RationalWiki talk:What is going on in the blogosphere?

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I am thinking of starting a blog. Would my blog be elegiable for inclusion here? --"[[User:ConservapediaUndergroundResistor|CUR]][[User talk:ConservapediaUndergroundResistor|<sup>talk</sup>]] 21:04, 19 February 2009 (EST)
 
I am thinking of starting a blog. Would my blog be elegiable for inclusion here? --"[[User:ConservapediaUndergroundResistor|CUR]][[User talk:ConservapediaUndergroundResistor|<sup>talk</sup>]] 21:04, 19 February 2009 (EST)
 
:Will it suck? '''[[user:human|<font color="#DD00DD" face="comic sans ms"><big>ħ</big>uman</font>]]'''{{User:Human/sigtalk}} 01:38, 20 February 2009 (EST)
 
:Will it suck? '''[[user:human|<font color="#DD00DD" face="comic sans ms"><big>ħ</big>uman</font>]]'''{{User:Human/sigtalk}} 01:38, 20 February 2009 (EST)
 +
::If it's interesting to the community at large, then yes. [[User:Armondikov|<font color=red face="Tahoma">'''''<font size=4>A</font>'''rmondiko'''<font size=4>V</font>'''''</font>]][[User_Talk:Armondikov|{{user:Armondikov/sigtalk}}]] 05:51, 20 February 2009 (EST)

Revision as of 10:51, 20 February 2009

Should we make it "newest additions at the top", or list them in strict descending order of posting date? ħumanUser talk:Human 16:27, 8 July 2008 (EDT)

Contents

More importantly...

How is this different from Clogosphere? 16:28, 8 July 2008 (EDT)

Oh shoot. I guess the title ;) Please go mention this at talk:main so the bloggers know where to add there posts! I'll kill this off once the bloggers get settled in where they belong, I guess. ħumanUser talk:Human 16:41, 8 July 2008 (EDT)
I'm confused now, which page should we be testing out? The Lay Scientist 17:00, 8 July 2008 (EDT)


Okay, having found Clogosphere, surely that's not the same at all? Clogosphere seems to be about blog entries from nutters... The Lay Scientist 17:06, 8 July 2008 (EDT)

Yes! You're right. Double doh! Please use this one for the sane blogs! ħumanUser talk:Human 17:45, 8 July 2008 (EDT)

WIGO tag

Just a heads up: It looks like the wigo tag wasn't designed for multiple simultaneous use. I added the starlight entry as wigo number 1 and it pulled the voting from the CP wigo page for entry number 1 there. Jim Rational 12:38, 10 July 2008 (EDT)

Yea, the WIGO voting system was back in my earlier days of learning to program for the modern age. I stopped paying attention to web programming about the time WYSIWYG was developed. That was when website designed got taken over my people that actual knew and cared about color clashes. I have been working diligently on leveling up my mysql, php and perl skills and can do much more interesting things these days. There is a lot of momentum behind the way WIGO is currently done and so I haven't gone back to rework it. Perhaps this is a good excuse to sit down and write from scratch a whole new voting extension that doesn't have all the limitations and drawbacks of the WIGO one. tmtoulouse torment 12:51, 10 July 2008 (EDT)
Hey Jim, can you add the date of the post? Thanks... ħumanUser talk:Human 13:32, 10 July 2008 (EDT)

PZ Myers

I always like to give people the benefit of the doubt, but I'm afraid I must now consider Dr Myers officially out of his mind. That's a pretty long and incoherent rant if ever I saw one. Fourth Lateran Council, anti-Semitism, desecration, Othering and a bunch of generalization all tied uf in one little big, convenient package. And even I'm not sure what he's talking about here: "... last time a Catholic nation rose up to slaughter its non-Christian citizenry was a whole 70 years ago, after all..." I wonder if he knows himself. --AKjeldsenCum dissensie 19:20, 24 July 2008 (EDT)

So enlighten us, what in it is false? What conclusions does he draw that you disagree with. I had no difficulty following the post at all, so I find criticism that it is a rant and incoherent lacking. I will admit that history is not my strongest suit, so I will listen with an open mind to specific criticism. tmtoulouse torment 19:23, 24 July 2008 (EDT)
I was wondering what his "70 year" thing was also. I've been deciding whether to write anything on this,but despite the fact that it's good for traffic, it's damned boring. I think he's being an ass. The point about "only a cracker" is half right. It is an object, and as such should not be compared to a human life. It also should not be weighed as a "super-material" object. HOWEVER... any object exists both as an object, and as an object that interacts with the human world. If a cracker were all there was too it, there would be no reason for PZ to nail it. It's ridiculous to think so. Symbols are very important parts of human behavior, and cannot be ignored (or can be, but then a lot is missed).-- Asclepius staff.png-PalMD --Broccoli 19:29, 24 July 2008 (EDT)
Well, at least with it here, you can vote it "thumbs down"... ħumanUser talk:Human 19:49, 24 July 2008 (EDT)
w00t! (delightful
delightful
numbskull)-- Asclepius staff.png-PalMD --Broccoli 19:58, 24 July 2008 (EDT)
Hey, aren't there any bad adjectives left??-- Asclepius staff.png-PalMD --Broccoli 19:59, 24 July 2008 (EDT)
I (obviously?) agree with PZ's sentiment, but his method looks theatrical & "rabble rousing" - he's playing to the gallery and it's probably Over The Top. SusanG  ContribsTalk 20:03, 24 July 2008 (EDT)

'Kay. Brief overview of the many and different ways in which Dr Myers fails - again - to earn my respect:

  • "...Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus, that the Eucharist was the sacrament that only properly ordained priests of the Catholic church could give" - Factually incorrect. Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus is the general doctrine that the Church is the means by which salvation is received. This was reaffirmed at 4 Lateran, as it was many times before and since, but goes all the way back to St. Cyprian in the 3rd century. He could have looked this up on Wiki; inexcusable.
  • "...formally decreed the Jews to be inferior, and a target of hatred." - Factually incorrect. 4 Lateran most certainly did not "formally decree" anything of the sort. They decreed that Jews had to wear special clothing, which of course reflects that they had a lower social and legal status, but this was not exactly anything new. Personally, I'd argue that Jews had been considered of lower status at least since their rebellion in 70 AD.
  • "Declare something cheap, disposable, and common to be imbued with magic by the words of a priest, and the trivial becomes a powerful token to inflame the mob..." - Factually incorrect AND ridiculously biased interpretation. The consecrated host had already been considered sacred for hundreds of years. Fourth Lateran changed nothing here, it only established that the faithful should receive communion at least once a year. The use of the word "magic" is questionable from an anthropological point of view, but I guess we'll let that pass. The "inflame the mob" thing is merely his interpretation, and an unsupported one at that. However, I hardly think that creating a pretext for the persecution of Jews was exactly the first thing the participants at the Fourth Lateran had in mind when they established new rules for the Eucharist.
  • "Now you could invent stories of Jews and witches taking the communion host to torture, to make Jesus suffer even more, and good Catholics would of course rise in horror to defend their salvation." - Factually incorrect AND ridiculously biased interpretation. No one "invented" anti-Semitic stories, in the sense that some identifiable individuals or group of people consciously made them up.
  • "...thereby providing a pretext to encourage massacres." - See above.
  • "...the last time a Catholic nation rose up to slaughter its non-Christian citizenry was a whole 70 years ago, after all..." - Unspecific, probably factually incorrect. Again, I obviously can't be certain which particular nation he's referring to here, but I'll assume that he means Germany. For one thing, Germany has hardly been "Catholic" at any time since the Reformation, and claiming otherwise shows a serious level of ignorance. Also, I guess this is supposed to tie into the old hat that the Catholic Church was somehow responsible for or at least complicit in the Holocaust. This is not supported by current, serious research. In fact, the Church in both Germany and Italy made a significant effort to help the Jews - saving, I believe, some 4,500 people in Rome alone - often at significant danger to the lives of priests and religious. But I guess Dr Myers can't be bothered with such minor details.
  • "Catholicism has been actively poisoning the minds of its practitioners with the most amazing bullshit for years..." - I'll be charitable and call this "unsupported opinion".

That was about three paragraphs. I can go on if you really want to, but honestly... it boggles my mind on how many levels of abstraction this man completely fails so hard.

So far, he gets an "F - see me." --AKjeldsenCum dissensie 20:19, 24 July 2008 (EDT)

That said, the hordes of screeching fans that are swarming all over the comments section are actually worse. Faith in humanity: Down 10 points. --AKjeldsenCum dissensie 20:19, 24 July 2008 (EDT)
I agree with Susan. He is wasting far more time on this than it deserves. If he wants to go after the RCC it should be for substantive issues, not transubstantive ones. After all, as he said, it's just a cracker. So write about something that matters and quit pissing off our friend Andreas. ħumanUser talk:Human 20:30, 24 July 2008 (EDT)
It's descended to boredom now - 2204 comments. As I said OTT. SusanG  ContribsTalk 05:50, 25 July 2008 (EDT)
Yeah. I just skimmed through some of those comments, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your always tolerant, nuanced and understanding way of criticising religion, Susan. Those people are crazy. It's a madhouse! ... Excuse me, I think I need to go hide in the library for a while. --AKjeldsenCum dissensie 10:04, 25 July 2008 (EDT)

A Suggestion

Here's a thought to try to help us ever-so-slightly expand our remit and postings. Why not create a section of the Main Page called What Is Going On In..., followed by a list of our various (uhm, 3) WIGO pages - and we could grow those. Effectively, it would be an entry portal into various mainspaces. Eh? DogP

You might want to go to talk:main and see what we're getting ready to spring on you... ħumanUser talk:Human 23:02, 24 July 2008 (EDT)
BIzarre, I just went there and blundered into the same idea over there. Excellent! Please ignore this thread so! DogP 23:05, 24 July 2008 (EDT)

Re Date

Does this mean the date of the blog post or the date it's posted here (an oldish post might be found by ascident)? Also, if the latter, can you use ~~~~~ (05:48, 25 July 2008 (EDT))? SusanG  ContribsTalk 05:48, 25 July 2008 (EDT)

Susan, as the page is called What is going on I think we should concentrate on recent postings and therefore put the date of posting of the blog. Maybe older stuff of note should be put elsewhere (but not another vote). Jollyfish.gifGenghisOur ignorance is God; what we know is science. 06:13, 27 July 2008 (EDT)
So far it's always been the blog post date. The fossil record keeps track of when things were added... ħumanUser talk:Human 16:49, 27 July 2008 (EDT)

9/11 truth post

The popular mechanic's article and the live debate linked from the blog post are quiet excellent for anyone familiar or curious about this particular niche of cranks. tmtoulouse torment 00:08, 28 July 2008 (EDT)

The PM and debate link should be added to the WIGO. Don't make us chase after this stuff if you know where it is ;) ħumanUser talk:Human 01:39, 28 July 2008 (EDT)

not cool?

I love reading blogs, and would like to explore from this page. I don't want to put up links to my own blog because it's maybe too much self-promotion even for me. (also, i can't very well judge what's important enough). What's the thought on self-linking?-- Asclepius staff.png-PalMD --Broccoli 10:47, 28 July 2008 (EDT)

Stick it up there doc. with a "self promotion" disclaimer. SusanG  ContribsTalk 10:53, 28 July 2008 (EDT)
Hey, that blogroll at the bottom...any relation to our Blogroll page?-- Asclepius staff.png-PalMD --Broccoli 11:12, 28 July 2008 (EDT)
Ows that doc? linked to Blogroll. SusanG  ContribsTalk 11:18, 28 July 2008 (EDT)
Pal, I'll self promote if you do. I think it's okay with a disclaimer-caius (tinker) 22:30, 29 July 2008 (EDT)

If we don't self-promote our blogs here, the page will never take off. I'm self-promoting for the good of the community. Honestly. It has nothing to do with getting my cushy spot at ScienceBlogs when PZ is assassinated by crazy Catholic cracker cultists. The Lay Scientist 22:10, 31 July 2008 (EDT)

For the record, I absolutely agree that self-promotion is beneficial to everyone, it is win-win for us and you hopefully. So promote away. tmtoulouse torment 22:11, 31 July 2008 (EDT)

Thanks TMT! I like having a built in choir to preach to. You're right, we're symbiotic :-)-caius (tinker) 22:25, 31 July 2008 (EDT)

Auto-voted high?

I just posted a new entry to the WIGOBlogs page, but upon completion, the entry already showed a vote of +4. I know that's not right - nobody can read/vote in the space between when I click "submit" and when the page reloads - so how do I fix that? Not that I don't like vote inflation...-caius (tinker) 09:38, 5 August 2008 (EDT)

Erm, yeah... that was my fault. I got the numbering completely wrong, everyone else then continued with my new rogue numbering, and so several posts had the same number, hence the confusion! The Lay Scientist 14:38, 5 August 2008 (EDT)
Did anyone manage to fix the damage yet? ħumanUser talk:Human 15:34, 8 August 2008 (EDT)
Yeah, I undid my error :) 81.102.156.177

McCain Low blows & the Anti Christ

I'm not sure what type of articles you typically feature, so I'm setting this link from Kos here first. I was shocked at this particular act by McCain. He basically infers (of course, in his typical rhetoric "i was just joking") that Obama is the Anti-Christ. No kidding. [[1]]. If anyone thinks this is worthy of WIGI Blogiy land, would you link it or let me know to link it? --Waiting for Godot 13:57, 8 August 2008 (EDT)

What about going to the source(s) and putting it at WIGO World? Rather than the secondary thing of a blog? Or do you think the blog link is better because people can comment? (I bet they can comment at Time or wherever, too?) ħumanUser talk:Human 15:40, 8 August 2008 (EDT)
Do put that in, and I think it'd be better as a blog thing, b/c commentary. Kos isn't MSM yet.-caius (tinker) 15:40, 8 August 2008 (EDT)
No, he isn't - but Time, which he extensively quotes, is. And what he quotes is the commentary, really. This is news and in the world, not just on a blog. ħumanUser talk:Human 15:44, 8 August 2008 (EDT)
You make good points. I do like the comments on the blog, but the story itself is what I really want to highlight. Thanks, to the source I shall go. --Waiting for Godot 16:30, 8 August 2008 (EDT)
Whoah... there's some crazy subtext going on in that shit fo' sure. --AKjeldsenCum dissensie 16:48, 8 August 2008 (EDT)

Solar power

I'm not really sure what the point of this entry is. OK it features Flippin but the actual blog entry itself is rather facile. In fact I wonder if it shouldn't be in clogland. Jollyfish.gifGenghisOur ignorance is God; what we know is science. 13:18, 13 August 2008 (EDT)

I've commented it out until some senior person says otherwise... I really don't get why this was added. The Lay Scientist 03:32, 17 August 2008 (EDT)

No follow

Mediawiki automatically places a no follow tag on EL links. For things like blogosphere I think that is unfair. If I wrote up a way to do EL links without a no follow tag would people use it? Is it even needed? tmtoulouse torment 16:30, 13 August 2008 (EDT)

Can you write a magic tag that does it for an entire page? ħumanUser talk:Human 16:49, 13 August 2008 (EDT)
Well all the text is only accessible by the parser, I couldn't do a tag for a whole page. I might be able to do some sort label that can be added to the page and then go into the mediawiki software where it generates the ELs and stick a couple if statements..... tmtoulouse torment 17:01, 13 August 2008 (EDT)
What about a whitelist for approved sites for which there is no 'no follow' generated? This would allow linking to those sites while avoiding Newton/Kenservative and his acolytes in google spamming from attempting to drive up rankings? --17:15, 13 August 2008 (EDT)
Upon deep reflection at 4 in the morning I have decided to turn off 'no follow' site wide. tmtoulouse torment 13:02, 14 August 2008 (EDT)

RationalWiki award?

Okay I know it follows in line with some of what CP has been proposing, but forget that, instead I think we should have a yearly web award for websites/blogs/wikis, whatever, that are 1)under appreciated by the internet community (IE probably not things like Pharyngula or Bad Astronomy), and 2) represent the goals of our site. What say you people? tmtoulouse torment 14:01, 25 August 2008 (EDT)

Sure. I nominate an obscure hate-filled blog called "RationalWiki"! ħumanUser talk:Human 22:15, 25 August 2008 (EDT)

Giving up on the Democrats

My motivation to support the Democratic party is weakening daily now. I was "born and raised" on the Democratic party, but their kowtowing to the Religious right, the luke warm leadership they shown in Congress, and the complete betrayal to their constituents in regards to the Iraq war has brought me nearly to the point of abandoning them. What do you do when you can't tell much difference between the "lesser of two evils"? tmtoulouse torment 20:54, 27 August 2008 (EDT)

  • Supreme Court abortion. ħumanUser talk:Human 21:05, 27 August 2008 (EDT)
Check out the blog that I posted from Pharyngula. Event that is no longer a given. tmtoulouse torment 21:26, 27 August 2008 (EDT)
What, which, where? ħumanUser talk:Human 22:52, 29 August 2008 (EDT)
Supporting the democrats because they're not as bad the raving lunatics in the Republicans has been the way of things for any intelligent American since the eighties. That or emigrating. Totnesmartin 08:03, 31 August 2008 (EDT)

I'm starting to feel the same way, I've lived abroad for three years so I can't really know what it's like, but honestly, how long will we stand by the same corrupt and useless politicos? Why an intelligent third party candidate can't succeed in this day and age is mindboggling, Is this America. I think the only way to shake it up would be to have either a revolution or an alien invasion.... δλερνερ διαλέγομαι | συνεισφέρω 08:18, 31 August 2008 (EDT)

Plutocracy is bad. A lesser evil is still evil, and evil can only win as long as good co-operates with it. Yet if the lesser evil is simply a puppet held by the same person as holds the greater evil, can it any longer be called a 'lesser evil'? The Democrats and Republicans have held power for too long, and y'know what? I want Change. -Judas Reward 08:46, 31 August 2008 (EDT)

Is the US becoming anti-intellectual?

"becoming"? It's been a hallmark of this empire for so long it's not even funny. ħumanUser talk:Human 22:50, 29 August 2008 (EDT)

Basic population stuff. The more people you want to sway, the dumber your message needs to be. Jellyfish!However, there no need to fear. 22:58, 29 August 2008 (EDT)
Back that up with facts, "jellybaby"! ħumanUser talk:Human 23:11, 29 August 2008 (EDT)
Never! :P Jellyfish!However, there no need to fear. 23:17, 29 August 2008 (EDT)
Well, then, would you like a jellybaby? ħumanUser talk:Human 23:21, 29 August 2008 (EDT)
Yes, provided that isn't a euphemism.
In fact, I would like several. Leave them in the train station at quarter past five and your turtle housemarten shinigami greenhouse will be returned safely. Jellyfish!However, there no need to fear. 23:23, 29 August 2008 (EDT)
It's a Whoism, you silly invertebrate. I'll leave them - many - near the police call box. ħumanUser talk:Human 23:26, 29 August 2008 (EDT)
What in the name of the divine Benvenuto is a "Whoism"? Jellyfish!However, there no need to fear. 23:28, 29 August 2008 (EDT)
If you don't know, are you sure you are cool enough to play here? I am a Doctor... I walk in Time. ħumanUser talk:Human 23:33, 29 August 2008 (EDT)
Blech :P Jellyfish!However, there no need to fear. 23:41, 29 August 2008 (EDT)

Does a football/baseball/basketball/icehockey player rate higher than a Professor in the US? Is that what Andy's promoting with "Professor values"? SusanG  ContribsTalk 23:31, 29 August 2008 (EDT)

I'm impressed, Susan, that you not only know the four major US sportz, but you know them in order of importance. I will mock you in future for this knowledge! And what does this comment refer to? Surely not the good Doctor? ħumanUser talk:Human 23:34, 29 August 2008 (EDT)
Reference is not to teh Dr. but to the lauding of physical prowess over mental achievement. SusanG  ContribsTalk 23:50, 29 August 2008 (EDT)
I'll see your "mental achievement" and raise you a sonic screwdriver! ħumanUser talk:Human 00:37, 30 August 2008 (EDT)
It's not just the US, the UK isn't too far behind considering Big Brother contestants become the most reverred celebrities (even if just for 15 seconds) while genuine scientists are reduced to having to make sciency-sounding soundbytes for beauty comericals and their doctorates are reduced to "it's our most concentrated pentapeptide complex yet". We might not be raving YECers but brainboxes the proles are not! :S Armondikov 07:48, 31 August 2008 (EDT)
And which country pray tell is full of smart and intellectual people (besides Israel, of course)? I live in Australia now, nice people, yes, but not too many bright bulbs either. δλερνερ διαλέγομαι | συνεισφέρω 08:21, 31 August 2008 (EDT)
Gentlemen at this website! Please maintain the proper perspective and do not succumb to sentimentalism. Historically speaking, never before have we seen illiteracy rates as low as we do now. And never before have so many people had a realistic opportunity to get a higher education than now. Our societies are better educated now than they ever have been before. By comparison with that, what does it matter if some people like to watch Big Brother as well? And not so many years ago, only the tiniest percentage of the population would ever have had the opportunity to hear what the scientists had to sasy, let alone have even a chance of understanding what they said. --AKjeldsenCum dissensie 08:58, 31 August 2008 (EDT)
It's the denigration of learning I mean. We have it here in the UK: people are seemingly proud of their inability to do maths - as if it were a mark of distinction somehow, you see newsreaders and HISTORIANS <dig> doing it. SusanG  ContribsTalk 15:43, 1 September 2008 (EDT)

of course a basketball player or football player is waayyy better than a college professor cause the get paid way better , and the professor may have done their homework when they were sporting in college , though that may be a nasty lie by jelous students, you dont often get 50,000 people sitting in the cold to watch a college prof do his thing either , feetsball plyas is the aleet of US college successes an ma spelin is activist english, we rites liks we speeks Hamster 17:15, 23 November 2008 (EST)

Voting looks broken....

just posted that last one, it shouldn't be 10.-caius (tinker) 11:54, 1 September 2008 (EDT)

Should this be "Septemberised? I don't wanna mess with it 'cause it's looking a tad delicate (see above) SusanG  ContribsTalk 15:39, 1 September 2008 (EDT)
The tags aren't listed as "blog", just as numbers... Sterilesnore! 16:56, 1 September 2008 (EDT)
I dropped the "month" header since the ex edit button bot moves the second subsection header each night - do we really need month headers as well? ħumanUser talk:Human 18:26, 1 September 2008 (EDT)

Fear and Loathing

I wanted to click this one about 20 times, it is so damn accurate. Schlafly is the perfect example of this conservative "enemy" complex. It does not matter what lies you tell about him (Obama, liberals in general) you believe them because he is the "enemy". I have often thought conservatives are the way they are (conservative) because they never move above the bas level. I can't remember its name but it is something like the 7 levels to self-awareness, I always thought conservatives and the ideology in general rarely moves above the lowest 2 or 3 levels of thought. - User \approx\piFor best results always render PNG 03:01, 14 October 2008 (EDT)

Well, it's not like they can brag about their success catching bin Laden, the thriving economy, our victory in Iraq, or how they've reduced the National Debt, so fear, greed and bigotry are pretty much all they've got to get elected with. --Gulik 15:40, 18 November 2008 (EST)

Here and clogosphere

What happens if something gets posted both here and in the Clogosphere one? I see someone point to a Candid World post about a WSJ post that I linked to in the Clog spot. Researcher 00:59, 23 November 2008 (EST)

Raving Atheist conversion?

Did anyone follow his blog? I just WIGOBlog'd it, and the Pharyngula response, and I can't tell if it's a joke, a true conversion story, a deep-cover Christian finally coming clean to make it "look" like a conversion, or just a milquetoast atheist losing his way. Any "insights"?-caius (tinker) 02:11, 24 December 2008 (EST)

Thanks to everyone who improved my entry. I'm leaning towards "it was for a chick," slash "this was his plan all along."-caius (tinker) 02:45, 24 December 2008 (EST)
I checked the blog itself, and the person in question seems to have been quite clear about being an anti-abortion nut even when professing to be an atheist. --Tony Sidaway 01:50, 20 February 2009 (EST)
No reason an atheist can't be anti-abortion. It's just that the ones who are usually aren't as shouty about it as the religious ones. --Gulik 04:18, 20 February 2009 (EST)

My blog

I am thinking of starting a blog. Would my blog be elegiable for inclusion here? --"CURtalk 21:04, 19 February 2009 (EST)

Will it suck? ħumanUser talk:Human 01:38, 20 February 2009 (EST)
If it's interesting to the community at large, then yes. ArmondikoVbomination 05:51, 20 February 2009 (EST)
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