Can We Call This Progress?

[regular.joe]

Coberst, if you take enough LSD all of the symbols and memes disappear. I don't recommend that.

I recommend that you get a job, pay your bills, and vote. Just voting would be against the flow.

Just for the sake of argument, which it seems is why you have graced us with your presence. The world is not fucked up, it is exactly the way it's supposed to be. We won't destroy the earth, and we won't destroy the entire human race. We will change the earth, and we will go on. That's the way it is. Or not.

Relax dude, take that money from mom and dad and buy a coffee.

[Undertoad]

Humans create accounts (abstract collection of data) upon which they place value sufficient for posting and messaging.

Humans create an username (an artifact of pixels) which symbolizes the account they have on a forum (a collection of accounts) for which they will really argue and annoy (nothing unusual here).

Humans require accounts upon which others can understand what user is being annoying and give admins sufficient purpose for deleting, editing, and banning.

Because humans can create their own accounts why does our forum place meaning into such accounts (usernames, passwords) as coberst, urbane guerilla, radar, etc?

The freedom we have to create accounts is poorly used, why?

Why do we waste such a precious freedom on such ridiculous morons?

We do so because we lack the courage (as moderators) to ban, against the flow.

Our adaptation to the internet as infantile and childish posters has left us without the courage and confidence required to go against the flow of forums. We have the freedom but not the energy and courage to ban the blind posters of nonsense.

We are not determined moderators; we do have the potential to do much better. How can we overcome what we have become and thus become something better?

We can overcome our present predicament by creating a new forum, a new set of meaningful posts that we read to get smarter.

Moderation is the instrument by which we can ban accounts.

[Undertoad]

A user who maybe has decided to stay anonymous did some research and found coberst wearing out his welcome all over the nets

This thread for example is all about him

[zippyt]

I say Shit can the spaz

[skysidhe]

Originally Posted by Flint

My only gripe with the foreign contingent is that you put a u in color and you call the wrong thing football.

Sometimes you come up with a gem.

Originally Posted by coberst

Americans create a flag (an artifact of cloth) which symbolizes the value they place in a nation (artifact, idea, meme) for which they will really kill and die (nothing artificial here).

So dosn't everyone make flags? It's boringly obtuse.
What's the finer point?

I just think yer hate'n on 'Ole Betsy Ross.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by zippyt

I say Shit can the spaz

WTF? Why? Shit can everyone that you don't agree with? Nobody is required to respond, or even read, his posts.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by Flint

Seriously, though, it would never occur to me that this is an "American" board (I would think the mere idea of the internet itself would preclude that possibility

With respect, this is because you are American.
This is not a criticism of the board - I've already said that it's very welcoming and respectful.

But there are many things I come across here that I would simply not have heard of on a British board. And many thoughts/ attitudes/ beliefs pass without comment, or are as accepted as mainstream that would not be in Britain.

Monster has often stepped in to translate or explain that something I think is exceptional is in fact considered normal.

It is a positive thing - it certainly broadens my mind. But trust me, a majority American board is a very different place for a foreigner. T'internet only aids communication, it doesn't homogenise.

[Aliantha]

Originally Posted by coberst

Humans are artifact adoring artisans

Humans are meme (idea) adoring creators.

Humans create symbols (abstract ideas) upon which they place value sufficient for killing and dying.

Americans create a flag (an artifact of cloth) which symbolizes the value they place in a nation (artifact, idea, meme) for which they will really kill and die (nothing artificial here).

Humans require meaningful symbols upon which to give life sufficient purpose for living, dying, and killing.

Because humans can create their own meaningful artifacts why does our species place meaning into such dangerous artifacts (memes, ideologies) as religion, nation, capitalism, communism, etc?

The freedom we have to create that which is meaningful to us is poorly used, why?

Why do we waste such a precious freedom on such dangerous toys?

We do so because we lack the courage (self-reliance) to go against the flow.

Our adaptation to society as infants and children has left us without the courage and confidence required to go against the flow of society. We have the freedom but not the energy and courage to overcome the blind habit of conformity.

We are not determined atoms; we do have the potential to do much better. How can we overcome what we have become and thus become something better?

We can overcome our present predicament by creating a new reality, a new set of meaningful symbols that we choose to give value.

Imagination is the instrument by which we can overcome.

Meaningful artifacts are usually created after an event (such as the American Revolution) to represent the sacrifices made by previous generations which created the opportunity for you to live in the freedom you do today. If you choose to believe you're not free, then that is a choice you've made. If you've chosen to believe you are free, then you will know that the essential part of who you are will always be free, regardless of who or what controls your body or mind. Perhaps you don't need a cultural artifact such as a flag to represent that freedom, but having a culturally identifiable artifact encourages human beings to collectively focus as individuals on a similar goal or belief. This is a demonstration of the tribal nature of human beings. A nature which is almost impossible to escape because society is a self fulfilling ideology.

Individuals will always go against the flow. Everyone has a 'rugged individual' inside them and if and when the time comes, this individual will become apparent. Most of the time it's easier to go with the flow. Why is that? Because that's how society works. If everyone wanted to go against the flow, then it'd just be a different type of society or maybe there'd be anarchy, although there is order in anarchy anyway, so people are still going with the flow.

What you propose (if I understand your point) is impossible, because even if your ideas became reality, everyone would still be going with the flow, because that would be the collective cultural understanding.

[Flint]

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

With respect, this is because you are American.
...

What? No, it's because the internet has no physical location.

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

...
T'internet only aids communication, it doesn't homogenise.

It doesn't have to homogenize; it's all-inclusive.

[Sundae]

The internet has no physical location.
However what is considered normal/ mainstream/ acceptable varies from place to place. That's all I'm saying - that what you see and hear and understand day to day is not what I do, or Ali does, or York does. And there's more people here from your country, despite it's widely differing opinions.

A few examples. In Britain:
If you went everywhere armed and objected to turning in your weapon to go to a National Park you would be considered paranoid. And probably dangerous.
If you took your child out of mainstream education and schooled them at home you would be considered at best unusual, and probably unfair to the child.
If you went to church on a regular basis you'd be in the minority and people would probably worry about their language around you.
If you suggested free education should be scrapped you'd be considered as slightly to the right of Atilla the Hun and about as fragrant
If you espoused shooting all CCTV cameras you might raise a few smiles, but seriously - not the done thing old chap.

We have very different baselines. The only impact the internet has is that we get to hear about other people's.

[skysidhe]

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

The internet has no physical location.
However what is considered normal/ mainstream/ acceptable varies from place to place. That's all I'm saying - that what you see and hear and understand day to day is not what I do, or Ali does, or York does. And there's more people here from your country, despite it's widely differing opinions.

A few examples. In Britain:
If you went everywhere armed and objected to turning in your weapon to go to a National Park you would be considered paranoid. And probably dangerous.
If you took your child out of mainstream education and schooled them at home you would be considered at best unusual, and probably unfair to the child.
If you went to church on a regular basis you'd be in the minority and people would probably worry about their language around you.
If you suggested free education should be scrapped you'd be considered as slightly to the right of Atilla the Hun and about as fragrant
If you espoused shooting all CCTV cameras you might raise a few smiles, but seriously - not the done thing old chap.

We have very different baselines. The only impact the internet has is that we get to hear about other people's.

Thank you for those examples SG.

I was just writing a post asking why then,if internet people
don't homogenise,the non americans keep using america as examples yet use none of their own. ( for the most part )

You made that question null. Thanks I like hearing and learning about other places from the people that live there

[Clodfobble]

Maybe you could call us a "historically American board," like they call some schools "historically black colleges."

[xoxoxoBruce]

Flint's just trying to make everyone forget he's from texas

[Flint]

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

...
A few examples. In Britain:
...

And which website are you posting these on?

[xoxoxoBruce]

We're an American Board
We're an American Board
We're comin' to your town
We'll help you party it down
We're an American Board