But surely the arguments are wittier and funnier on a comedy forum?AndySir wrote:Apologies for bumping into and derailing this debate a little, but this community is not alone in the problems it is facing. Within the last couple of days I have noted similar threads on other forums I frequent as diverse as the Scottish Comedy Forum (which is an industry forum for the 50 or so guys who work as stand ups in Scotland who all know each other well) and a forum on PlayStation games.
The common theme "Why is our previously happy little internet community tearing itself apart?" and fingers are pointed, subtly or not so subtly, at a few more aggressive members of the group. Inevitably the schism is the same, between those who believe in the free-market and those who think it is the source of all our problems - even in Scottish Comedy. The minority who believe in free market seem to feel under attack and react badly to what you might consider minor provocation, the majority then leap on, incensed, and on the whole make the matter worse. Cycle repeats.
Are we scary?
Moderator: Peak Moderation
I've noticed a big increase in the number of topics in General Discussion and News lately, and most of them are about bad stuff. Maybe a while ago there was more of a balance between Preparations, News (with possibly more good news) and other sections. This is a reflection of what's going on in the world. So it's not surprising it's getting scary around here. Apart from my van, and a fairly small amount of personal possessions, everything else I own is in the hands of the financial system that is in deep shit. So I'm getting nervous. Unfortunately it will take time to get to the stage in my survival plans where I can retrieve my money.
RGR - If you're seriously trying to get your message across, you should have noticed by now that your current approach isn't working. All it does is get people's backs up. Why not give up, as you're not going to change the world, or have any effect on your way of live, by winning your argument here. If you really do feel it's you mission in life to convince us we're wrong, try a different approach, and it's just possible you may get somewhere. Otherwise I can't see that you're anything other than a troll, who is here to deliberately cause trouble.
RGR - If you're seriously trying to get your message across, you should have noticed by now that your current approach isn't working. All it does is get people's backs up. Why not give up, as you're not going to change the world, or have any effect on your way of live, by winning your argument here. If you really do feel it's you mission in life to convince us we're wrong, try a different approach, and it's just possible you may get somewhere. Otherwise I can't see that you're anything other than a troll, who is here to deliberately cause trouble.
I simply explained what I meant when I said that I'd lurked on this forum but not signed up because I found it 'scary' I never said it was too scary 
I wouldn't normally contribute to this sort of thread as a new contributer to a board but as I had made the comment that started the thread I felt it only fair to explain what I meant.
I really like the preparations section of this forum and it's probably where I'll hang out if that's ok
I wouldn't normally contribute to this sort of thread as a new contributer to a board but as I had made the comment that started the thread I felt it only fair to explain what I meant.
I really like the preparations section of this forum and it's probably where I'll hang out if that's ok
Do please.... I'm away to start a thread there now.... and apologies to anyone who may have seen it posted on another forum too!!!dotty wrote:I really like the preparations section of this forum and it's probably where I'll hang out if that's ok
"Here Pig Pig Pig!"
(This is how we call the girls up... & they come running!
)See you in Preparations!
Moi? Serious? Except for the wine list. I always take that seriously. Life is too short to drink cheap wine.AndySir wrote:You would have thought, but we all seem to take ourselves rather seriously.contadino wrote: But surely the arguments are wittier and funnier on a comedy forum?
"When the facts change, I change my opinion. What do you do, sir?"
John Maynard Keynes.
John Maynard Keynes.
Even though I've never had reason to challenge the veracity of the information you present (since it doesn't challenge my own opinions or worldview), you still do come across as intensely mocking - and unnecessarily so, since the people whose views you criticise are I think quite in the minority here. It's like you're projecting your battles with latoc and peakoil.com onto us. It seems like you want to be banned since it justifies your martyr self-image. As JohnB says, if you actually want to convince people, you won't do it by mocking their logic (or even their lack of it). Folks have gotta know you like them before they'll listen to you.RGR wrote:I am never SURPRISED to be regarded as a troll.biffvernon wrote:Yep, that's the perception, justified or not, so while it persists don't be surprised to be regarded as a troll.RGR wrote:Mocking?
Its appears to be a common defense mechanism, the purpose of which is to counteract or counterbalance information which can't otherwise be disputed.
perhaos this is the ultimate example of the pot calling the kettle black, but I sometimes find RGR abraisive.
However, I also understand WHY he is as he is.
The greater PO community seems to ignore the fact that its prophets have been singing from the same hymn sheet for decades, "run for you lives we're all gonna die".
Have the people who in 1975 predicted a world peak by 1980 and a collapse of society by 1985 appologised for being wrong?
Have they even acknowledged it?
Have they explained why they were wrong last time, and more importantly, why they arent wrong this time?
If in 89 you predict the peak will be 90 and 20 years on production is 20mbd a up, your asking a lot when you ask for the benefit of the doubt.
However, I also understand WHY he is as he is.
The greater PO community seems to ignore the fact that its prophets have been singing from the same hymn sheet for decades, "run for you lives we're all gonna die".
Have the people who in 1975 predicted a world peak by 1980 and a collapse of society by 1985 appologised for being wrong?
Have they even acknowledged it?
Have they explained why they were wrong last time, and more importantly, why they arent wrong this time?
If in 89 you predict the peak will be 90 and 20 years on production is 20mbd a up, your asking a lot when you ask for the benefit of the doubt.
I'm a realist, not a hippie
Yeah but we weren't around last time there was an alleged peak, and we're right this timeDominicJ wrote:perhaos this is the ultimate example of the pot calling the kettle black, but I sometimes find RGR abraisive.
However, I also understand WHY he is as he is.
The greater PO community seems to ignore the fact that its prophets have been singing from the same hymn sheet for decades, "run for you lives we're all gonna die".
Have the people who in 1975 predicted a world peak by 1980 and a collapse of society by 1985 appologised for being wrong?
Have they even acknowledged it?
Have they explained why they were wrong last time, and more importantly, why they arent wrong this time?
If in 89 you predict the peak will be 90 and 20 years on production is 20mbd a up, your asking a lot when you ask for the benefit of the doubt.
Just kidding.
I can't really speak for anyone else, but personally I'm totally aware that the 'peak' has been called in the past, wrongly, and while I do feel that 'this time is the real thing', I'm also aware that no doubt everyone felt this way for all the other peaks as well. Here I am doing the Good Life thing in darkest Wales, feeling about 30 years behind the curve, because people have been dropping out and heading back to the land for decades, albeit motivated by various threats to civilisation that so far never came to pass.
Ultimately though the timing of peak oil or peak energy or peak food or whatever is irrelevant to me now. My reaction to peak oil was to realise my desire to live in a way that is as sustainable as possible regardless of whether or when a peak might occur. So as far as I'm concerned, RGR's mockery of peak oil dates is an antagonistic waste of time.
Like you Dominic I can understand why he does it. Imagine if this year there was a big panic about the date going from 2009 to 2010 and how all the clocks would go wrong and planes would fall out of the sky... We might consider that something worth mocking, especially if we'd seen the panic in 1999 and how some of the doom-mongers back then (James Howard Kunstler for one) were completely wrong. (Personally I was working in IT at the time and fixed a lot of date problems myself, so I knew the problem was exceedingly limited).
But I still wish RGR would put away the mocking tone.