From: Eugene.Leitl@lrz.uni-muenchen.de
Date: Thu May 24 2001 - 03:14:04 MDT
Jerry Mitchell wrote:
>
> I didn't quite realize how hostile people could be about these topics either
> till this last weekend. Years ago back when the web was new, I used to enjoy
> going to IRC and getting on #philosophy channel and listening to the debate,
Eris Free Net #philosophy? Was a couple times myself there. (I even have an
excuse: Arkuat made me do it ;)
Naw, some of the few regulars there are worth talking to. Before anyone
wants to check it out: don't do it. It's not worth even a minute of your time.
> and jumping in myself having a great time. It was wonderful. Well, I went
> back and when I got on the channel again, there was a strange silence that
> went on many mins. I then tried to spur things on by trying to discuss the
> recent AI developments I knew about. At once, I was attacked by people...
What a major faux pas to make.
> Not with arguments, but completely unexpected responses, most saying "go
> away", "this was stupid", "machines suck" (and this is candy coating a lot
> of it). I found one single person in the channel that seemed to even
I'm not sure whether you realize how abusive current IRC culture (well, okay)
is. I'm not sure whether this always was so, I remember checking out IRC
at about a time when SGI Indys were pretty new, and immediately leaving in
disgust. What an awful waste of human life.
As a newbie, or a supposed newbie one is expected to join quietly, sit
there and listen to the Great Ones (even if the current Great Ones consist
of a couple of 11 year old channel ops who're waiting for an excuse to exercise
their newly won or hijacked 4wsum p0wrz), and then go through the usual
hazing and grovelling act.
Even if you're a regular, there's often a flurry of bans and kickbans
going on. Gossips, remote love affairs which surprisingly frequently
go physical space, attacks, channel takeovers, remote exploits, DoS, etc.
In other words, plenty of monkey business. Sociologists would be in
hog heaven. I've never ran into some, though, maybe they were among
the few iron lurkers.
However, quite a few of the channels are veritable pockets of civility
(ironly enforced by the local vigilante posse, and unaccessibility of the topic
to the average IRC luser).
> approach the subject so me and him/her chatted away a few while the rest of
> the people took shots at me. The conversation led into more generalized
> technological developments and as soon as I mentioned the recent time travel
> possibility that just popped up, I was immediately disconnected by the Op
> and BANNED!!! Have things gone so far that the average person cant stand to
> even hear a potential breakthrough?! Or should I just chalk this up as the
No, and in fact going through the usual motions one can get people talking
pretty quickly, but it is awfully mindnumbing. Don't do it, unless
one is handicapped and limited to this mode of communication (then, IRC
can be a remarkably good idea, it's the modern (well, not so modern,
the vogue now seems to be instant messaging and SMS) equivalent of citizens
band radio and HAM).
> unwashed masses have finally arrived and I was just expecting a bit more
> from them? I can see this coming from a channel like #hottub or #partyzone,
> but I get this response from the great intellectuals on the #philosophy
> channel? What do we do with all these crazy people!!!!?
Great intellectuals on an IRC channel? IRC was never great even when
it was invented. It only went downhill since.
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