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Why is Discordia more relevant than ever in the year 2008?

Started by Cramulus, September 03, 2008, 06:48:25 PM

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hooplala

Quote from: Professor Mu-Chao on September 30, 2008, 12:12:22 AM
Quote from: Payne on September 29, 2008, 11:58:01 PM
...and thus a community is born out of discord.

I like the way the discussion has been going - there seems to be a large number of people that think that in order to think for you yourself, you have to meta-think. To me this seems like the likeliest way to become a thoughtful (in the sense that you think instead of react) person.

So, to get the conversation completely off track again: "A community born out of discord"... every Discordian community I've seen online has either broken up or had a high turnover rate. I'm not saying this is special to Discordia - entropy strikes all internet communities eventually. I am not a big fan of the forum format, and its definitely hard to keep up with this one because of the volume, but its amazing to me how successful and long-lasting this site has been.

There are certainly instances of flaming and trolling (discord, after all) in many of the threads, but they don't seem to be systemic like in so many other places. Most of the people here seem to understand the concept behind "the sacred chao" and the balance that is necessary between creative order and creative disorder to make things work. So what is the secret? Do you hunt down and kill the trolls? Or do you just hire that out?

There have been plenty of blow-outs, and it seems three is some animosity bubbling under the surface between a few people on here presently, but it hasn't been crazy for a few years now.
"Soon all of us will have special names" — Professor Brian O'Blivion

"Now's not the time to get silly, so wear your big boots and jump on the garbage clowns." — Bob Dylan?

"Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)"
— Walt Whitman

Jasper

Quote from: Payne on September 30, 2008, 01:44:01 AM
Quote from: Felix on September 30, 2008, 12:52:21 AM
Quote from: Payne on September 30, 2008, 12:23:54 AM
Bolded the relevant part for you. Thank me later.

I was going to add on a bit about technology perhaps finding a way to actually counteract gravity, but I reckoned saying "Just because you think you are" would cover it.

Impossibility and falsehood are distinct.  That's the point of why I'm disagreeing.

I'm not sure I catch your meaning here.

Please clarify.

We've gotten to a point where we basically agree but haven't noticed and kept arguing, I think.

Bebek Sincap Ratatosk

Quote from: Professor Mu-Chao on September 30, 2008, 12:12:22 AM
Quote from: Payne on September 29, 2008, 11:58:01 PM
...and thus a community is born out of discord.

I like the way the discussion has been going - there seems to be a large number of people that think that in order to think for you yourself, you have to meta-think. To me this seems like the likeliest way to become a thoughtful (in the sense that you think instead of react) person.

So, to get the conversation completely off track again: "A community born out of discord"... every Discordian community I've seen online has either broken up or had a high turnover rate. I'm not saying this is special to Discordia - entropy strikes all internet communities eventually. I am not a big fan of the forum format, and its definitely hard to keep up with this one because of the volume, but its amazing to me how successful and long-lasting this site has been.

There are certainly instances of flaming and trolling (discord, after all) in many of the threads, but they don't seem to be systemic like in so many other places. Most of the people here seem to understand the concept behind "the sacred chao" and the balance that is necessary between creative order and creative disorder to make things work. So what is the secret? Do you hunt down and kill the trolls? Or do you just hire that out?


A rolling apple gathers no moss.

Some Discordian forums seem to be a place for learning how to throw apples. Some forums seem to be a place for throwing apples. PD, seems to be a place for hanging on for dear life as the apple bounces along the digital landscape.
- I don't see race. I just see cars going around in a circle.

"Back in my day, crazy meant something. Now everyone is crazy" - Charlie Manson

Cainad (dec.)

Quote from: Ratatosk on September 30, 2008, 03:22:59 AM

A rolling apple gathers no moss.

Some Discordian forums seem to be a place for learning how to throw apples. Some forums seem to be a place for throwing apples. PD, seems to be a place for hanging on for dear life as the apple bounces along the digital landscape.

I really think its more akin to a hard cider brewery.

Payne

Quote from: Felix on September 30, 2008, 01:53:23 AM
Quote from: Payne on September 30, 2008, 01:44:01 AM
Quote from: Felix on September 30, 2008, 12:52:21 AM
Quote from: Payne on September 30, 2008, 12:23:54 AM
Bolded the relevant part for you. Thank me later.

I was going to add on a bit about technology perhaps finding a way to actually counteract gravity, but I reckoned saying "Just because you think you are" would cover it.

Impossibility and falsehood are distinct.  That's the point of why I'm disagreeing.

I'm not sure I catch your meaning here.

Please clarify.

We've gotten to a point where we basically agree but haven't noticed and kept arguing, I think.

:x

Fun ruint!

:lulz:

Honey

Quote from: Ratatosk on September 30, 2008, 03:22:59 AM

A rolling apple gathers no moss.

Some Discordian forums seem to be a place for learning how to throw apples. Some forums seem to be a place for throwing apples. PD, seems to be a place for hanging on for dear life as the apple bounces along the digital landscape.

:mittens:  YaY!
Fuck the status quo!

The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure & the intelligent are full of doubt.
-Bertrand Russell

Cramulus

Quote from: Ratatosk on September 30, 2008, 03:22:59 AM
Quote from: Professor Mu-Chao on September 30, 2008, 12:12:22 AM
Quote from: Payne on September 29, 2008, 11:58:01 PM
...and thus a community is born out of discord.

I like the way the discussion has been going - there seems to be a large number of people that think that in order to think for you yourself, you have to meta-think. To me this seems like the likeliest way to become a thoughtful (in the sense that you think instead of react) person.

So, to get the conversation completely off track again: "A community born out of discord"... every Discordian community I've seen online has either broken up or had a high turnover rate. I'm not saying this is special to Discordia - entropy strikes all internet communities eventually. I am not a big fan of the forum format, and its definitely hard to keep up with this one because of the volume, but its amazing to me how successful and long-lasting this site has been.

There are certainly instances of flaming and trolling (discord, after all) in many of the threads, but they don't seem to be systemic like in so many other places. Most of the people here seem to understand the concept behind "the sacred chao" and the balance that is necessary between creative order and creative disorder to make things work. So what is the secret? Do you hunt down and kill the trolls? Or do you just hire that out?


A rolling apple gathers no moss.

Some Discordian forums seem to be a place for learning how to throw apples. Some forums seem to be a place for throwing apples. PD, seems to be a place for hanging on for dear life as the apple bounces along the digital landscape.

some but not all posts seem true in some sense
but most but not all posts seem only as true as the person reading them feels that they are true

some but not all people think that responding as a troll seems helpful to the person they're replying to
but it's only as helpful as the person being replied to is actually helped by the troll post

some people think that responding in detailed e-prime is a useful strategy, outlining every possible extrapolation of their posts
some people think it sometimes sounds like a tautological and laborious way to express otherwise simple things
some but not all people don't know what e-prime is and sometimes it sounds annoying to them
some but not all people don't know what e-prime is and sometimes it sounds useful to them



that is the essence of PD


LMNO

The Sphinx was my second favorite character in that movie.

The first was, of course, Tom Waits.


Anyway, sometimes it seems that those other sites have a pretty set definition of what Discordianism "is," and tends to become upset when those boundries are breached.  Which, of course, leads to stagnation, and to the "Really Real Discordians for Realness" Cabals.


The Dark Monk

Quote from: LMNO on September 30, 2008, 02:10:43 PM
The Sphinx was my second favorite character in that movie.

The first was, of course, Tom Waits.


Anyway, sometimes it seems that those other sites have a pretty set definition of what Discordianism "is," and tends to become upset when those boundries are breached.  Which, of course, leads to stagnation, and to the "Really Real Discordians for Realness" Cabals.



Just ends up being a cabbage farm. When you get 100% set on your ways and stagnate then become happy with it, might as well be boiled with some Corned Beef and carrots.
I thought this is all there is,
but now I know you are so much more.
I want to upgrade from my simple eight bits,
but will you still love me when I'm sixty-four?
~MIAB~

Harlequin

Quote from: LMNO on September 30, 2008, 02:10:43 PM
a pretty set definition of what Discordianism "is," and tends to become upset when those boundries are breached.
It seems to me that saying Discordianism "is" anything is almost antithetical to Discordianism; the whole point is that whilst there are some central tenets for it, everything else is up for grabs*. After all, definitions should not be static. Working under the impression that the Universe is a chaotic environment whilst taking a Discordian philosophy as immutable seems a contradiction in terms.


*Ok, slight exaggeration, but still...
After all, wasn't it Oscar Wilde who was arrested for sodomy? Sorry, I'm not quite sure why I said that...

Verbal Mike

Quote from: Harlequin on September 30, 2008, 03:41:29 PM
It seems to me that saying Discordianism "is" anything is almost antithetical to Discordianism; the whole point is that whilst there are some central tenets for it
FAIL.
If there were really central tenets to it in an absolute sense, then you could say what it "is".
Unless stated otherwise, feel free to copy or reproduce any text I post anywhere and any way you like. I will never throw a hissy-fit over it, promise.

Cramulus

I dislike the "Discordia is anything and undefinable" meme. Because at the end of the day, we DO have a lot of stuff in common. And when we try to explain Discordia to others, there are things that we say and things we do not say.

there certainly are actions and mindsets we can say are markedly "un-Discordian"


I mean, Discordia is vague, and we've got this loose Catma instead of Dogma thing, but aren't there times when you can say "you're doing it wrong" and be correct?

There's always this dodgey "Is this satire?" angle you can throw out, which justifies a lot of questionable stuff. But if someone asked me if Dick Cheney or Mitt Romney are good Discordians, I'd have to say No, those people aren't Discordians at all.


Is it "Un-Discordian" of me to try to define it this way?

Verbal Mike

All affirmations are true in some sense, meaningless etc.
As pointless as it is to say it, it is true in a sense that there are basic ideas that are necessarily part of Discordia, but it is also meaningless in a sense and even false. At the end of the day, the deepest core meme of what Discordia means to me is "question everything". This is prerequisite for TFY,S,  prerequisite for the thing about affirmations being true and false,  prerequisite for everything that makes this irreligion/philosophy what it is. The absurdist angle allows us to question this whole "question everything" thing and see if it really makes sense at any given moment.
I hope you catch my drift, because this is pretty confusing to me.
Basically I'm saying that yeah, there are some things that seem to me inseperable from Discordian thought, behavior and attitude, but that doesn't mean one cannot or should not question those things themselves - it would be inconsistent not to.
Unless stated otherwise, feel free to copy or reproduce any text I post anywhere and any way you like. I will never throw a hissy-fit over it, promise.

LMNO

Quote from: Cramulus on September 30, 2008, 04:02:39 PM
I dislike the "Discordia is anything and undefinable" meme. Because at the end of the day, we DO have a lot of stuff in common. And when we try to explain Discordia to others, there are things that we say and things we do not say.

there certainly are actions and mindsets we can say are markedly "un-Discordian"


I mean, Discordia is vague, and we've got this loose Catma instead of Dogma thing, but aren't there times when you can say "you're doing it wrong" and be correct?

There's always this dodgey "Is this satire?" angle you can throw out, which justifies a lot of questionable stuff. But if someone asked me if Dick Cheney or Mitt Romney are good Discordians, I'd have to say No, those people aren't Discordians at all.


Is it "Un-Discordian" of me to try to define it this way?

YES!
  \
:hashishim:

Cainad (dec.)

I read a book not too long ago that might have helped make some sense of this. However, I don't remember enough of it to make a useful contribution ITT :sad:

Cainad,
Bringin' the fail, takin' up space