge, give them guidelines, then change you mind about what you want the guidelines to be---but don't communicate it. Passive-aggressive behaviour at its finest. (If you recognize a passive-aggressive streak in yourself, work on it! Passive-aggressives make the worst bosses, spouses and co-workers, and they're the ones most likely to be beaten to death by someone they know. Especially if it's someone I have to deal with--)

[Sibling Lambicus the Toluous]

I've sort of left it too. I still claim it on places like Facebook because then I don't have to explain the constant religious flux I live in.

I call myself a "lapsed pastafarian" on Facebook now.  I still agree with the basic idea, but I'm not in full communion with the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

I almost miss it, but then I remember what a douche he was. As if we were impeding on him by, you know, liking his creation and buying stuff from him, and giving him the opportunity to do something with it.

I still post there.  I think it's partly an attempt on my part to keep the place kind of like it was (after all, I don't tend to stop visiting people just because I find out their landlord is a twit), and partly because I think some of the stuff people post there shouldn't go unchallenged... it's likely a futile effort, though.

[Scriblerus the Philosophe]

I would like to go back to TOP sometimes, just to visit. But the serious/fun (other than the pirate section of course) has become rather boring. No new minds to meet, only copies of one or two that I didn't like the first time around.

[Aphos]

I need to get to Topix more--- which evo debate- there are so many different 'items' and places- give me a link to where you hang out and I'll come and help you bash heads-- Oh sorry I mean engage in intellectually stimulating debate. 

Google "topix evolution debate forum" and it should take you right there.  There are quite a few threads active right now.

BTW, I go by Darwin's Stepchild there, though most of the old timers just call me DS.

[Aphos]

I loved my time at TOP.  There were lots of interesting, fun people to interact with.  Whether serious discussions or fun and games, it was all extremely entertaining.

I know that a lot of us that weren't admins or mods were taken completely aback when things broke there.  Just one morning, BOOM.  It was kind of strange watching everyone straggle in here, like refugees from some disaster.

I did keep up with things on TOP for a month or so after the Brouhaha, but the fun had gone out of it.  While WoE was an interesting guy, most of the old hands I liked chatting with were gone.  And so I just faded away too.

I don't feel like going back.  I do enough foruming (is that a word?) as it is.  I do Topix...mostly evolution...and here and I read ScienceBlogs.  That all keeps me busy.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

I lost my interest when the trolls took over. The attractive was the policy that was dashed, precisely because it allowed civil conversations, I could strongly disagree with a particular position but it was engaged in a rational manner. Not anymore, but a place where the one that shouts louder gets *attention*, like soooo many other forums.

I like it here even if there isn't as much movement or controversy (we are either like-minded or know our positions too well ).

I don't feel the need to scream for attention, so no, I don't go there anymore, but I still think it was a shame and a waste.

To me, there, we were acquainted with each other and respected ourselves. Here we are friends that care for each other. I feel that I lost something nice but I gained something wonderful.

[The Meromorph]

**rumble**

[anthrobabe]

Who else does facebook?
If you want to 'get together' let me know-- I do understand if you want to remain anon however.


I'll see you all at Topix.