h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

{guestbox thread}

If you have 'issues' with the SBVM, please do post here, and I'm sure your postings will be given the attention they deserve. Thanks!

I have no wish to start another flamewar. To that end I don't intend to start raising issues, however I would like you to know that I'm against the SBVM.

That doesn't make me a nasty person though!

You've always been a lovely person when I've spoken to you elsewhere.

*scratches head in a confused manner*
Umm, thanks for your input, I guess. Have a nice day!

Fine. Don't think that anyone came here for a flame war.
What I understood before I signed that parchment with blood was that there is no real sense/purpose behind this club. No organised activity to bring about any changes at H2G2. I do that elsewhere, like the Arbiter Scheme.
Could you give me some indication what you are against? The name which mocks Soapbox conversations? The lack of "grand plan/masterplan, unified front and single aim"?
You got me really confused here ...


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Exactly so, Tube. I was going for a touch of satire and a poke at a way-overused soapbox phrase. And even anti-authoritarians need a bit of fluffy mindlessness at times!

Joining the SBVM shows that you have a sense of humor, similar to the way Mark recently changed his nickname to "Max Moron." What better way to stick your tongue out at opponents than by wearing their insults as a badge of honor?

Joining the SBVM ought to also imply that you think it's bullcrap when people equate protest with "negativity" on h2g2, or claim that the site will become as nasty as usenet, or the community become depressed, if we don't turn "postive" (which means cease complaining) instantly.

I don't know if that's the kind of thing running through anyone else's head when they embrace the term "Small But Vocal Minority." But that's what it means to me.

Hear Hear Subcom - that's why I proposed a groups of SHEEP (how about Society to Help Endangered Editors Prevail?)

Anyway, isn't this thread a bit of a contradiction in terms - if you're anti the small but vocal minority does that not mean you are part of the LBSM (large but silent majority) - in which case this thread should be full of silence.

If you're anti-SBVM, it just means you want them to stop being vocal.

Calling others S.H.E.E.P.? I don't know. They can call themselves whatever they want. Having been indirectly called a member of the SBVM, and only adopting it reluctantly and ironically, I would rather not assign names to people. Do unto others unlike the crap they've done unto you.

I'm especially bothered by the indirectness of these accusations. How friggin wormy can you get, acting like you're not flaming because your accusations don't specifically name names? That post on the Community Soapbox about researchers being less important than Italics, and needing to post semi-anonymously under "h2g2 Editors" because of our naughty SBVM mind tricks -- it was really another (yet another) passive-aggressive response that ought to have been posted in direct response to individuals. But they think it's somehow more polite to post indirect insults. It's not really more polite when everyone knows who you're talking about.

As I understood it, Orcus was considering the idea calling parts of the SBVM S.H.E.E.P. (mostly himself ATM? )
Umm, or was that supposed to be a black SHEEP?

S.H.E.E.P., WH.I.T.E. = Society to Help Endangered Editors Prevail, WHich Ignites Trouble Everywhere

S.H.E.E.P., B.L.A.C.K. = Society to Help Endangered Editors Prevail, Blaring Loudly Against the Community's Kaput-ness



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trying to keep this club as fun as it's s'posed to be

"Joining the SBVM ought to also imply that you think it's bullcrap when people equate protest with "negativity" on h2g2, or claim that the site will become as nasty as usenet, or the community become depressed, if we don't turn "postive" (which means cease complaining) instantly."

Ahh, but that is why I'm Anti-SBVM Because I don't think that's bullcrap!

Well I don't know about mostly myself - sheep has been used offsite - not sure about here as well - to describe those of us who've posted supporting messages to the italics.
I thought it might be an amusing badge to wear (as Subcom says with pride) to stick the virtual tongue out at those who have described us as such.
Painting us as blind followers and worshipers of the PTB with no ability to think for ourselves is fairly blatant bullcrap I think.

Orcus - Happy to keep this forum fun

Aaaaahhhh!
Gotcha, Willi! You can't be against the SBVM with that reasoning! First of all because it was put forward by Subcom more than 13 hours *after* you declared your dislike. And it's explicitly Subcom's reasoning: "But that's what it means to me.”

So you effectively can't be against SBVM since you found your statement on a single member of a group that has no common aim, masterplan, sense or *interpretation of the SBVM* etc. (leaving aside the fact that you reached the conclusion before there was ...).

Very cunning of the SBVM



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*sigh*

I'd have gotten away with ti if it wasn't for those pesky meddling kids...

Not sure I understand the SHEEP concept. If you're supporting the Italics (though I agree with your point that it may be a well-reasoned decision to support them, not a mindless following), then can SHEEP really be a subset of the Small But Vocal Minority? SHEEPs would have to be a subset of that ethereal Large, Quiet Majority who agree with TPTB, or don't care about our silly vocalizations over trivial details like only allowing English and German and Bubblish on h2g2.

(Large, Quiet Majority does not get an acronym, but one of those weird, Russian-style combinations of first syllables like ComIntern or COINTELPRO: "LaQuiM!")

On the other hand, forming a group just to declare yourselves as sheep would be too vocal, and would preclude you from being a part of the Large, Quiet Majority. I guess you're right. You're another Small But Vocal Minority, opposed to Lu's SBVM! Maybe we need to enforce a rule that you have to be accused indirectly by Italics, hinted at that anyone on your side is only part of the "Small But Vocal Minority" to qualify for membership. That would handle the SHEEP confusion.

Digression -- Say, Lu, have you established whether "quim" is an acceptable word or not? Maybe another to add to Alt House Rules. I think it's mainly naughty over yonder, but would go unrecognized by many in the U.S. Will moderators snatch the word "quim" away from us?

Wait! I missed the part where Scooby pulled off Silly Willy's mask! Who was it really under there???

*gasp*

Farmer Jenkins!

Why it all makes perfect sense now!

Sorry, not much to say but

Sorry, not much to say but

Look, mate, this SHEEP thing is umm like a facet of this SBVM which has no common aim, the SBVM that is. I support whoever has an idea I like, and if you take the SHEEP as part of LaQuiM (like that one ) it's a bit like that, not? On the other hand I disagree with a indirect accusation. What I'm getting at is... let me out it this way: you've got this bath you see, you fill it with fine white sand, alright? Or sugar. Fine white sand, and/or sugar. Anything. Doesn't matter. Sugar's fine. And when it's full, you pull the plug out ... are you listening?

Hum, Orcus, you are aware of the fact that you are breaching the 42 commandemts of H2G2 (see some old conversation at the A Bible for H2G2 (or something like that) thread) by worshipping sites outside of H2G2?!



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How dare you! I wrote quite a few of those commandments myself and I would consider it BLASPHEMY! to not follow them
In fact wasn't the first commanment "Thou shalt worship the italics"?
I would definitely deny that I was worshipping an outside site. Quit the opposite in fact.

So does a peroxide BLACK SHEEP have a BLACK LaQuim?

That so? Verry well then.

Ah, yes. Fair enough. I shall believe your words and not charge you with infringing the 21st Commandment (Thou shalt not worship other online communities or false websites.)

BTW, the first commandment is: "Thou shalt add good entries to the Guide so that its name is hailed in all Cyberspace." and the Italics come under no. 25. Honour thy Italics, thy Sub-Eds and thy Moderators: that thy entries may stay long.

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