Journal Entries
Ickle Skanky
Posted Jun 6, 2011
Hi folks,
I don't know who's still subscribed to my PS, but for those of you who don't have any contact with me elsewhere - I'm going to become a father for the first time in September 
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Latest reply: Jun 6, 2011
h2g2c2
Posted Jan 25, 2011
I heard the news about h2g2's 'disposal' at lunchtime (via Facebook, natch) and I haven't really known what to make of it since.
Let's get the negatives out of the way first: h2g2 has been behind the times since I joined. Second to Wikipedia in terms of being the definitive guide and waaaaaay behind everything else in terms of being a great social network. And it's cliquey, and slow to change, and set in its ways, and almost impenetrable to any outsider. In the context of the wider web, it doesn't serve any obvious purpose that isn't catered for better elsewhere.
And isn't it bizarre to get a 'here's a load of new stuff' message on Friday, then a 'get ready to relocate' on Monday?
Anyway.
I think the idea of a community proposal to take ownership of the site is a great one. It's a long shot. I suspect the winning bidder may be more interested in the technology than the users. That would be a shame. The community here may be small and fairly factionalised (is that a word?) but it is passionate. That's a strength and a failing - people here tend to unite and divide between so many minor issues. That needs to stop.
I think if there is to be a h2g2c2 (h2g2 community consortium) bid, *everyone* here needs to get behind it. The bid needs figureheads who know what they're doing. A web designer who knows how h2g2's code works needs to be left in charge of working out how we would get the site transferred to new servers. Somebody who has worked in the field needs to work out how we can make money to support the proposed new site. And perhaps we need a group of people representing separate parts of the community to work on our behalf - maybe the Post Editor, a prominent Scout, a committed Ace - to properly make decisions so we don't degenerate to the usual level of infighting.
There's loads of discussion about this elsewhere on the site. If you're reading this and you've got this far, you must care. See if there's anything you can do. You never know. I'm off on holiday tomorrow, so it's all in your hands. Sorry.
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Latest reply: Jan 25, 2011
Football in Qatar
Posted Dec 3, 2010
As Qatar have won the World Cup in 2022, perhaps now would be a good time to remind the world how good they are at the beautiful game?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf1fVBGM9ec
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Latest reply: Dec 3, 2010
The Problem with Atheism
Posted Nov 9, 2010
I'm a fully-confirmed, paid-up atheist. I think that the whole of our creation can be explained scientifically and that the rationalist narrative is at least as, if not more, compelling than any faith-based creation story. There are one or two gaps but we'll fill them. It's been all but proven that we don't need a god to explain how we came into being, so I don't need or want to believe in one.
But isn't it illogical *not* to believe in one?
If the atheists are right, nobody knows any different. We all just die and get eaten by worms. We don't get a moment of triumph where, at deaths door, we get to say 'Ha! I told you so!' and we don't get any special treatment. We just get to feel slightly smug while we're alive.
Whereas if the religious people are right, when we atheists die we get poked with fiery tridents by mad pixies for all eternity and all the faithy people get fed grapes and champagne or something. So in that scenario, we get a proper kicking relative to the creationists.
The potential gains are: for the atheists, an earthly superiority complex. For the religious types, an eternity of grapes and an absence of savage pixies. There seems to be a lot of gain for a small amount of faith.
So a rational person would surely realise that there is no god, but also realise that they might as well believe in one just in case and have the odd pray now and then to cover themselves in the event that there is a god after all? Cover your bets, right?
Although if there was a god, he'd be all over this kind of thinking and have a really mean part of hell just for the bet-hedgers, wouldn't he?
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Latest reply: Nov 9, 2010
Somewhere in the Far East....
Posted Oct 15, 2010
...someone is sending this to the equivalent of 'Funny Old World'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-11548982
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Latest reply: Oct 15, 2010
Skankyrich [?]
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