RPGnet's decay (TBP madness)

[Trond]

Personally, I'm actually MORE interested in reading some of his stuff now. It's just interesting to see what drives this, or where such ideas pop into some people's head. Same reason I read some of the 'Gor' books. Maybe one day I'll even get around to FATAL, but my impression is that it's unreadable.

[Stephen Tannhauser]

Personally, I'm actually MORE interested in reading some of his stuff now. It's just interesting to see what drives this, or where such ideas pop into some people's head.

I think Holocaust denial is a tempting belief for the same reason any fundamentally Gnostic and esoteric approach to the world is: there is a certain seductiveness to being skeptical of received knowledge, and the more widely accepted that knowledge the more seductive the appeal in thinking that one might be right where the vast majority are wrong.

Not that such skepticism is necessarily a bad thing in itself, or always wrong. I've often thought that if the Flat Earth Society has any practical value, it's not in (claimed) belief in the literal flatness of the earth, but in retaining and defending the prerogative to demand of any policy position based on "science" that that science be proven again and again whenever asked, regardless of how obvious it seems or how widely accepted. The problem with taking answers solely on authority is that once respect for the authority is lost, so is belief in the answers.

Maybe one day I'll even get around to FATAL, but my impression is that it's unreadable.

It is; it's basically what you get if you combine one enthusiastic but disorganized homebrew ruleset with substandard production values and a collection of twenty years' worth of the dumb sex jokes that even fairly level-headed groups of RPGers will crack occasionally. I sincerely recommend not wasting your time.

[Trond]

I think Holocaust denial is a tempting belief for the same reason any fundamentally Gnostic and esoteric approach to the world is: there is a certain seductiveness to being skeptical of received knowledge, and the more widely accepted that knowledge the more seductive the appeal in thinking that one might be right where the vast majority are wrong......

Ah, so the plot of the book is about denying the holocaust? Or are you just assuming (which is of course not unreasonable of course).

[Shasarak]

Not that such skepticism is necessarily a bad thing in itself, or always wrong. I've often thought that if the Flat Earth Society has any practical value, it's not in (claimed) belief in the literal flatness of the earth, but in retaining and defending the prerogative to demand of any policy position based on "science" that that science be proven again and again whenever asked, regardless of how obvious it seems or how widely accepted. The problem with taking answers solely on authority is that once respect for the authority is lost, so is belief in the answers.

I like the Physics of a Flat Earth.  Its pretty counter intuitive.

[Trond]

Speaking of forever questioning etc: There are some questions where things seem to have stagnated into a stalemate even though it should have been settled long ago. Psychological differences between men and women for instance (those pesky hormones strike again).. No matter how good your evidence, some scholars, scientists even, will loudly argue against your stance, ad infinitum. I don't think this is a particularly good situation.

[Stephen Tannhauser]

Ah, so the plot of the book is about denying the holocaust? Or are you just assuming (which is of course not unreasonable of course).

I was referring more to the highly probable conclusion that Barker was the same Philip Barker who sat on the editorial board of the Journal of Historical Review, which was a publication that supported Holocaust-denial revisionism.  I have no idea if Serpent's Walk "explains away" the Holocaust, but would be wholly unsurprised to find it so.

There are some questions where things seem to have stagnated into a stalemate even though it should have been settled long ago. ...No matter how good your evidence, some scholars, scientists even, will loudly argue against your stance, ad infinitum. I don't think this is a particularly good situation.

It has its drawbacks, certainly -- time and effort costs, among other things -- but I think ultimately it has to be preferable to the alternative, where the error of any challenge is presumed and pre-emptively shut down rather than checked again as often as necessary.

The tragedy of the Boy Who Cried Wolf is as much a warning about the shepherds running out of patience and becoming certain there's no wolf as it is about a boy being too mischievous for anyone's good. (Or so I see it, at least.)

[David Johansen]

huh..."fuck Nazis"...wouldn't that just make more Nazis?

[Reckall]

Which "Nazi book" are they talking about?

Probably the one that's triggering all the histrionics in the RPG forum here. People need to take a chill pill.

Also, lol: https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/s-lash-receives-a-%F0%9F%9A%AB-three-day-ban-normalizing-awful-behavior-condescending-towards-tekumel-fans.895348/

I love how pointing how life and people are complicated but there's always the chance for grace and redemption is 'condescending'. I don't know who 'Fred' is but I hope he dies of syphilis. Sheesh.

There people would ban Jesus for the parable of the Prodigal Son. Told by Jesus two millennia ago, of course.

[Trond]

There people would ban Jesus for the parable of the Prodigal Son. Told by Jesus two millennia ago, of course.

Not to mention the Good Samaritan 😄
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OIVB3DdRgqU

[Chris24601]

There people would ban Jesus for the parable of the Prodigal Son. Told by Jesus two millennia ago, of course.

Not to mention the Good Samaritan 😄
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OIVB3DdRgqU

Reminds me of the joke that the Satanic Panic crowd wanted to ban the Bible for including all those references to demons and the Devil in it.

[Trond]

How are things going on RPG.net? I'm asking because I'm curious about their stance on "Don't Say Gay" (ha ha, who am I kidding)
AND the whole Will Smith / Chris Rock thing 

[Willmark]

How are things going on RPG.net? I'm asking because I'm curious about their stance on "Don't Say Gay" (ha ha, who am I kidding)
AND the whole Will Smith / Chris Rock thing 

Good question.

In the last two years we've seen them go from constitutional scholars to infectious disease experts to foreign policy experts to military strategists.

Merely commentating on the "arts" is step down.

[Ghostmaker]

How are things going on RPG.net? I'm asking because I'm curious about their stance on "Don't Say Gay" (ha ha, who am I kidding)
AND the whole Will Smith / Chris Rock thing 

They're kinda salty over it, though I'm sensing some hesitancy there to talk too much.

Partly due to the incredible minefield that is Tangency Open, but I suspect nobody really wants to jump out there and declare 'It should be TOTALLY legal to discuss LGBT in explicit terms to second graders!'.

That's kind of the box the lefties are stuck in at the moment. They're making some noise, but all the law's supporters need to do is release a few videos of prancing drag queens or discussions of how 'you shouldn't talk to your parents' and everything goes right off the rails.

[Trond]

They're kinda salty over it, though I'm sensing some hesitancy there to talk too much.

Partly due to the incredible minefield that is Tangency Open, but I suspect nobody really wants to jump out there and declare 'It should be TOTALLY legal to discuss LGBT in explicit terms to second graders!'.

That's kind of the box the lefties are stuck in at the moment. They're making some noise, but all the law's supporters need to do is release a few videos of prancing drag queens or discussions of how 'you shouldn't talk to your parents' and everything goes right off the rails.

One comment I have seen a lot in general lately (everywhere, not necessarily RPG.net) is that people are "waiting for permission" to say something, or perhaps cautiously testing the water to see what's "the appropriate response". Simply having your own opinion on something is just too risky.

[oggsmash]

   That screeching over what is essentially an anti groomer bill is very, very telling (dont know about rpgnet, their take will surely be whatever "THE NEW THING IS") how the NPCs have taken the download without ever reading the bill (and it is as short as a bill can be).  The people who did read the bill and got that screeching started are going to be the sorts with a lot to answer for one day.  I wish them the best.