This is the page where we will start with the actual planning and contruction of Ejectia! There will be updates on this page, but the real work happens in the comments. Go for it!
**UPDATE: May25th, 2007 11:00 pm**
Please forgive my absence for the last few days, but Ejectia! is proceeding at an incredible rate.
I'd like to continue to keep people advised as to where we are, since this is a community project.
So far, we have over 20 really top-flight people at work on both the planning and software implementation stages. We have decided to aim for a July 4th opening date. Version 1.0 of Ejectia! (that is, the bare bones needed to open the joint) at the present consists of the following:
1. A Declaration of Principles, and Rules of Conduct… because these wonderful, wonderful comments of yours have set the tone of this enterprise, and civility and friendliness is essential to the continuation of an online City in which we all would like to spend some time.
2. A Lounge, which will consist of several chatrooms and will feature a stunning view and audio background.
3. A University Library, with some of the self-help aspect I mentioned in the essay in place, ready to receive your pearls of wisdom and grow into a magnificent collection of experience and skill.
4. An Ejectia! Gazette, the city newspaper, which will feature upcoming events, new additions, and general news and how-to information.
and finally,
5. An Arena, where we can have individual rhetorical "gladiators" debate some of the days topics, along with online voting, a 'winnner,' and a leader board where scores are kept. Critical Thinking is a blood sport in the Ejectia Arena! Two people enter… and two people leave, shaking hands.
This is, of course, merely a scratch on the surface of what we can do together. But the first priority is to actually get something up and running, no matter how modest, and we feel this will be enough attractions to open with while we continue to build new and exciting modules.
Right now, the main skill sets in use are programming and information management. Once some of the software implementation has been decided upon, that focus will change to the graphic design and artwork phase. After that, we will put out a call for marketing and promotion people.
I want everyone who has left a comment here to know that I and several others comb these remarks daily, looking forsuggestions. The fact that we are working so far behind the scenes at present is because we have to build the initial scenery! But I want to assure everyone that this is proceeding far faster and in far more detail than I could have ever imagined when I worte the essay, and that is entirely due to the skill and generosity of people like yourself.
This is going to be wonderful! Keep dreaming! If it's a good idea, we'll use it eventually!
Whee! *giddy with glee*
I’ve got a hammer, anyone have any nails?
Thank you John Smith for the link to the original gun control discussion on Rachel’s blog where Bill began putting together “Freedom”.
http://web.archive.org/web/20030110154114/www.rachellucas.com/archives/000218.html#00021
I love the ending where Bill said:”From the Revolution until today, the choice for full freedom with all its accompanying excesses and failures is a profoundly well-reasoned, moral and ethical choice, and the result has been national and personal success unparalled in the history of this world. I am proud to be a member of such a magnificent group of people. I hope to God I can give back as much as I owe.”
Then Rachel said:
“So there you have the words of a true patriot and a great man. I wish I had written it myself. Thank you, Bill, for letting me post your words here. It’s a genuine honor.”
May Ejectia be one way that we can each “give back”!
Sincerely,
Rick Hall
MadMonk: I have some nails here.
But remember… when all you have is a hammer, *everything* begins to resemble a nail.
{sphinx mode: OFF}
And if anyone is still unconvinced that this doesn’t work it does.
Here are a few (random) examples:
A woman on Kim’s site read a comment from a stranger about his son being good at playing the oboe. The boy didn’t have an oboe, nor could the father afford to buy him one. She did (a fine one, that she no longer needed). She sent it to a stranger.
A man who worked as a security guard had his gun break. Another “stranger” lent him one… no strings attached, “pay me for it if you get the money or return it when you can… take as long as you need.”
I sold my gun (mortgage won over that battle). A week later a friend gave me one to replace it. “Here,” he said, “I can’t stand the idea that you’d be without one.”
A man who had never owned a gun before not only volunteered for dangerous missions in Iraq (as a civilian, so no metals or rewards when he was seriously wounded–TWICE), not only bought a gun and learned to use it (mentored by another “stranger” found on the web), he saved a woman’s life by rescuing her from an attacker. (He also has read everything of Nock’s he can get his hands on.)
I could go on and on with examples. Those are just the few off the top of my head, and don’t include all the kindnesses and rescues Kim and I have experienced personally from the good people we met online–these include offers of support, growing food for us (for FREE!), and all sorts of incredible acts of generosity.
Good people aren’t in short supply. They are everywhere, when you look for them. Present any issue or problem, express any need, and they will jump at the chance to help you. Some may even be heroes waiting to happen.
There is a world that sill operates on a handshake, where there is no small print.
Alright, technically, what are we looking at here? Somehow we have to actually build this thing and I’m eager to get my hands on some code.
Who else out there has the ability to help? Where to we start to collaborate on the construction?
We’ll need to start some type of communication center first to facilitate the construction.
When it comes to online information, I’m a swiss army knife. Just aim me at something, I’ll go nuts.
Web development, writing, and online information management are my bread and butter!
Yep, Mrs. DT.
My grandfather had a couple of Springfield ’03 match rifles that he’d competed with. He was very good – placed at Camp Perry a couple of times.
When WW2 was gearing up the English population had been thoroughly disarmed. They needed guns – any kind of guns – for their home guard.
Grandad made a couple of engraved brass plates that he screwed to the stocks, explaining that these were prized rifles and asking that they be returned at wars end.
Most of the guns sent to england for that reason were dumped in the north sea in 46. But those two came home.
I find the idea of Ejectia exciting. I would like to participate. Unfortunately, one of things I know how to do is manage and facilitate large bureaucracies. It strikes me as unlikely that Ejectia will be free, unless you the owner are quite wealthy. If this project attains popularity, bandwidth could become non-negligible.
I imagine people will want to provide video demonstrations of their particular specialties. Videos take a lot of space!
I also wonder how the site will be managed. Tit for tat will only work if someone has the power to truly strike back. How will the city-state deal with spammers and trolls? Will the city-state allow anonymous posters and contributors (equivalent to having the gates open at all hours)?
Or will there be a gate under careful guard that only admits those who can prove they have legitimate business in the city?
And perhaps most importantly, who here is a graphic artist who can make some kick-ass sketchings and renders of the city and and forums? ‘Cause some sweet graphical representation will go a long way towards making the city livable =)
Also of note — a city is a city because of its community. Communities grow and thrive by having communal events.
It is not enough to just have a place like Wikipedia where info is stored. Wikipedia is nice, and it has a community, but it is a far cry from being able to be called an organized city-state. The bonds of honor and mutual respect that I feel are being sought are forged through regular and personal interactions, both serious and trivial. How will these community-building events be organized, managed, and executed?
I’m on board with helping out here in whatever capacity my limited intellect can muster. Standard PHP/SQL/CSS/Java stuff. I’m not sufficiently equipped to lead the charge, but if anybody starts building a machine and finds they need such a cog, let me know, even if it’s just for testing purposes.
The bonds of honor and mutual respect that I feel are being sought are forged through regular and personal interactions, both serious and trivial. How will these community-building events be organized, managed, and executed?
I do believe that’s what we’re here to work on figuring out… we’ve made some starts on past threads here since Bill first mentioned the idea.
Unfortunately, my computer skills are limited to Google-fu, but I’m happy to throw my hat in with Silvermine in offering editorial help and resource-hunting.
Wow…coding and I do not agree. I’m one of those Arts and Humanities guys!
Does Ejectia! need an Anthem?
I love the idea – it will take some time. I am in.
Even if by the end of the post I hadn’t forgotten the misery of a newly born head cold – I would be in.
A city needs graphics – and that’s what I do.
Bookmarked!
Like growing a crystal, you need a seed, something for people to tack the product of their skills onto. A starting point. Where will you begin?
All of these ideas are off the cuff and very unedited so bare with me:
It seems that the first thing that will be needed is a central location for the programmers and techheads and organizational specialists to get together and start hammering out a blueprint for Ejectia. As Bill said, we Westerners are great at thinking something out to completion before driving the first nail (or bracketing our first if statement… whatever).
Also, Richard’s points are all valid, especially the funding aspect. Maybe ad-based revenue would be sufficient to maintain the community but someone with far greater financial skill than I will have to make that call.
One thing I was thinking was having each user’s profile include things like talents and to what degree they were interested in sharing those talents. Then people could search through a database of locations and talents and find the thing that they were interested in learning a source for it in their area.
Actually, now that I’m going I find I need to stop. There are too many ideas and it is time to sit and see how this is all going to be constructed.
Any thoughts on a personal/spiritual improvement area, like maybe a church or a gym?
I can help people get in physical shape if they can help me get in mental shape.
I just graduated with a CS degree. I am looking for a job, so I don’t know how much time I’ll have. But, I could help.
Hmmm, btw, this ejectia sounds a lot like the open source community.
I’ll lay down a brick to help build Ejectia: I bugle for military funerals. There are too few live buglers for all the requests made by loved ones of fallen veterans and those killed in action. If you need a bugler for a military funeral or want to become one, click on my user name to go to Bugles Across America.org, a non-profit volunteer organization endorsed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Anyone can join: you don’t have to be former military, just a brass player (or a brass player supporter).
I’m in for helping as needed. I generally have lots of time to read online, and can help as needed with just about anything, although maybe not at a very in-depth level. I also have lots and lots of opinions.
Sounds like a great project. Let’s not reinvent the wheel though.
What open-source software can be used for this?
Alternatively, what about just bypassing that and creating our own city-state in a larger virtual universe that already exists (e.g. Second Life)?
Dear Fargin,
Please forgive my late response — as you can see I had a lot on the plate these last few days.
Can you re-email me? Your offer to play at my Dad’s location was so unbelieveably moving and I am desperately sorry I dropped the response to you.
Christopher Ross,
I’m bare with you, dude!
But my wife is looking at me funny.
No worries! Dougman hasn’t made his appearance yet, but his presence is already felt.
I’m starting to see myself as the village idiot to Dougman’s scapegoat.
Hey, every village needs one…
Right?
UM/Paul, Chase,
Did you get my reply? There’s nothing in my “sent items” file so I’m not sure it went out. Sorry about my email add confusion.
Well as we’ve established, step 1 is organizing. If anybody has extra web space sitting around which could be used to setup a forum, that would probably be best. Failing that, a Google Group or something like it might work (Google Groups seems to be broken right now, I can’t seem to make one). Once we’re organized, we can go from there. Something of this scale will no doubt necessitate some serious organizational skills, which are probably well beyond those possessed by a software engineer such as myself. I would assume we’ll need to break down into smaller groups at some point, identify basic needs, and then see what existing software we can use and what we’ll have to write ourselves.
…but that’s all secondary, and I’m getting side tracked. First and foremost, communication. Newsgroup/mailing lists, forums, we need something. In the spirit of this community of skills, what do people have and what do people know, and can we use it?
Bill,
An Instalanche already? That tells me that Glenn has been lurking.
Come on Glenn!
Join the fray!
I have little to offer. But I’m a good “pointer”.
Here:
http://www.onecosmos.blogspot.com
Find the moral underpinning for this society. Read the archives. Find out that, as a thinking, logical person, you’re not mentally ill if you believe in an Eternal Being.
Plus, it’s really a fun place; a little den of Raccoons that raid the wild godhead and bring back tasty tidbits for the whole gang.
The trick with successful software projects is to get something working.
It doesn’t have to be much of anything. It just has to work.
One simple thing is enough. If it works.
Then you pick the next feature and make that work too. Sometimes you have to rebuild the earlier features to keep them working but thats ok. The big thing is it has to work.
At every baby step, it has to work.
The other trick is you ***can*** over-plan. Don’t try to plan too far ahead with software. Plans change so don’t build a feature if you’re not going to use it today. Build it tomorrow if you end up needing it.
Let the users see it working, and frequently. They will make you change it. They will make it better. They will tell you what feature they want next.
Robert Martin has a great book ‘Agile Principles, Patterns, and Practices in C#’ I doubt that ejectia will be built in C# but this book shows the way to build software that works. Its clear and refreshing technical reading that explains the why instead of just the trivial hows you find in all to many technical books.
C, SQL, HTML, C#, ASP, java, x86, perl… you name it I’ve been writing in it to keep fed.
I can help.
I’d suggest compiling a list of features we want. Then decomposing them into smaller features and taking a pass at ordering them. This ordered feature list should be very fluid. Breaking a feature into several component features should be easy.
Thats the start of a ‘design’
Now what tools can we use? Where will ejectia be hosted? Unix, Windows, what flavor? What tools can we put on the server? Database? Any known limits? Is there someplace else were we can host a source control system? Which one?(not sure it really matters) What will the main language be? What sort of automated test tools do we want to use?
Its funny that so many questions can be critical and yet not matter at the same time. Its critical to pick one of each. Which one matters a great deal less.
Would it be beneficial to organize around technical disciplines or subject matter? A specific list of experts in a given field to go to when a need arises.
I seriously wish I could help, but my newly minted mechanical engineering degree is of far too little use in the virtual world to be helpful here. I have a pretty thorough humanities education, so if you need an amateur philosopher of law, politics, or science, an amateur economist, or amateur theologian, let me know. Other potentially useful “skills” include experience using many 3D CAD packages, an acquaintance with poetry and literature, and the near-miraculous ability to cook.
I will certainly be contributing to the discussions surrounding how Ejectia! should work, though.
I am an attorney. I help folks decide issues of contractual governance and relationships. I don’t mean that I work for the government; I help disorganized groups of folks (usually shareholders, but also beneficiaries of a trust, family members, etc.) decide how they will arrange their affairs in relation to making decisions in the future. They can’t know what problems will need to be solved; all they can know is the process by which they will solve them to best achieve a fair result.
I can’t help with coding, but at some level the ability of Ejectia! to govern itself will have to be built into the code.
Some thoughts on Design:
1) No anonymity. Some people feel very strongly about this, but if there is strong anonymity, there can be no retaliation. An anonymous civilization quickly devolves to “Screw the other guy.”
It should also be noted, that without an provable identity, there cannot be forgiveness either.
2. The power to retaliate. Someone must have it; but it cannot be tyrannical. It cannot be built into the system that “the Administrator” can ban people; the power to retaliate must ultimately rest with the citizens as a whole (even if the Admins take responsibility for retaliation, the Admins must also be subject to retaliation if they step out of line).
Some thoughts on “Is this a good idea?”:
Honestly, I don’t know. Bill, you really had me until you go the bit about “What do you know?/Can you teach it.” Frankly, I’m not sure it follows that the Remnant should band together to … teach each other handy-crafts. Yeah, it’s nice that I’m an attorney, but there’s plenty of attorneys out there (just like there’s plenty of friendly martial arts instructors, math tutors, engineers, etc.). They don’t have to be members of the Remnant to be good teachers, and selecting for members of the Remnant won’t necessarily get you the best aeronautics teachers. I can tell you truly that my Corp Law professor from law school is a much better teacher than I.
Put simply, if I want to learn how to play the guitar, I’m going to ask the best guitar teacher I know, not a Remnantian (heh, new word) who happens to be decent at playing the guitar.
But maybe Ejectia will be a good place to build, if not for the purpose you imagine. I see it more as a meeting hall for a very special purpose; a place where “new Bill Whittles” can be found. A place where folks who find “You Are Not Alone” to resonate with them can meet and have discussions quite apart from any given Bill Whittle post. I think this company would be worthy company; that it will be heartwarming to know that people of good character can be found at this time, and this place. Ejectia! will not replace the city in which I live, but perhaps it will be where I go when otherwise I would sit alone and wonder why the world is so eff’in screwed up. Instead of posting to a blog that no one reads, I’ll post twice – once to the blog, in case a lost Remnantian stumbles upon it, and once to Ejectia, where I know at least of few souls of like mind will see it and respond. That would be nice.
Last thoughts: How large is the Remnant? How large could it be?
The Prisoner’s Dilemma (and the reasons by Tit-for-Tat works) is a little tricker than 2+2, but it’s not rocket science. With applied practice, I think most people could learn it, understand it, and really use it as a guide in their daily actions. Perhaps the “one in a thousand” is simply the people who figure it out on their own. But we aren’t alone any more. We can compile the best ways to explain our intuitive grasp of this concept. We can make a central compilation of best practices for how to awaken someone to this understanding. This library would be the heart of Ejectia!, for within it would be the key to rebuilding the Remnant itself; even should all of them die.
One in a thousand may be the “natural” rate of the Remnant – but I bet we can do better.
Me, I help pass out the guns.
Over on the Forum — see above — every once in a while we have a saddeningly typical request: there’s somebody — not quite always female — with no firearms experience, who has an abusive ex or stalker, who just won’t leave her (or, rarely, him) alone.
So we do what we can — free training, an appropriate carry gun at dealer cost, you know: the obvious.
My areas of expertise are Math teaching (up to algebra) and classroom management. I have some expertise in dealing with troublesome children, but I don’t know about teaching it. It doesn’t seem to be in demand on the Internet. Thanks to whoever it was who suggested I join the Buglers Across America organization or whatever it’s called. I play Taps at the school flag ceremony every day, and I get numerous comments from parents.
Mac Callum,
Today is a day for introductions so I’ll just say Hi.
But reading your comment,
I’m so confused!
Another day, another time
D4/Stan
Christopher Ross, silvermine, Richard, Gary C. Schorer, Others wishing to join the Information Architects Guild (name temporarily proposed) please add your names
Welcome! Unquiet Mind – My background: 20 years of design of database, group ware, work flow and operations analysis applications – I lack the organizational skills to organize and manage anything of the scale this could get to, but I am pretty good at the whole design big idea thing – that is why you find your name on this list Richard -.
I have not been involved with e!3 too long, but have been participating for the past few weeks as Bill has be floating trial balloons.
Please respond in the comments at will but I if everybody who thinks they have something to contribute to the Information Architects Guild would seen me their an email you feel comfortable with sharing to unquietmind42@aol.com, I will try to compile a list as we grow and post it to the comments every so often. Please proved you name\nic and email and indicate if you are OK with publication of your email address.
This may be the extent of my coordinator role but I just don’t want to miss the initial wave of energy Bill’s ejectia initiative has generated.
This should be a ton of fun fellow techno geeks. We have a lot to contribute here to enable ejectia to spread its wings and fly.
BTW: If we screw anything up we can always BLAME Dougman!
Unquiet Mind
Let’s start simple. Earth, Wind, Fire and Water. In each category, you’ll find the numerous disciplines we have now just begun to scratch the surface. For you movie fans, yes, we have the fifth element. The most important. Love.
Interestingly, people can find like minded people and disciplines in much the same way as E-harmony does. If you don’t know where to go, we could have a yellow pages type directory. Categories. Did someone say Librarian?
But we should remember that along with the technical aspects of the foundation, come the societal as well. The golden rules.
I will propose the first. Which for me is the second, Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Tempered of course with the understanding that I sometimes get angry with myself.
Dear HScott:
I just updated the entry page. If you have not read it, take a look. I think you might be a very good choice to help us get the right software on the site.
I own the domain, but the sad fact is I have no idea how to install anything there.
I completely agree with what has been said: let’s get some simple things working over at the new site. Once the core modules are actually working, we can worry about adding chrome.
This is great fun!
Do not hesitate to e-mail me with a request for whatever any of you need.
Roger, you may have something there. I am a “Resident” (user) of Second Life myself; in fact, today is my first “rezday” (the first anniversary of the date I joined).
SL is unique in that it’s all (95%+) user-created; there are innumerable organizations, corporations, and other groups that have established their own “islands” (tracts of virtual land) on the “Grid” (the virtual world as it exists). And if there’s room there for the Goreans, the furries, and the neo-Victorians, why shouldn’t there be room for the Ejectians?
Virtual land can be acquired; all it takes is money to buy it and money to maintain it. (The money in question is both real US dollars and the virtual currency of the world, the Linden Dollar; one may be freely converted to the other.) For my part, I have experience dealing with the idiosyncrasies of the world; raising buildings, writing scripts, organizing groups, and many other aspects of life “in-world.” And I can teach these things to people who want to learn them, or point them to others I know who can.
Yes, the city-state exists and will always exist in our minds. But how wonderful an idea to have it exist in the Metaverse as well…
Thanks for baring with me before guys. (I owe you one for that daddyquatro!)
I’m in on the guild or whatever other method of organizing the techno side of the project is being used. I have limited space for a forum but probably can’t handle the bandwidth anything related to Bill Whittle will generate.
I’m well versed in anything .net and System i, good with SQL, and can quickly get up to pace with pretty much any other standard development environment given a few weeks.
HScott is right, the first step it deciding on technologies. Once we’re all on the same page there, we can start to organize based on talents and figure out exactly what the next steps are.
I’m not of much use in the tech department, as such.
But let the S hit the F, and I have proven that I can help keep ‘em fed, sheltered, watered, cleaned and in some semblence of order.
And, I can keep the wolf from the door.
Ideas though, I can do. Some years of executive experience at the Fortune 1000 level; I’ve had to make those River Kwai plans for entire departments, from concept to budget to execution and operation.
My greatest contribution may be adding my $0.01 from time to time, and correspondingly witholding the other penny.
And knowing when one action or the other is called for.
Like the Remnant itself, those calls aren’t required, until they’re required. I do pretty good, then.
Jim
Sloop New Dawn
Galveston, TX
Subject: Information Architects Guild Members List
A few procedural items:
Please include Information Architects Guild in the subject line.
If you can organize your submissions using four attributes below it would be appreciated. Please keep it pithy to fit a table presentation.
Name, Email Address, OK to post Email Addres to ejectia comments (Y\N), Background\Other.
I do not possess skills that translate online. I will be willing to donate some cash to the cause if the need arises.
I am the admin of the 2A Forum, which, as the name implies, was originally intended to discuss Second Amendment (2A, get it?) issues. We have over a thousand good, helpful people that are involved in all sorts of USEFUL endeavors. There are discussions all the time about the benefits of various firearms, what to do when the SHTF (the “S” hits the fan). “What is in YOUR bug-out bag”, etc.
We encourage our younger members and we step up with time and money when others need our help. We meet each other often (for regional “shoots”) and we I know many, many by name AND face. We love and we fight. We are a gun community like no other.
While it is a small outpost, I would love it if we would become a part of this growing city-state.
Top of my Things to Do List at the moment- set up a dedicated e-mail for this little project.
The only thing leaping to my forebrain at this particular moment in time for what I can contribute is to start a basic draft of a FAQ-slash-code-of-conduct file; a condensed version of what this place is, what’s expected of members, and general do’s and don’ts. Since we still haven’t worked out what the exact system of moderation is going to be, this is going to be a spirit-of more than letter-of thing than anything else.
a)Are there any objections to me setting down to that as my project for tomorrow?
b)Should I share here, e-mail to Bill and GHS, or (when Google groups is back) post it to some sort of Social Software group?
It’s exciting to see all the people with different skills stepping up to work on building this virtual world.
I mentioned that we might be able to get off the ground more quickly if we considered building upon the technologies developed elsewhere (i.e. not reinventing the wheel).
Erbo mentioned that he’s familiar with “Second Life” which is the biggest virtual world environment (I think).
What if we start by setting up a “base camp” there? What I mean is that it could provide us with the tools and infrastructure to start implementing some of the ideas that were mentioned (hall of heroes, etc.).
It might also be helpful if we put together a Wiki with information.
My tech skills are pretty minimal – does anyone here know about this stuff?
Bill (aka Kirk), what do you think?
This all seems like the beginnings of hubris to me, but it’s been my experience that attempts to galvanize like-minded segments of the population, such as these, create a lot of memetic turbulence in their (often somewhat cataclysmic) wake, and I’m all in favor of staving off entropy for a little while longer.
I’ve decided to take some initiative and started a mailing list that you are all welcome to use. You can find more information about it at http://www.fuerve.com/ejectia. It’s a good potential platform for scoping out the initial problems.
For what it’s worth, I’m a fairly adequate coder, a reasonably good if somewhat novice software engineer, I’ve got a ton of experience with online communities, I’ve dabbled in intentional social groupings such as these (for better or worse), and I’m not actually interested in self-identifying as a part of any particular polis, preferring to exercise my right to my own identity. I’ve got little interest in identifying with the author’s concept. What is more important to me is that such concepts be given room to grow and come to their natural explosive end.
So, I’ve taken a step and created a resource. Please feel welcome to use it.
forums > wiki
you cant delete other peoples contributions on a forum.
a wiki will be a prime target for vandalism and mass deletion.
forums are easily moderated.
the chatroom should also be fully logged, or have an optional command to turn on/off logging so that important information isnt lost.
LabRat,
It seems to me that you are most qualified for that task.
I’ve been reading…
forever.
But never commented ’till last week.
Let me know if I can help.
“mynic”@hotmail.com
Oh,
Never got to answer your question the other night.
Santana, Boston, Eagles.
What can I say? I’m a kid of the 70′s.
D4/Stan
I’m not sure why, but my original comment didn’t post. Anyway, I’ve set up a mailing list, and you can find information about it at http://www.fuerve.com/ejectia. It’s just a portal page that give you information about how to subscribe to the mailing list. It may provide an easier forum for discussion.
Otto Gass,
“daddyquatro, I expect that this will pass all too soon – that is, the acceleration with more ideas and more people will make for a vast spread in my ability to keep track. This one is what, four, five days old? Hell, over at LGF they’ll chew up 10 a day with hundreds of comments before I blink. Tough going, to catch Einstein’s train.
Well, I hope to see you in orbit once in a while anyway.”
You sir, are a prophet. Can’t keep up here.
Hope to see you around.
Sorry, alexa kim, you’re the one who spun the wax.
About the site, whomever puts this together might use a Content Management System. I like drupal.org, but there are probably better out there for the better skilled (like Hscott). They’re systems which control forums, sites, sometimes Wikis, chatrooms, and so on… Good way to figure out which is which: http://www.cmsmatrix.org/
About me:
Eric Forhan, Maryland — CSG artist using a game engine for a simulations company. Done some dabblin’ in webpage making.
I’m not sure how much I can help, though if the 3D game idea comes to fruition I may have a few ideas.
Limited cyber-skills here, but lots of real life, professional artist experience – hence the nickname.
My only thought at this point (germane to the start-up) is how to fund this enterprise. Will our intrepid pilot need help?
It might be advantageous to think up some sort of plan for moving this into self-sufficiency (band-width) wise while also marketing it (viral-wise) to the un-initiated. Although after reading the last essay any possible ‘Remnant’ uninitiated shouldn’t need an additional reminder to action.
Alright, I’ll try posting one more time. Third time’s a charm
This keeps eating my posts.
I started a mailing list that you are all welcome to use. I’ve got a little portal to it up on my webspace, which is available by clicking on my name. Please feel welcome to use it. It may prove more user-friendly than this comments page.
Okay folks,
As of now for purposes of this my e-mail is labrat.ejectia@gmail.com .
Dinner soon and then I think we’re gonna crash as far as real productivity goes… we put the final nail in the final picket on our fence today (YEAH!), and we are WHUPPED.
I say ditch the chat room.
They just become echo chambers, and if you run them long enough, tired rehashes of the same discussion points, over and over.
Keep this to the point.
The polis Ejectia is beginning to fill with like-minded thinkers. People are coming out of the woodwork to declare themselves. Greetings to all who were previously silent. If things keep rolling like this, we’ll be discussing our first colony within a fortnight. Britain would be my first choice. God knows they need the help. I rather savor the historical irony. And, no, I don’t mean to slight the Aussies. We know you’re out there, mates.
I think the people who are lamenting the fact that the skills they have don’t translate well into VR are missing the point that we all still have to wander around in the real world from time to time. Those skills are still pretty important.
Me? Um…operate (and probably do most of the engineering for, though not licensed or anything) a power plant or most large stationary machinery, a random collection of computer programming and operation skills, the various things that anyone would get just from having spent 8 years in the Navy and 4 of that aboard ship, some project management and QA, and mostly pretty good ability to identify abuse of statistics, which seems to be a really valuable skill these days. Also math and physics.
Oh, and I’ve had actual training in instructional techniques.
Sign me up for helping with the site. I’m experienced with MediaWiki, so I know how to set it up, configure, admin, and do all sorts of cool tweaks. I’d love to help set that up.
Question for any and all: if I were inclined to take Bill’s suggestion and email directly somebody else, how would I do that? I type my email address into the comment bar everytime, but it goes nowhere for anybody else to see that I can detect. Am I missing the obvious?
GIS is my current skillset…does ejectia want a virtual digital navigable map?
Good at many things, master of none but my own destiny.
I will pitch in where I see a need.
Two things.
First… don’t leave out the kids. The kids want to count. The kids want to help. The kids are OK.
Second… I want to be a mechanical engineer and I’ve wasted too many years being a secretary, supporting people who won’t act and think for themselves, and taking shit from my father who thinks a woman can’t hack it. Who needs a bright, decent, grateful, hardworking woman as an apprentice or something?
I suppose, to complement my previous post, I should post the actual subscription address of the mailing list. If anybody is interested in taking the discussion off of this comments page and into a more user-friendly format, please feel free to subscribe by sending an email to ejectia-subscribe@topica.com
Lance,
Even though I’ve already given out my email on another thread (spambots haven’t found me yet) I suggest a free email account and giving a handle. Then you can be “handle”@freemail.com.
But you raise an excellent point. Unless someone goes to the trouble of posting their address, in some round about fashion, how do we connect?
“D4″@hotmail.com
D4/Stan
All,
I’m still not completely sold on the name Chase Lounge for Ejectia’s Premier Bar & Grill. Not yet anyway. As thrilled as I am to have my name over the door, this is a democracy. And a gathering place this BIG should be as big as its name. That being said, I propose we do another one of those Vote Button Thingys that was used to decide the E!3 Motto: Ad astera volemus sella tonanti. Drop your ideas in the suggestion box here: chase5mile@gmail.com. Even the lame ones.
Speaking of lame ones, the current Staff (me) of said Lounge is just that. Very. Lame. So I’m posting a Help Wanted sign in the window. Inquire Within. Who are we looking for? You! Yes, YOU! As Mayor Whittle mentioned earlier, we need the talent. As an example, I’m looking for:
Contractors (designers). – Unquietmind! Want the job?
Bouncers (moderators) GHS?
Day Shift Manager. (I asked Chad Vader, but he’s busy.)
Maintenance Crew. (Dirty job. Someone’s gotta do it.)
Thanks to Otto Gass, we finally have a working Restroom. So that’s where I’ll be for awhile. Reading Bill’s Essay.
Thanks!
- The Chase Lounge Management
Chase,
I’ll empty the spittoons and wax the brass.
sigh…
I would like to see brief bios (names withheld) of the older and more experienced members, specifically detailing where they went wrong or right in their journey up to the present time.
What kept ya?
I’m in.
Rethinker.
What kept ya?
I’m in.
Rethinker.
Forum over Wiki,
Save truly great posts in “The Library of Ejectandria” have them voted on to be posted there.
see http://www.thefiringline.com for a great example.
My other idea? Use Greek and Roman Motifs to really make this FEEL like a city.
All we need now is a Homestone. but that’s a different Conversation.
Anonymous Coward,
Huh?
I call.
You show me yours
and I’ll show you mine.
Well I am pretty near helpless with these computer things. What do I know how to do that I can teach?
I’ve been handloading ammunition for better than forty years, have taught dozens of people that craft. I’m not sure how well that will work in a virtual city but I’m willing to try if anyone is interested.
It can be handy having one’s own ammunition factory in the rec room.
Wine and song.
My stock(s) in trade.
Anything I can contribute.
Sounds like it starts with treating others the way you want to be treated. And when they don’t treat you right, THEN you just do unto others.
It’s late, and I’ve not read all
the comments.
Maybe I can be a sounding board as I’ve no specialized field.
Well I do know a good horse when I see one.
Daddyquatro, Chase, et al;
I’ll be happy to help with the pick-em-up tasks as needed, whenever I’m in… Only thing I might balk at doing is cleaning that big window looking out at you-know-what, though I do love the view of the galaxy beyond…
Can ya’ hear me through that oak door, Chase???
(Hope he sees this money I’m leaving for the draft Sam Adams…)
Just an old put out to pasture warrior here offering up anything I can.
I was sent here by Miss Ladybug.
Visit my blog and look for my email in the Profile section.
Paul A.
That’s what you get for being on the other side of the world.
But just think, you get to come home just in time for sticky season! Love ATL. Lived there for 3 years.
Now I live in Houston.
You have no idea from sticky.
Daddyquatro,
ATL is OK, and usually fairly “bearable” from the stcky standpoint, and I know from a project in your town how that place can be…
Not pickin’ at all, but I’ll be in Hong Kong/Shenzhen in July, and that’s going to probably redefine sticky in my mind… Find ‘em on a globe, and notice how close to infamous places (conflicts past) I’ll be.
Not complainin’ tho’ — Chase’s IS air conditioned, right? And, hey… that Help Wanted sign sure improved the view, strategically placed as it is…
You can count another guy who likes to write but never has time anymore as part of the team.
Virtual world skills: I haven’t written a line of code in over 20 years (anyone remember a thing called FORTRAN?), but I still write scopes, business cases, technical white papers, user instructions, and if someone else builds the test environment I can do unit testing and documentation.
Real world skills: Logistics/inventory/financial analyst who is also a certified firearms instructor. I primarily teach children to shoot clay targets, but I can teach every aspect of the shooting sports from safety to reloading.
I humbly volunteer for service…..
I’d like to point out that meeting together, while not necessarily easy physically is quite doable virtually. Although you quipped on Second Life before I would like to suggest that there be part of Ejectia in Second Life. I have some land that I am not using that I would be glad to contribute to the cause.
I’m in Bill, and look forward to it.
I’m in.
I think (as some of the others have said already) that the key to the Ejectia project needs to be the development and spread of the cornerstone virtues. The exchange of knowledge is an important part of this, but should be the means to the larger end.
My own skills are finance/retirement planning, reasoned discussion with people who disagree, and (in the near future) agent-based computer modeling. (I’m entering a PhD program which will touch on that as part of the larger PoliSci program.)
(My blog is “Critical Mastiff,” but it’s sadly been defunct for a few months now. My old posts are still up; a few of them are even half-decent.)
I second the idea of a forum; a Wiki is a great supplement, but it can’t be the center of a community, and a chatroom moves too fast and leaves too little paper trail to be policed properly.
FreeBBS or some kind of php equivalent is out there in a packaged form, I know it, and I’m sure someone here must be experienced with setting it up.
I have been lurking from the beginning and have not posted until now. Thank you for your essays and all of your work. It is appreciated and respected more than you can imagine. I like the idea of ejectia but I am, of course, skeptical.
I have been a hobbyist in user generated content from their beginning as MUDs and have followed it to the current iterations like Secondlife and Wiki’s. I manage my own training/tutorial MUD that teaches others how to create their own Worlds (text based version of secondlife). I am a project manager at heart and have seen numerous startups (ideas like this) fail due to a lack of management. The task of focusing such an idea into something useable is.. herculean. Managing such a project isn’t a hobby or a second job. It is a career choice. Before I would be willing to invest my time I want to be sure there is management in place to make this work. What is your business plan? How much time do you and others have to invest? I know you are overwhelmed right now… could you handle that for years?
I have spent years of my free time on my own project (tbaMUD) with very little reward. In fact, this “hobby” has often taken priority over my career. Such projects require sacrifice and I’m not sure I would wish the amount of sacrifice I have paid for my project onto anyone else.
Enough rambling, I have many more thoughts on the topic if anyone is interested. And I also just happen to be a pilot… going by my SL name.
Bill, as honored as I’d be to bugle for your dad’s service, I was not the one who offered. I live on the East coast and my resources are limited. But you don’t need me, personally: there are literally over 5,000 other buglers available to take that mission gratis. Click on my user name again and go to the site I referred to earlier.
Thanks to your dad for his service to our country. Any of us at Bugles Across America would be honored to serve him free of charge.
When I first read these wonderful posts, I didn’t think there was much I could offer. However, I support myself by a virtual clothing store in Second Life. I am a long way away from owning a full Sim but I do have a tract of virtual land that could theoretically be used as a base camp as mentioned above. I would encourage anyone reading this who is in Second Life or joining it please send me an IM in world and we can at least lay the groundwork for laying the groundwork!
I am employed as a manager of chat room moderators for a medium sized company’s online community. I have helped craft the rules for that community, so I could help come up with some kind of rules of the road or code of conduct for any chat or message boards that you have. I could also help train moderators; maybe we could call it the Ejectia National Guard. Oh, and my husband is in the real world National Guard and is an amateur military historian. Knowing the history of the sort of people that know how to sacrifice for the sake of others could be very useful
I have also been told I am a decent fiction writer, so any ‘flavor text’ I could help with. I am also not averse to pitching in some real world money to get this party started.
**UPDATE**
First step seems to be MANAGING the ARCHITECTURE. So, anyone with experience in the upper-level organization of something like Ejectia! , will you please email me at bill@ejectejecteject.com and put ARCHITECTURE in the header. That way we can start a more focused conversation on how to break this down as far as what software applications we need. We can then put out a call for the people to implement that software later.
I always thought I wasn’t alone out here. It’s good to find proof of that. But I still think it’s too little, too late. God I hope I’m wrong. I am retired military and still work for the Government, stationed over in Korea. Not sure what I can offer, but will be happy to help. My expertise is in aircraft maintenance (management, not turning wrenches), logistics (like getting you to a war), and now I negotiate international agreements. Flown around the world (as cargo), and have been to a few places I would rather forget. At least I never had the displeasure of being shot at. Doubt I have much too offer, but if you do need some distributed web space, I have my own site (unused) that I just keep for email service. I imagine if you want to keep things free, you will need to borrow bandwidth, so I can help if you need it. Not much, but if we all put up a little bandwidth/storage space here and there, then maybe it will add up.
Oh, although english is my only language, I can always appeal to my very wonderful spouse to get anything translated into/out of Japanese (her native language).
My profession and hobby is space. Profession in the form of satellite operations, hobby in the form of possibilities, technical requirements, and presenting them to others.
I am an amateur metal lathe worker, and have some knack of fix-it-around-the-house things, though I’ve never tried to teach it.
Oh, and I forgot to add this: To those of you who are chary of having a chat room, just let me say that they can be very helpful in community building. Yes, I do have a bit of a bias, since I manage people who moderate chat rooms professionally, but still, they *can* be a lot of fun for the members. You can log them for the papertrail concept. A community is best served by having both static (message boards, Wiki, email, etc) AND dynamic (chat) interactions.
Just one moderator’s opinion
and since the email doesn’t post automatically, here’s mine m.happydragon -at- gmail -dot- com
Also, we need a flag or heraldic shield. Or both.
Blog(s)
Chat(s)
Organized posts
I wonder if ejectia would be better served as a portal.
What if we designed ejecta as the starting place to find blogs and chats and … data put up by ejectia citizens.
Ejectia the portal, as I’m imagining it, would provides single sign-on(citizenship) and a directory of citizen provided resources(the map Mr W is thinking of)
This would distribute the ‘functionality’ across the net and allow individuals and groups to work on their own sub-section of ejectia.
Ejectia would be the glue, the thread that binds our little community together. The substance would be the citizens and their collective works. Ejectia would be the government.
“We the people of the Ejectia, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United Web Sites of Ejectia.”
What do you want your government to do?
*Security(from spam/trolls)
*Create and Organize roads
*Establish and Enforce any laws
… (help me out here)
Whittle, you magnificent bastard. I would have never guessed The Prisoner’s Dilemma would be the Big Idea. I had the top of my head blown off by that idea about 20 years ago, and have been an amateur of game theory, the evolution of cooperation, Axelrod, Trivers, Maynard Smith, et al, ever since. That’s probably the closest thing to any expertise I’d have to offer, and tilling in those fields must wait until the land is cleared, so for now:
If voting is still open on the first three modules, I’d vote for a forum before (definitely not instead of) a wiki.
Your blog, it goes without saying.
Chat rooms are valuable, but ephemeral. They are the water coolers, kitchen tables, and living room couches of the community. You can run chat rooms 24/7, but the late shift will never meet day shift. A wiki would be the archive, the academy, even the gymnasium, but always seeking to gather the permanent things.
But the agora (greek for roman forum), the marketplace of ideas where people can set up stalls, post bills, hawk their cognitive wares, even nail up the occassional theses, this seems to require something between a chat room and a wiki.
Asking for four modules right off sounds like mission creep, so if it’s three at first, I can wait for wiki.
Lastly, I was tremendously glad to see the line, “that envelope marked ‘Remnant’ is sealed inside every heart”. Sounds like the best insurance against elitism.
Bill,
This is a tremendous idea! Sign me up. May I suggest a library and reader’s circle? Glad to coordinate and host.
Best,
MHH
I already recieved an IM from another member of Secondlife so I decided to start a group there to gauge the interest and bounce some ideas around. Just search for the group “ejectia” if you are interested.
I’m in.
Most developed skill: high-end custom furniture builder.
Other devloped skills: High school “shop” teacher, chiropractic physician, cook.
After a night sleeping on this
I’m not an idea man, but I can build databases from scratch. No doubt we’ll need to manage data. Once someone knows what data we need to manage, let me know. CV, resume, list of accomplishments available.
I am definitely in, here in northwest Michigan.
Although I am unsure where my strengths come into play, as a pro snowboarder/skier/photographer.
Some of my primary skills include:
Movement analysis,
First responder training, wilderness survival skills, evasive driving techniques, heavy equipment operator.
I’m a bit far away, here in the mitten of Michigan, but I hope to be of some assistance.
Feel free to email me:
silvermine.blog+ejectia@gmail.com
The ‘can you teach it?’ question started me thinking about the Ejectia University module, some type of old-fashioned red schoolhouse structure where we can teach and learn from each other. I love the idea of church/synagogue etc to promote the values we all hold so dear.
After I graduated college (Emory BA in Theater & Film Studies) I interviewed for Teach For America to teach poetry to elementary students. What I learned through that process is that I was far more interested in teaching them how to write poetry than in what TFA wanted me to do which was to teach them how to read it. Yes, a sonnet has 14 lines, blah blah blah. In my ‘trial’ class I had a roomful of students on the edge of their seats as they each created their own poem. Sure, some of them probably had diaries and journals full of writings, but the pure joy they exhibited was a great reward. (I ended up not doing TFA in order to write my first novel…don’t ask…I won’t bore you with the specifics).
The point of this, is that we are all teachers of something and students of everything and I, for one, am proud and blessed to be a part of you all.
Anyone know what ‘teachers of something and students of everything’ is in Latin? Ejectia University could use a motto of it’s own.
In case my email address doesn’t transmit for this it’s pasalomon-at-hotmail.com.
Englishman in Madrid, Spain, calling. Over. Can you hear me? Over. The line’s a bit faint. Over. Roger that. Over. Skills are minimal (Spanish / French / Italian languages + I make a decent Spanish Tortilla.) but willing to share. Over.
Have set up secret receiver and waiting for next transmission. Over and Out.
I will offer my english (MA) and financial (Series 7/66) skills to any who wish them.
A very small thought –
One useful resource to draw on, which a few commenters have already noted, is fluency in languages.
Could we have a list, perhaps, of people fluent in more than one language, who can contribute their expertise? (I’ll start… English and Hebrew. My wife can add Russian and French to the list.)
It seems clear that the working language of Ejectia will be English; Mayor Whittle’s essays tend to self-select for that. But being able to reach out to the non-English-speaking Remnants ought to be important.
respectfully,
Daniel in Brookline
Krashen Byrne, your 1250A post is sobering indeed, and very wise. Will we build something other than an echo chamber? With Bill as a catalyst, the ignition temperature is very high. I’m optimistic.
I don’t think it will be an echo chamber. I see one thing that ejectia can do is provide a way for people to network with people they already have something in common with.
It would be nice to have a database of skills and interests and locations so people can find each other IRL. (Opt-in-able, of course)
A MUD-style thing might be fun, too, though it sounds like people go for the fancy Second Life style graphic-y thing now.
(I MOOed for a number of years in the 90′s but saw my favorite places get taken down, like you say, by a lack of interest on the part of the owners and far too many obnoxious twinks. We need people used to helping out in online social spaces, such as large mailing lists, MUDs, etc.)
I’ve already run into one old
internet friend, and looking forward to seeing more jump on board.
As in any civilized effort, the infrastructure is most important.
Health, Security, Governance,
Education, and Community to name a few of what is the skeletal frame of Ejectia’s beginnings.
I’d like to learn more about the basics of living without all the fancy doodahs of computerized technology for when the fit hits the shan.
You can never know enough!
The idea of having clustered groups who can interact in the meat world is a good idea too.
As in, who can you trust when the going gets rough.
More later, going to read some more posts.
Bill Whittle suggested asking this:
Is there any aerospace engineer or similar who can explain what on earth ‘adaptive washout’ is?
GoogleScholar is being less than helpful, and I am trying to get to grips with Ornithopters at the moment.
Hello, all. I’m Parx. I realize my skill-set will not be very useful in the building of this city-state, but I’m a mental health professional. I can teach conflict-resolution techniques, such as how to use your voice and body language to de-escalate an angry person. Other things, too, of course. I’ll be there when it’s ready.
Daniel in Brooklyn, I never thought of that.
I speak English and German – although don’t ask me to explain the comma rules of the latter.
Count me in.
High school science teacher/coach. Former Marine/Army Ranger. Skills: Sciecne teaching, home building, marksmanship, expediton planning, farming, sking, survival in wilderness. I’ve had a very cool life and want to helps other achieve the same.
Fanusi – I am not an aerospace engineer, but a standard Google search turned up this document, which seems to have a pretty good description on page 2.
I’m in! Programmer / SQL DBA. I know and can teach engine repair, pool water chemistry balance, computer maintenance / programming, setting up and maintaining networks and databases (SQL Server).
Bill, do you know what web server software your host offers?
Mrs. du Toit,
Please tell Kim that I am still trying – find myself (as of this week)in a better position to come up with something in the near(er) future.
- MuscleDaddy
Bill, check out http://canardaviationforum.dmt.net/
It’s run on a package called vbulletin. The admins I’ve talked to say it’s very straightforward, no significant maintenance, plenty of flexibility.
If you like I’ve got a spare desktop, I’ll run it as a server.
Whoa. Hard to read all these comments.
Suggestion: Terse style.
I’m an information architect.
We need commanders of the 10′s 50′s, 100′s, 1000′s. Point men and women.
Functional leaders, for the purpose of organization.
No titles.
Short lines.
Fanusi,
Adaptive Washout describes the way a wing flexes with changes in wind turbulence, rather remaining rigid and kicking the plane all over the place.
..that’s it more or less, anyway.
- MuscleDaddy
WHOOT!!!!
Congrats, Bill, YOU DID IT!!!!
Anyway, per the emerging consensus that anonymity in Ejectia is probably Not A Good Thing (TM), this is my last “anonymous” post:
My name is Steven Peden. I am an attorney, living in Palos Verdes, and practicing in Santa Monica.
I actually happen to be one of those weird people who LIKE teaching, and am fairly good at it (you just can’t make a living doing it). SOOOOOO . . . what can I contribute?
Like Mac Callum, I volunteer to do the ONE thing my legal training could actually help with in this community – helping design/implement “rules” of the community to preserve its goals. Also like Mac Callum, I think the need for both forgiveness and retaliation require both openness (no anonymity – or AT LEAST a community identity that is fixed and verifiable [Mac Callum, note that there are people out there, potential Ejectians and/or Remnantians, who MUST preserve anonymity from the world at large - a violent, stalking ex-spouse, for example - but if they could establish an Ejectia identity, which we could make "permanent" and verifiable, wouldn't that be sufficient?] and “fairness.”
I don’t know the MECHANISM, but I can see the approach – like someone else said, don’t reinvent the wheel. eBay has MANY things wrong with it, but one feature that I like is the system of rating sellers (and buyers). You establish a reputation by being rated by your peers/fellow Ejectians. After each dealing with you, your fellow Ejectians would rate you on those qualities we agree we want to foster – honesty, helpfulness, responsiveness, “quality” of information (as I said in an earlier post, I can teach you a LOT about single malt Scotch, but lots of people would be less interested in my politics, so a rating system should be able to include a concept like “This guy knows his stuff about Scotch, but avoid his politics like the plague!”. SOMEHOW, all of this would have to ultimately be distilled down to a numerical rating (say, one to ten). You get, maybe, three months to establish your rating; after that, if you fall below a certain level, you go “on probation.” You don’t get your rating up to an acceptable level within, say, another three months, and you are OUT. Also, a rating below a certain level should be an automatic OUT. Also, we should weight ratings so that ONE really bad rating doesn’t tank your overall rating – being a lawyer, I am sensitive to the fact that not everyone likes my personality, and I wouldn’t want to get banished if I was generally playing nicely in the sandbox, and got crossways with a couple of people, but was otherwise doing OK. In EVERY community, there are people who just don’t hit it off, but personality conflicts alone shouldn’t get one banished, if you are otherwise playing nicely. [Joke: Q: What do lawyers use for birth control? A: Their personalities.]
I’d LOVE to be an Ejectian, and if some of you smart coders/computer geeks can translate my legal maunderings into functional code, I’d be thrilled to work with some smart folks like Mac Callum to help try to come up with some standards of behavior for the community.(Mac Callum – with that name, you’ve GOT to be a Scot. Are you a Scotch drinker, too? I’ve got some INSANELY good single malts, and I’m always looking for another Scotch lover to share them with.)
ANYWAY, I can teach a bunch of other things, too, but let’s work on the structure, first.
Flagwaver,
We had this conversation several days ago when Bill first gave us a little hint of his Big Idea. I believe the general consensus was just what you said. Some people, for their personal and professional safety, have to remain anonymous. But their handle should be registered with the management along with a verifiable email address.
Someone, (I think it was WayneB?) had the idea of a roll call page with real names as untagged image files. I still like that idea. You sign your name on the dotted line but it’s not googleable.
RiverCocytus,
Sorry,
Anonymous, Bad.
Handle, Good.
Sign Here!
D4/Stan
Count me in. I have a few areas of expertise, but this sounds simply fantastic to me. No time to post more, so I’m hoping someone will keep me in the loop!
OK, here’s a (very) rough draft for a basic code of conduct/FAQ for the front page. It’s obviously missing a lot of stuff (like whatever system we decide on for reputation maintenance), but as a spirit-of thing it’s a start. Flagwaver? Mac? Dark Seraph? Bill?
“Greetings and welcome to Ejectia! This is a basic user’s guide to give you, the prospective participant, some idea of what goes on around here.
FIRST AND FOREMOST
1. This is not a public square in its truest sense. This is a privately-organized community. Behave as if you were someone’s guest at a very large party, not as if you were part of a mob. If you insist on rudeness and poor conduct, you will be bounced from the party.
2. (Whatever we settle on for the legal disclaimer regarding comments here plus the warning about choosing your name carefully)
3. While we will not insist on knowing you by the same name the government of your country does, we DO insist on your choosing one identity to be known by and sticking with it. The practice of “sock puppeting”- or creating multiple identities- is extremely frowned upon and will result in swift banning. Your reputation is your credit here- trying to get out of a bad one or create a good one using this tactic is the equivalent of major fraud.
4. Be NICE- treat everyone you meet with good will and the best expectations unless and until they give you a good reason not to. Text will not always carry a person’s true intent well; if it’s not totally clear if someone is being rude or just misspeaking, assume the latter. At best you’ll give a good person slack to recover with, at worst you’ll give someone more nasty-minded rope to hang themselves with.
This is because people will RETALIATE- persons providing good reasons not to expect niceness won’t get it. If you are rude, you will be called on it, by the membership itself. Moderators will only become involved if it becomes clear certain of the involved parties are intent on causing trouble and it is not merely a resolvable disagreement or minor conflict.
Be FORGIVING- once someone straightens up and starts being nice, drop any grudges you may have developed and be nice. Right away. Getting the last word is not an goal to be admired here.
Be NON-ENVIOUS- this is not a competition. We are trying to build something, not score points on each other. Your character will create your reputation- this is NOT a zero-sum game of popularity.
5. Last of all the cardinal guiding principles? Bring your sense of humor. This is not always SERIOUS BUSINESS, and remembering that is a large part of what keeps disagreements and minor conflicts from turning into small wars.
WHAT YOUR MOTHER TOLD YOU NEVER TO DISCUSS AT THE DINNER TABLE: CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS OF THE AGES.
POLITICS
It is a fact of life that the majority here fall into some sort of conservative or libertarian camp just because of who started it and where. This does not mean that liberals are shot on sight; indeed, without contrarian points of view we all eventually find ourselves in an echo chamber. It is, however, a warning- conservatives! Treat nice liberals nicely! Liberals! Be nice and be aware that you will probably be in the minority here. If you do that, you will be among the most valuable of members- a real test of ideas rather than a straw man. When discussing politics, all of you keep hold of your temper with both hands and a boat anchor. Be aware of the unspoken assumptions of your point of view. Above all, remember that you’re talking to another person who you probably have more in common with than not. At the very least never say anything that would be likely to get you punched in the nose if you said it to their face.
RELIGION
This is a religiously diverse community. Be ye believer or heathen of any stripe, bear in mind that this is the place for cooperation, not for evangelism. We mean to form around shared values, which is not the same thing as shared faith- if your faith holds that no one can have values without your faith, then you might want to keep that sentiment rather toned down, or perhaps do your good works through your church. “You’re an amoral being, heathen” is no more appreciated a sentiment here than “You’re just a stooge of the religion delusion” is. Remember: the most successful method of attracting true converts any religion, ideology, or movement has ever enjoyed has been people living their lives as an example.
IN GENERAL
(this is theoretical since structure has not been finalized yet, but I think it’s a good idea)
We have places where you can take up a sabre and charge into debate. In these places, reason reigns; attacking the person is regarded as low behavior, but crying hurt feelings because someone has just effectively demolished your argument won’t be sympathized with either.
We also have places that are there for the community to relax and chitchat and remind ourselves why we like each other. Keep these places light-hearted; if something comes up that you absolutely cannot let slide, take it to the deuling fields.
HOW TO GET THE RIGHT KIND OF NOTICED:
Be helpful, friendly, and funny if you can manage it. Come to give what you can and use what you can; ego should not be a close companion here. If you are wrong (and given the diversity of expertise here plus human nature, you will be at some point), admit it and concede cheerily. This can sting like hell on the old ego, but people remember this kind of upstanding behavior very positively.
HOW TO GET THE WRONG KIND OF NOTICED:
Come in with a chip on your shoulder and an attitude that the community has smoething to prove to your glorious self. Suck up moderator time and attention by being involved in numerous conflicts. Let your ego lead and derail multiple threads into topics all about YOU, or get into dust-ups with other members about how you’re the only one there that really knows what you’re talking about. Get caught out claiming expertise and/or experience that you don’t have- the people who really have it will catch you FAST, believe me.
Here’s a basic rule of thumb: If everyone tells you you’re obnoxious, there are one of two possibilities:
1)You are a misunderstood genius and everyone who tells you different is merely in awe of your intellect and sheer righteousness. If they weren’t so mired in groupthink they’d accept you as their guru, or at least commit hari-kari over their depths of wrongness. This possibility will only ever be true in your own dementia.
2)You’re really, really obnoxious. Acceptance is the first step to solving the problem.”
Thank God! I thought I was just getting old and cranky, and I find out I’m really part of a Movement. Ayn Rand changed my life many years ago, before she turned weird. I believe in honor, and also find the recent changes in the world alarming. Bill has now replaced Ayn as my guide, at least until he turns weird.
Every community reaches a size where a doctor shows up to hang out a shingle. I’ve been practicing medicine for 27 years, and recently resigned from a government position when I grew tired of practicing within the Collective. Experience in emergency medicine, geriatrics, and general care. I have well-developed ideas about what is true and what is nonsense in clinical medicine, and I love to share my opinions.
Don’t know what specifically I can contribute here, but am willing to help with any medical-type stuff. Maybe patch up all who are injured in building Ejectia.
Also some experience with inventing, patents, business, writing, and history.
If you have any medical questions, my office hours are 24/7 at my email address. The advice is free. If anyone sues me, all you attorneys out there better come to my aid.
Now I’m going to lurk and watch how fast you computer geniuses can put this thing together. That stuff is all magic to me.
I do not know where this is going… but count me in. I don’t know what use 30 years of job shop experience, (toolmaker) will do here on the web. People with actual computor, and organising/business skills are the most needed now, and I have not got a clue there. But that doesn’t mean i’m going to wander away. I’ve found out I’m not alone, so I will continue to hang around. I’m here in southwestern Michigan as well, but that matters not with what you are doing here. I CAN be a spare scapegoat if Dougman gets overwhelmed. And I will continue to do what I have been doing for the last couple of years… poke & prod the people I deal with in the real world everyday, passing on tidbits I get from here. PS. I have no clue how or where to register. Barely minimal computor skills…I can turn it on and off.
LabRat,
That is pitch perfect.
Anybody got a pen?
I am guessing that Bill or anyone else will make a final announcement of how to officially sign up for Ejectia?
Yep. Right now no registration system is set up, it’s just one of the few things we seemed to be able to arrive at as a thing everyone wanted in the initial (and continuing) planning stages.
Okay – thank you LabRat!
Am starting to regret shutting down my blog now – did so because nothing was inspiring me to write.
But I love how God closes one door so He can open another!
Tony Appel said : GIS is my current skillset…does ejectia want a virtual digital navigable map?
Good at many things, master of none but my own destiny.
I will pitch in where I see a need.
—
Tony – my minor is in geography and I worked for nearly two years for a British marine survey company here in Houston (Racal NCS – now defunct – taken up by British Petroleum, I believe) – however, I did a LOT of data entry of pipeline information – a major reason I was hired was because I was the only applicant who knew what latitude and longitude were. I also worked with AutoCAD R13 and R13 but Im sure Id have a lot of catching up to do right now. Were it not for the fact that I have made it my lifes business to homeschool my daughter, I do believe I would have gone on to pursue a job in GIS and Civil engineering. I am still interested in that. Not sure what I personally could contribute, but I now speak the word so you might have help!
Hi Doc, welcome!
Let me be the first to ask a pretty straight-forward question: in what state do you practice? It makes a difference concerning certain questions.
Oh, I have some lingering nausea. Ask me why. G’head, ask me why. Ok, I’ll tell you why. It was induced by C-Span’s camera coverage of Senator Graham’s senator-graham fueled back and forth crab walk while he spoke in the Senate today. That is not a slam of the Senator at all, it just made me laugh. It was as if he was trying to be a moving target.
Labrat,
Want a job translating legalese into English???
That was REALLY good. I think it needs some tweaking, and I want to experiment with how to word the whole online “rating” system, but daddyquattro called it: pitch perfect. Lemme doodle with it a little, and I’ll repost something later (much later, unfortunately; I have TWO major contracts to get out the door, and it’s almost 4 already! Work is the curse of the drinking class.)
On the question of anonymity, what about requiring positive identification combined with strong confidentiality?
I’d have no objection to providing a DNA sample, fingerprints, SSN#, copies of my birth certificate, drivers licence and credit report to have a shot at being a member of an online community with an enforceable social contract. But I’m not sure I’d want all that available on my Ejectia! User Profile.
I’m not sure I’d want to lose members who aren’t sure it’s safe to put their real name on their real feelings while they’re waiting for the Tenure Committee at the local Postmodern State U. to finish their evaluation process.
I’m not sure I’d want to see other public figures (or high-profile bloggers) pass this place up because they didn’t want the attention to fall on who they were instead of what they had to say.
Registered Users (required for providing at least some content in some modules?) can make as much of their personal information publicly available as they wish, but also have the option to restrict access, to a point.
I assume there will be some administrators or officials charged with enforcing whatever social contract gets set up. They have access to that information to thwart sock puppets, old trolls with new masks, and so forth. They do not have the authority to reveal confidential information to the public.
Would that strike the right balance?
Thank you, Steven.
I actually might want such a job- if it weren’t for the fact that I have ZERO legal background and would probably wind up accidentally ruining someone’s life with a mistranslation.
Rickbert: I think in the spirit of “friendly until proven otherwise”, strong positivity of ID shouldn’t be a base requirement for entry. In order for a social contract to work at all the only level of identification we need is the sort that’s strongly identifiable within the social group. That said, we’d also need strong software to identify old trolls/new masks, socks, and the like; techies?
That said, I think whatever rulesets wind up in place should emphasize the strongest reactions and punishments for any attempt to game the system- for example, being a bit too flamethrower-happy one day should be punishable with something like a 24-hour cooldown ban, but making a sock puppet or sneaking under a temp ban with another IP should be a ban-for-life.
I do like the idea of having varying levels of usership “status” required to do higher-order things like post new content to the modules and such. I think there are probably several ways to go about this, from simple cumulative rating, to appointment from On High in recognition of longstanding helpfulness, to creation of subgroups based on a combination of the two. But providing more about your identity (although hidden to most of the userbase) might indeed be a part of earning such privileges, I’m not sure.
We’ve kind of gone rounds on the real name thing. The fact is that there’s no good way to prove who someone is, so the argument and idea are pretty well moot.
LabRat:
I love it.
Alexa kim,
I’m in Idaho, because after we got rid of all those misguided skinhead boys up here, it’s a pretty good place to live.
As for your lingering nausea, I get the same thing when I try to watch anything on C-Span, although Robert Byrd can also make me break out in a rash.
I agree with Rickbert on the confidentiality issue. Don’t want to scare away valuable posters due to confidentiality problems.
LabRat
An excellent list of suggestions.Thank You!
Ejectians. Hi! My name is Larry Copeland and I live in Wesbygod Virginia.I post here as Svinrod, please feel free to call me Svin.
What can I teach? Well, I started out with nothin’ and I still got most of it left. Seems to be a lot of people here who can ride, shoot straight, and speak the truth, so my skills are not unique.I studied Art and History in College. I do a little drawing and painting.
Can lay block, do basic wiring, sling drywall, carpentry, plumbing, etc…
I have been a firearms enthusiast for most of my 50 years. For book learning, preferences run to Rand, Heinlein, Fritz Leiber, Robert E. Howard, Nietzsche, Machiavelli,…. well, just say I have lent out and lost more books than most people have owned(Winters get mighty lonely up in these here hills). Anyway, Thanks Bill for the long awaited essay and see Y’all down to the Chase Lounge sometime.
Svin
Count this as another vote for anonymity.
Due to the unique spelling of my first name (I was google optimized early on!) a few keystrokes will give info on my professional life, and then everything else. I’ve dealt with the dark side of this, and I didn’t like it much.
To counter this I only use one nic, no matter the site. So, I’m still easily recognized, but anonymous.
The thought of founding an online community made me think of a novel – Snow Crash- and the ‘black sun’ meeting place in the metaverse mentioned in the book. The use of avatars was a main device in it, and may be an idea we should consider, albeit not in the 3-d interactive way detailed in the Neal Stephenson novel – unless it’t technically feasible to attempt.
I’m not exactly sure where this is going… but I like the idea of it, count me in.
Started out as a EE, digital design, I still find myself doing some small thing every year or so for myself or friends. Spent the last 20+ years doing Internet. Backbone work, then started running a small ISP 10 years ago, still at it. I’m a fair unix sys-admin, can code in C & FORTRAN, even do a little system hacking when needed.
Full disclosure requires that I reveal myself as a friend of Svin going back to 1965, as near as I can reckon. Long time, old friend. Guest room should be ready soon, brother, when you’re ready to get out of that swamp you call a mountain and join me for a few bourbons in the clear air at 7000 feet.
Well this thing is moving along quite nicely!
I really like what all I’ve read, and looking forward to what ever I can do to help.
Such as dusting, mopping floors, and turning out the lights when everyone has left for the night.
Any one interested in nuclear fusion and learning plasma physics is welcome at:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/IEC_Fusion/
from there we can direct you to other resources or answer questions.
Our aim is the design of a working fusion reactor that is relatively low cost to build. We are looking at a number of designs but the favorite so far is the Bussard Polywell concept.
Oh, and I can vouch for
sawdustmachine, as he is a friend of mine.
He’s a real good guy.
Labrat,
After going though your “rules,” I admire them even more. I made some tweaks (fewer than I thought I would; you write better than I do). So, for everyone’s comment and criticism:
“Labrat’s Rules of Ejectia Etiquette:
Greetings and welcome to Ejectia! This is a basic user’s guide to give you, the prospective participant, some idea of what goes on around here.
FIRST AND FOREMOST
1. This is not a public square in its truest sense. This is a privately-organized community. Behave as if you were someone’s guest at a very large party, not as if you were part of a mob. If you insist on rudeness and poor conduct, you will be bounced from the party.
2. This is a voluntary online community. Your posting of any material, whether in comments or otherwise, grants to [Ejectia and all of its members], a perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive, worldwide license to use, sublicense, reproduce or incorporate into other material all or any portion of the material posted, for commercial or other use. Plagiarism is frowned upon in Ejectia. If you borrow material from another source (and borrowing is fine with us!), just give credit where credit is due. You are solely responsible for the content of your posts! We obviously cannot check your content for truth (or for justice or the American way, for that matter). Do not libel or slander people, don
Yeah, I know I said I wouldn’t get this done until later – now I get to stay REALLY late to finish my two contracts!
LabRat, Rickbert, Eric, let me bounce this off you.
I think we agree that we want a 1 to 1 mapping of handles to real people. If someone gets banned, we really want them banned – we don’t want them back 2 minutes later with a different GMail account.
OTOH, within Ejectia all we want is for people to have a unique and recognizable handle. If someone wants to be Leonardo or myDoGspot, it doesn’t matter.
I’ve proposed a nominal membership fee – send $.50 by paypal, we’ll donate the proceeds to a worthy cause, but that means an online identity is linked to a paypal account.
If we wanted real linkage, we could go farther. Applicants would provide a name and the first 5 digets of their SSN, and $1. The dollar would pay to verify their data. None of that would be available to anyone but the admin, of course, and only the fraction of the SSN would be retained.
One of my worries is that the more successful the venture, the more trolls it will attract, and the more admin time it will require. The more difficult we make it to join, the less admin resources it will require down the road.
BTW, I’m going to drop my real name and pick up a nom de keyboard, just because there are too many Richards already.
I’m Brian, I live in Wisconsin. Nowhere you’ve heard of but it suits us.
I am a computer pro. My real strength is that I’m passionate about space access.
Western Civilization is going to the stars. Count on it.
It will if I have anything to say about it. The limiting factor isn’t NASA or our government or even the fact that a majority of the population aren’t space boosters.* Any of those would help but it’s not keeping our species on the ground.
The limiting factor is economics flavored with politics and a seasoning of business. It costs too damn much to get to orbit. $10,000 a pound for Shuttle, and that’s a good estimate. People are working on it, Elon Musk, Burt Rutan but it’s a damned steep curve to climb.
For that matter I work for LiftPort and we think a space elevator is a possible way to go. But I’ll leave that for later.
I know a little bit about computers and systems. My passion is space launch and the wealth it can generate.
*I’ve always held they are but just don’t know it or think that it feels silly to say so to pollsters. How many people showed up to see SS1 – the first private astronaut – go into space? Think all 20,000 were space activists?
LabRat, Rickbert, Eric, let me bounce this off you.
I think we agree that we want a 1 to 1 mapping of handles to real people. If someone gets banned, we really want them banned – we don’t want them back 2 minutes later with a different GMail account.
OTOH, within Ejectia all we want is for people to have a unique and recognizable handle. If someone wants to be Leonardo or myDoGspot, it doesn’t matter.
I’ve proposed a nominal membership fee – send $.50 by paypal, we’ll donate the proceeds to a worthy cause, but that means an online identity is linked to a paypal account.
If we wanted real linkage, we could go farther. Applicants would provide a name and the first 5 digets of their SSN, and $1. The dollar would pay to verify their data. None of that would be available to anyone but the admin, of course, and only the fraction of the SSN would be retained.
One of my worries is that the more successful the venture, the more trolls it will attract, and the more admin time it will require. The more difficult we make it to join, the less admin resources it will require down the road.
Only trouble is, that will make it no longer ‘free’?
I have no problem paying 50 cents… nor would many.
But it can’t be called ‘free’ anymore.
Brian Dunbar,
Welcome, friend.
Don’t know your age but I watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. Figured I’d be there by now.
Maggie,
Thanks, and back atcha!
Brother Basil!(A.K.A. Mark Paules)
Thanks for the HOWDY!
I would love to come out to New Mexico but I can’t find my passport !!!
BTW Y’all. Mr. Paules has written a wonderful novel about the British colonization of New Zealand titled “Eye of the Shaman”. I see he has been too modest to mention it.Mark, is it still available?
Cheers-Svin
Steven: I particularly like this tweak: “Remember that your views probably sound as stupid to them as their views sound to you
LabRat,
I like your tweak on the ratings – the tyranny of the majority might not be a good thing to introduce to Ejectia (and, being a lawyer, I’m particularly sensitive to being an unprotected and unpopular minority!).
You would tend to assume it would be the case, but it’s impressive what a smart, nice and many-talented group of fans Bill has gathered, isn’t it?
Labrat, Steve Peden,
Ditto on the rating system; I’ve been known to throw a monkey in the wrench just because…
It’s one of those days, I took a wrong meaning, I’ve had too many beers.
Hate to think I’d be sent to the corner because I didn’t take a deep breath before I posted something that I’ll probably apologize for tomorrow.
After coffee and aspirin.
Republics are definitely better than pure democracies.
On PayPal- would it be free if the “donation” were simply immediately returned, PP being used as a verification system?
Not quite – someone would have to pay the PayPal transaction fee. But I think the recipient could just turn down the transfer, which would make it genuinely free, and still serve to tightly verify the email address. It would still be possible to get around, but would be much more difficult than just getting a new email address and satisfying a captcha.
Again, just brainstorming here. How about to become a citizen you have to put $100 in escrow. If you’re a member in good standing for a year, it’s returned to you with interest. If you’re banned, it gets sent to the OJ Simpson Legal Defense Fund.
Labrat and Steve:
That seems like a good start to me. Too late for me to be up, though….
Steve Peden
Dueling fields?
Intriguing. Honor, bravery, skill at arms. I’m all for it.It would of course require face to face participation.
Can we buy an island somewhere?
Just thinkin’
Svin
Wow, too many comments and too little time to read them all tonight! I’m a sysadmin and programmer by profession, and a computer geek and occasional fiction writer for enjoyment. Sometimes it’s hard to separate work from hobby, but I still enjoy “both”, so I guess I’m going OK. Oh, and I love to shoot!
I can teach computer stuff, know at least the basics of a dozen languages, and can pick up new ones pretty quick. Whatever platform/language we settle on, I could jump in and help.
Email me at tk.ejectia -at- gmail -dot- com.
Dave
Not surprised at all at the great responses here. Bill, you attract a great crowd. Being ‘not alone’ in that company is something to strive for. Rather than use up room, my comments and areas of potential contribution can be found here.
Daddyquatro: Wish I could say I watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon, but there was no TV in Laos in 1969. Does listening to his words at 2 a.m. on VOA count? F (no attempt at anonymity there — it’s short for FSO which was my identity for a good many years.
I’m wondering if at some point, Ejectia might not be a good place to try some sort of distributed computing architecture.
Have you looked at http://www.instructables.com/ by any chance? Its very similar to the instructions component of your idea. Not so much wiki as flikr-like.
Also the HowStuffWorks site:
http://www.howstuffworks.com/www-index.htm
This is maybe the second time I’ve written here. My skills are many and I’m sort of a jack of trades/weird hobbyist who has held some mighty odd jobs.
There’s things I know and I don’t mind helping out.
Some excellent comments here, and good work Labrat and Steve. This ‘real name’ idea is troublesome, sock-puppeting is a symptom of the problem we face. Maybe a decoder ring?! j/k
Some real world tie such as paypal, even for $20, would quickly weed ot the masses. I went to the trouble of setting up a paypal account, as well as an online gold account. For the same reason I stored a months supply of food for my family, when we lived in an earthquake prone area. Just in case. I like the idea of a performance bond, maybe invest it in a fund to pay for the bandwidth we’re going to burn here?.
Richard,
The idea of using a token payment of somesort for ID purposes has already been proposed.
To quote Bill: …NO MONEY…!
He really was quuite adamant about that, and I agree – we find some other way.
Going to bed now,
- MuscleDaddy
The city-state where the people are striving to obtain the virtues you advocate DOES exist. It is called “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, restored to the earth in 1830. Investigate, open mindedly. You will find a world-wide cooperative community of like-minded people who believe we are on earth to become virtuous through challenges, trials and adversity and where there are numerous forums teaching courage, temperance, generosity, good will, control of anger, honesty, friendliness etc. etc. Attend an Education Week at Brigham Young University and hear men and women of wisdom teaching these virtues with intelligence, wit, humor and faith. Bill Whittle, I challenge you to investigate this world-wide city-state. By the way, I admire you immensely for presenting the challenge for people to develop the virtues you advocate. May God be with you.
Karen
Karen,
(inactive member here, my family is still on record)
So much of what you say is true. That’s what attracted me to LDS in the first place. The emphasis on values and self-reliance. The worship meetings where anybody, ANYBODY! could be asked to speak. Can’t you do both? Can’t you join us here and be part of the discussion and still let me have my coffee in the morning?
Karen:
I am also LDS. Let’s be fair, though; what you are describing is a religious organization, not a city-state.
Based on his comments here and elsewhere, Bill is a highly moral and virtuous person. He is not religious, though thankfully he has been kind and respectful to the many people of various faiths who read and appreciate his work. Perhaps it would be a better sign of one’s admiration to extend to him the respect he has shown to us, and not publicly challenge him to investigate the Church in this forum.
Belief in God and/or religious faith is intensely personal. There is a time and a place to discuss these kinds of personal topics (and it sounds as though there may be a forum in Ejectia set aside for this very purpose). I maintain that this is not the appropriate time or place.
LabRat, Steve, a beautiful effort, typos and forthcoming tweaks aside. About ratings – I sort of get why you would want some measure of perceived value for someone’s content or interactive contribution. But I’m a little wary of statistics. For one, is the appropriate data being collected? For another, one of the things Bill wanted to pay attention to was the middle – the undecideds or moderates or whatever. If someone is to be persuaded to a changed position, how would anyone know if that can be accomplished in one encounter, ten, a hundred, in an hour – day – year? It may be that there is not enough time to persuade everyone before SHTF. But it seems likely that some patience and effort over perhaps a long duration will bring about a change in perspective. There’s the light bulb, and there’s the dawning awareness. Can they follow the same means of evaluation?
(WAY too tired, probably not making sense. My apologies)
Pirate King(The)
What you said.
Yeah,
that’s what I meant.
D4/Stan
Just a quick note before I pretend to snooze, D4 re the rating system idea, I’m with you. I’ve always shied away from that idea largely because they often turn into popularity contests.
Plus, what you said about what Pirate King said.
Chase Lounge, it must come to BE. Hand me a nail gun.
Catching up on the comments is daunting but damn fun. Truly fabulous.
Until the fresh sun, sleep ye well fair fellows.
re rating system.
Please remember that not all folks are going to want to post on any kind of regular basis.
If you look at the comments for Not Alone you will notice any number of folks that have never posted before anywhere. Many others like myself either because we are not quailfied to comment,but are there to learn,or because another has said what we are thinking much clearer than we could have done,do not post with any regularity.
Also while there is no doubt much overlap,is Ejectia the Remnant,Isaiah,or both?
I am an Indian. I take great pride in my identity. The virtues of Ejectia are can help transform India from a Country that has great potential, to one that actually acheives greatness. I would very much like to be one of hopefully many ambassadors of Ejectia, to India.
Let me extend the warmest of possible WELCOMEs to you, Mr. AD!!!
India has a rich and fascinating history, with much to offer the world. The benefits to be had individually and societally from the propagation in that land of an understanding and appreciation of the foundations of Western Civilization could indeed be stunning.
And if success is even minimal, with “spillover” into neighboring lands, those who would destroy Western Civilization might have a thing or two to “think about.”
So welcome, Sir. Welcome aboard!!! Glad to have you!!!
I have dreamt of going to the stars since I was little.
Currently: Web developer, Artistic wood worker, Father.
I have built cars with robots (computer integrated manufacturing) and with power tools (auto assembly line worker). Computer skills: 25+ years, C, C++, HTML, CSS, Javascript, SQL, ASP, and much more.
I am adept with 3D rendering and have abilities with Photoshop and other graphic programs. See povray.org.
I have a growing woodturning business – wood lathe work, attendant power tools and hand tools, and shop jig construction. My artwork is selling and beginning to attract gallery interest.
I have built potato guns and catapults (trebuchet, more). Somewhere, I have an electronic copy of the Anarchists Cookbook. I have dabled in some of the recipes, all without losing any body parts. I have been curious enough to read far enough that I feel confident that I could get close to constructing a mill (water, wind), a steel smelter, a gas refinery, and others.
I own a fresnel lens that can set fire to my asphalt street with concentrated sunlight alone.
I am math, physics, chemistry, computer, and biology abled and can teach them.
I flew a small plane once – took off, flew to another airport, landed (with a friend/expert in close attendance!).
I spent two seasons in Colorado as a ski-bum. Downhill skiing translates real well to rollerblading.
I teach meditation classes (with my wife).
I own two guns, (at least) 8 swords, and a quarterstaff (bo). I have over 6 years of Shotokan Karate.
Suggestions (if you’ve read this far): Sounds like we have vast expertise that might be of value in Library form. Maybe we could begin to compile a reference library?
What about a searchable reference database of skill sets? To help index people with skills. That way, if you need something done, you could find someone quickly who could/would help.
Oh, by the way, I am physically located near Detroit.
ORGANIZATIONAL SUGGESTION
I started collecting the various URLs folks have already posted here and then had a V8 Moment…
So to get started – as the main site is being enabled – I’ve created a blogroll using Blogrolling (see ~~~ Ejectia! ~~~ in my right sidebar – currently at the bottom… it’ll move up as things take shape).
I’ve taken the liberty of including those links folks have already posted here (doing that now).
If you DON’T want your link in the blogroll, please email me. Or if you DO want your link added, email me. And of course if you want the HTML to add the roll somewhere… uhm… email me.
Or optionally you can accomplish any of these three by posting a comment here.
cheers!
g
Interesting. I would help if there were something I could do. I’m a retired Army Intelligence Warrent Officer with a PhD in Rhetoric (UMass/Amherst). Call on me if you think I could help. My last assignment was teaching Military Ethics to DoD graduate students. Fun course; learned a lot.
These days I teach selected people small courses in pistol, shotgun, and rifle. No charge, just because it makes the world a better place.
Thanks WayneB for getting me to look for this! The Hobo was part of the remnant:
GUEST OF HONOR SPEECH AT THE XIXth WORLD
SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION
SEATTLE, 1961
Here is how a man dies and here is how a man lives! This is Robert Heinlein speech.
Many of the sf writers today seem to have acquired a permanent nervous breakdown during and after World War II. Some of the things that science fiction long predicted have come to pass–and now they’re scared silly.
I don’t understand it.
Look, friends, the only possible way to enjoy life is not to be afraid to die. A zest for living requires a willingness to die; you cannot have the first without the second. The 60′s and 70′s and 80′s and 90′s can be loaded with the zest for living, high excitement, and gutsy adventure for any truly human person.
“Truly human”? I mean you descendants of cavemen who outlasted the saber-tooth, you who sprang from the loins of the Vikings, you whose ancestors fought the Crusades and were numbered the Golden Horde. Death is the lot of all of us and the only way the human race has ever conquered death is by treating it with contempt. By living every golden minute as if one had all eternity–
About fifty years ago when I was a small child a thing happened in my home town which made a permanent impression on me. My family lived in Kansas City then; there is a large park in the south of town, Swope Park. Almost every Sunday in good weather we would ride the street car out there and enjoy the park. Through the park runs–or did run, then–a railroad track, the Katy line. There were a half a dozen places where one could cross the track on foot.
A man and his wife were walking in Swope Park one Sunday, started across those tracks, and she stepped on a switching juncture, got her foot caught in it–stuck tight.
Nothing to panic about, there were no trains in sight and that line carried only a couple of trains a day.
But she found that she could not pull it out even with her husband’s help–and there was no one else around.
They both worked away at it for several minutes when a stranger came along, a man, and now all three of them strained and pulled.
No luck–and now they heard a train coming.
Too late to flag it down–too late to do anything–save continue trying to get her foot out of there.
Of course both the husband–and the stranger who had happened along–could have saved themselves easily.
But they didn’t. Neither gave up, both men kept trying and were still trying as the train hit them.
The wife and the stranger were killed at once; the husband lasted just long enough to tell what happened and died before he could be moved.
The woman had no choice. The husband had a choice but acted as a husband should.
But what of the stranger?
No one would have blamed him if he had jumped clear at the last moment at which he could have saved himself. After all, in sober fact, the woman could not be saved–it was too late. She was not his wife, not his responsibility–she was a total stranger; we don’t know that he ever learned her name.
But he didn’t jump back. He was leaning over, pulling at this stranger’s leg with all his strength when the locomotive hit him. He used the last golden moments of his life, the last efforts his muscles would ever make, still trying to save her.
I don’t know anything about him. I didn’t see it happen and when the crowd gathered–amazing how fast a crowd can gather even in a lonely spot once an accident happens. My parents got me quickly away from there to keep me from seeing the mangled bodies. So all I really know about it is what I can recall from hearing my father read aloud the account in the Kansas City Star.
I don’t even know the stranger’s name. The newspaper described him as about twenty-eight, I think it was, and a “laborer.” Probably means “hobo” as he was walking along the tracks. It is possible that this married couple who died with him would never, under other circumstances, have met him formally, might not have been willing to sit down and eat with him.
I don�t know. I’ll never know anything about him–except how he chose to spend the last five minutes of his short life . . . and how he elected to die.
But that is really quite a lot and I’ve thought about it many times since. Why did he do what he did? What did he think about in those last few rushing minutes when the train bore down on them? Or did he think about anything save the great effort he was making? Was he afraid? If he was, what inner resources did he draw on to offset that fear with ultimate courage?
We can�t know. All we know is that, with no flags flying, no bands playing, no time to prepare his soul for the ordeal–he did it.
And the only conclusion I have ever been able to reach is this: This is how a man lives. And this is how a man dies.
His caveman ancestors have good reason to feel proud of him–and this is why the caveman�s children are reaching out to the stars–and will reach the stars.
Would it have made a difference if some other man–or woman–had happened along in place of this nameless stranger? Did inexorable fate bring this hero to his appointed triumph? Or was it coincidence so wild that an author would be ashamed to use it that a man with the necessary courage happened to be walking along that railroad track?
I don�t think any of these things are true. I suggest that it really didn�t matter much in the outcome which human being happened along. I have great respect for the race of which I now have the honor to be a member–that any stranger with the same gutsy abandon would have done the same thing. You here in this room. Anybody–
This is not a tale about how a man happened to die in Swope Park on a Sunday afternoon back when Taft was president. This is a story for any year about how a man . . . lives.
Muscle -
I know it’s been proposed before, I proposed it. Bill was adamant about no money going to HIM.
I may appear overly concerned with Vandals, but I’ve seen them destroy wonderful, tightly knit online groups many times.
flicka47 – Everyone is qualified to post comments!
One caveat: some people need to use spellcheck more than others. I’m a little unusual in the IT field, as most of us can’t spell their way out of a wet paper bag, while I went to the regional spelling bee in the 5th grade. However, that just means I have more typos because I don’t bother with spell check.
The point of this is that you don’t have to be a Deep Thinker to comment. Even a little pat on the back to someone who you particularly agree with is worth the space and effort. If you don’t want to try to write a miniature treatise, that’s fine, and if you have something you want to share, but aren’t too confident of your presentation, there are people here who have offered to help people with that, too, so don’t feel too intimidated.
Besides, this isn’t just for technical/philosophical ideas and information, either.
I think it might be sensible to have a highly visible place in the valley (not just in the wicki) where all ye olde political lies are visably and honestly fisked and debunked. So that trolls etc who insist on repeating old mantras can be quickly directed to a one stop trapshutter. A kind of decompression chamber filled with the rarefied air of verifiable truth.
Though not only for trolls – but a place where everyone can see how and why such lies are so destructive.
Yeah, there’s a lot of concern for handling trolls. It seems like it may end up being your typical login/email verification and if it becomes a problem, then fix as needed.
buzibi – Let me expand that a bit, or possibly just detail it out a touch more. In the Hall of Myths (Ok, maybe using “Hall of” as a standard moniker is not all that great of an idea, but I just threw that out there, somebody come up with a better name – everything needs variety), we could debunk not only failed political notions, but also take a whack at Junk Science and Conspiracy Theories. These all seem to have the common theme of being believed in without justifiable evidence in their support.
An humble offer from me and my husband. This is not hi-tech, but could in some circumstances be very useful.
We make walking staffs of oak and cypress. My husband also repairs,
cleans and helps in the making of saddles.
I have a small amount of experience in call center work for dsl trouble shooting.
Not much, but it’s what I can offer.
Of course we also sell the alternative in transportation, of hay burners instead of gas guzzlers.
Re: the rating system.
I appreciate, and agree with, MOST of the comments regarding the rating system – such systems are fraught with dangers. Here is our challenge – If the seed Bill has planted sprouts as we now all hope, this community may become VERY large, very quickly. Inevitably, we will attract lurkers, spammers, trolls, and people who mean our budding virtual city-state ill. Can you IMAGINE what the Kos Kidz, or the DU loonies, would think of Ejectia? And they would be happy to help in its demise.
We need a way to “mark” destructive participants, so we can spot and avoid them. I NEVER thought of ratings being used to ostracize someone for their political views, only for (to some extent) how they chose to REPRESENT those views. One of me best online friends was a life-long, died-in-the-wool liberal Democrat (borderline socialist, in many respects). He and I argued CIVILLY many of the issues of the day, sometimes managed to change the others view somewhat, usually agreed to disagree, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Bill has made it clear he WANTS diversity here (TRUE diversity – diversity of thought), and I agree. Ejectia would be a poorer place without all sides being represented – CIVILLY.
The only alternative I can see to a rating system is giving administrators the discretionary ability to bounce people who misbehave – and that solution has its own risks, as well. I’d cede such power to Bill (assuming he WANTS it, which I doubt) and some of the others who post here regularly, but are there enough who would be willing to act in that capacity? That we trust with that power?
I dunno – smarter heads than mine may have to devise the answer, but I don’t want Ejectia to founder on the very issues that are addressed in The Prisoner’s Dilemma. I don’t want to wonder if every stranger I come across here is a Kos Kid in “virtual drag,” trying to find ways to disrupt our experiment.
Damn, Bill, I read your post with tremendous interest. Theologically I�m a Calvinist and the correlation between the two ideas is astounding. Preaching does no good for the reprobate but condemns them for their error, preaching is meant to draw out the remnant and encourage them. I don�t know what I can contribute I seem to have a limited skill set. Everything I�m good at I can think of a dozen others who are better. But I�m hooked and will check in on Ejectia from time to time and try to find a niche.
WayneB,
Sorry I missed your Hall of Myths post.. I’ve been speeding through – will have to take a longer read of everything. I’ll take another read of all later and get back.
Steve:
Isn’t the way …
1. Assume good intent
2. Retaliate against abuse
3. Forgive quickly?
There’s a proverb somewhere about this…
Maggie,
Welcome!
Lo-Tech is our friend EVERY BIT as much as being able to render a 3D model of…well, a walking stick made of oak or cyprus, for instance.
A great many of us here work to keep alive the hands-on skills our forefathers used to build western civilization as we know it! (my own such passions include forgework and bronze casting).
I move in such circles, and even I know only a handful of people with actual skill at saddlery!
…and people forget about hay-burners, until suddenly their gas-burners take a hit – then who are the going to need?
We’re glad to have you – welcome!
- MuscleDaddy
Doing a driveby on my way to lunch, caffeine, and other necessities of the day…
I do like that Hall of Myths (or perhaps Fables- myth has some good connotations as pointed out in other threads) idea quite a bit. It really reduces burnout not to have to rehash the same BS over and over again.
I am seeing the concern with ratings and agreeing with a lot of it.
Okay, what I have experienced elsewhere is this: whether or not you institute any system of formal recognition, group members with particular dedication to (and will to contribute to) the group will emerge on their own and be recognized by the group on their own. That will happen whether we have ratings or special groups or levels of citizenship or what.
What we’re really concerned about here is what a really major troll infestation could do to us once we get big enough that the group can’t doctor itself just by going “Who the hell are you? We’re ignoring your obnoxious self now.”
I think some kind of moderation staff- small or large- is probably inevitable. This carries obvious potential for abuse, but I’ve seen that work out with the mods/admins and the userbase trusting each other a heck of a lot more often than I’ve seen “majority rules” groups remain civil and friendly. In the hypothetical case that that’s what we end up with- a basic registered-profile, moderated environment- then “flagging” could be taken care of by the userbase itself; a private little “this guy concerns me- are you watching?” to an individual mod or a group mod “in-box”.
I am also thinking it might be good to have a sort of “condition Kos” mode that we can enable in worst-case scenarios of flooding. Stay open and friendly until we have to be otherwise- “Sorry for the inconvenience, folks, but we’re having some mild siege problems.”
I also really like the idea of being able to index user profiles for interests and areas of knowledge, though since I have very little tech expertise I’d have NO idea how to actually implement it.
Labrat,
I agree that, in an environment like this, moderators are going to be inevitable – but I see that as a feature, rather than a bug.
In fact (using my previous ‘city/districts’ example/methaphor), I think it would not be an insurmountable thing to do moderation through a series of checks-and-balances – a ‘building’(subject) moderator, nominally overseen by a ‘district’ moderator, nominally overseen by the ‘city’ moderator – who would either be, or be overseen by, …Bill.
This would not only limit the amount ‘power’ one person could have, but would give a person who thinks they are being singled out unfairly an ‘appeals process’.
I like the idea of being able to ‘flag’ someone to a moderator (the flag itself would carry no penalty), AND the idea of being able to hit a panic button to go ‘Condition Kos’.
Good stuff.
- MuscleDaddy
Well, not sure how useful my skilz would be, but I’m a web designer with a strong graphics background. I know how to organize visually-oriented material and present stuff. Not so strong on the coding side, tho I know my way around HTML and javascript. I’m expert with Photoshop and halfway-decent with pencil, pen, and ink. I’m also a good writer.
This looks to be interesting.
Hi Mike,
Glad to have you AND your skilz!
Throw me your email – we’re going to need all the tech help we can get!
muscledaddy_2ATyahooDOTcom
- MuscleDaddy
I can build websites pretty rapidly using out-of-the-box content systems (WordPress, Joomla/Mambo, Drupal, MediaWiki), and I’m no slouch with my camera — especially when I have Abode Lightroom to back it up. I’ve also got a fair skill at video editing.
And I love the outdoors, having been involved in a particularly active, outdoor-oriented Scout group for the last 20 years. I can build a lean-to, light a signal fire, and with a little more learning I’ll probably even be able to feed myself if I ever get stranded somewhere…unpopulated.
And when I summon the desire to, I can write and research with the best of ‘em.
Also: MediaWiki sounds like the best option for the community you want to build, Bill.
On ratings, trolls, et al. …
I think Bill has already summed up the most straightforward way to deal with these: “Sometimes you just need to build something before you can see if it works or not.”
Apart from the standard affordances included in most forum-type packages, it’s pretty difficult to second-guess what sort of policing functionality might be needed (if any – yeah, that’s optimistic… but still).
What won’t likely work is anything like DKos’ “trollrating” system, which effectively gives “trusted users” (i.e., the most radical of their ilk) the power to effectively hide posts they don’t like. Those who post anything that goes against their party line are tagged as ‘trolls’ irrespective of their comportment or use of reason. Here’s a case in point that I’m personally aware of.
I don’t believe anyone here wants to see a system like this. Better, IMHO, to keep things open / verifiable, and deal with the problem cases one-at-a-time.
Well I do have PSP 8 experience, and some 3D Max 7 experience. Not sure how much I could do, but I’m itching to help in any way. Just toss me an idea and I will do my best to complete it, or I will swallow my pride and say it’s over my head. I need to have a job to do. That’s when my creative powers come together. Not having a goal tends to cause my ideas to scatter.
Welcome, bien venue, wilkommen, comeonin all of you!
Lawdy, that thaya’ wax, it ha’ been spun an’ it make me smiiile!
Alright, Code of Conduct, version 3. I’ve chopped the stuff about ratings for now, but I’m saving this to a separate file in case community consensus radically changes. All formatting errors are mine, unless they’re Dougman’s.
“Rules of Ejectia Etiquette:
Greetings and welcome to Ejectia! This is a basic user’s guide to give you, the prospective participant, some idea of what goes on around here.
FIRST AND FOREMOST
1. This is not a public square in its truest sense. This is a privately-organized community. Behave as if you were someone’s guest at a very large party, not as if you were part of a mob. If you insist on rudeness and poor conduct, you will be bounced from the party.
2. This is a voluntary online community. Your posting of any material, whether in comments or otherwise, grants to [Ejectia and all of its members], a perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive, worldwide license to use, sublicense, reproduce or incorporate into other material all or any portion of the material posted, for commercial or other use. (Translation: if Bill quotes you in a book, you can’t sue for part of the royalties on sales. That’s the difficulty this is here to
address.) Plagiarism is frowned upon in Ejectia. If you borrow material from another source (and borrowing is fine with us!), just give credit where credit is due. You are solely responsible for the content of your posts! We obviously cannot check your content for truth (or for justice or the American way, for that matter). Do not libel or slander people, don
I don’t know the first thing about computers from the internal components or software code, but I can be used if nothing else as a sounding board or used for a test run.
I am a former engineering technician setting up and running prototype printers for a major printer manufacturer. I didn’t design the tests, only set them up and performed them. However I did check the performance on a CMM and have a degree and work experience in Quality Control. I will do what I can.
I am good at analyzing data, including words, spreadsheets, and grammatical errors. Tell me what you would like for me to do and I will do it.
I also write quite a lot too. Most of my blogging and forum posts are on http://boortz.ning.com/profile/Wheelieguy
Mr. Whittle, may I ask if there is a humble little sliver of this valley that we believing Christians may call our own? It would of course be contingent on a promise not to exclusively focus on evangelism, but could a place for the exchange of ideas be complete without a market-corner for a latter-day Paul to speak from?
Of course, all those who would meet in Ejectia in the name of Christ do so to share in the commonly held values that unite us all, whether or not one calls Christ Lord. We would not spend our time saying, “You are an amoral heathen”, but rather attempt to be a lamp in an already pretty well-lit room, and let the light of the Savior make it even brighter.
Even if it’s just the catacombs of this new city, anything you could give us would be appreciated.
Gaige,
I’m pretty sure that there’s going to be ways to get “meeting places” for just about any group that needs to be able to get together. Remember, being virtual, the construction costs for just about any building you could want are pretty low.
After the whole thing gets some sort of formal structure, there will need to be ways of requesting new places be built, but from the very nature of the concept Bill has presented, it should not be too difficult a process.
I second the motion, Gaige.
And I say this as one who is not a Believer. Partly because I’ve always felt a responsibility to respect the Belief of others just as I would hope they respect my lack of it.
And partly because I seem to have a tendency to end up, when the debate gets going, on the side of those who would argue that religion has been a Net Benefit to the human race over history.
I’ll save my arguments on that score for another time, but as I’ve mentioned on another comments thread: I’d rather have a good neighbor who thinks I’m wrong 90% of the time than live next door to a jerk who agrees with me.
By all means, Gaige, if I can help you establish a chapel (catacombs would seem a step backwards, eh?), I’d be honored.
Mr Whittle,
I am an Airman currently serving, and in my particular circles we’ve been discussing ways to get the American public involved in some meaningful way with the changes in the world currently ongoing. I think you have a wonderful idea. Here is a stream-of-consciousness thinking of my thoughts on this:
There are many suggestions for a blog, wiki, forum, chat room, second life island, etc. These are all great but they do not match the scope of what you are planning. You are planning something exceptionally vast.
Everyone in my quick read-thru seems focused on the technology to be used. Do we blog? These are all tools, not a desired end. The focus needs to be first on what we are going to be doing.
Your end, as I see it, is to catalog, publish and distribute a collective pool of knowledge. A very advanced application of hypermedia, which so far only a Wiki begins to approach. But being far more community-oriented, Ejectia will need a more generalized toolset.
Categorization is important. Wikis don’t do it terribly well.
User moderation is important. Forums do it best. But they are terrible at content management.
Blogs allow a single voice to be heard, but search and sort is nearly impossible.
Only one tool I can think of fits this bill: Drupal.
Drupal is a “community plumbing” framework that is used to build custom specialized communities, and includes most of the base functionality needed to do so. Out of the box tools include a forum, blogging, wikis etc. But each can be customized, and rights managed, to control precisely what and how is actually used.
Drupal’s main strength is it’s taxonomy system. You can categorize anything in Drupal any which way, using any style of categorization (tags, lists, hierarchies, keywords etc) and build independent trees for each node type, or apply multiple taxonomies to a node, control how a person uses a taxonomy, etc. In short, you can sort and organize anything anyway you want.
It supports federated authentication, so one can, for example, create multiple “city-states” that all link into each other, allowing one account to authorize against another city-state, etc. Think of a Passport, without the evil overlord connotations.
So, Drupal? I’m going on leave right now, (waiting in the USO, in fact) and will be for 25 days or so. I would love to help with this, and I am smarter then your average bear regarding this kind of thing. How ’bout it?
http://drupal.org/
(Oh, and if you make this thing work, you’ll eventually need dedicated hosting. I have experience with that too.)
I hope this helps you with your noble quest. Please feel free to spam me with email, or share this with anyone else you like, including my email address. If you get a big discussion going, I would love to participate.
Oh, and you’re essays rock!
After a good night’s sleep, I realised that I really should have just put up my skills, such as they are, up here. This is aquote from the letter I sent Mr. Whittle:
> I’m not sure that I’d be that much good to you. I’m
> a Molecular Biologist who, after four years of study
> and a Summa Cum Laude, has just been told that he’s no
> good in the lab. Be that as it may, during those four
> years I have scrounged around in all manner of
> Bio-engineering brouhaha, and know enough about some
> of the major players in the field – some of them
> personally – to be able to comment semi-intelligently
> on what is going on.
> The one skill I _can_ teach, and teach well, is how
> to get a decent understanding of what the heck is
> going on in this field in the first place. The main
> problem is this: I have seen way too many people,
> after years of work, have a bunch of memorised facts
> signifying nothing. For example, how many people
> accept Darwin’s theory of evolution, yet have no idea
> how it is supported in fact and in truth? That is,
> from what concrete observations is it derived?
> This is key, because we – young scientists
> generally – are finding ourselves in the unfortunate
> position warned of by Francis Bacon:
>
> “But knowldedge that is delivered as a thread to be
> spun on, ought to be delivered and intimated, if it
> were possible, in the same method wherein it was
> invented: and so it is possible of knowledge induced.
> But in this same anticipated and prevented knowledge,
> no man knoweth how he came to the knowledge he hath
> obtained. But yet nevertheless, secundum majus et
> minus, a man may revisit and descend unto the
> foundations of his knowledge and consent; and so
> transplant it into another, as it grew in his own
> mind. For it is in knowledges as it is in plants: if
> you mean to use the plant, it is no matter for the
> roots; but if you mean to remove it to grow, then it
> is more assured to rest upon roots than slips: so the
> delivery of knowledges, as it is now used, is as of
> fair bodies of trees without the root; good for the
> carpenter, but not for the planter. But if you will
> have sciences grow, it is less matter for the shaft or
> body of the tree, so you look well to the taking up of
> the roots.”
>
> While I am not – by the furthest stretch of the
> imagination – the best on my course at the moment, one
> thing that I can do, and can teach, is how to
> communicate, and this is a serious problem amongst
> scientists, and especially biologists. Finally, I’m a
> reader, and by that I mean a scavenger of knowledge,
> which I am occasionally capable of stringing together
> the bits and pieces into something that gets
> published. There’s a chance, therefore, that I will
> have some scrap of knowledge useful to someone
> somewhere.
Let’s roll
Don’t do a wiki!!!
Wiki’s STINK, and are really really bad for this kind of thing. They’re not user friendly and are very much open to vandalism. Anyone can come in and change anyone’s comments in pretty much any place. Discussion just don’t work were there.
I would say a bulletin board would be best. If you want to have any kind of interactive chat rooms, consider using a Muck or a Mud. They’re low bandwidth, text based, easy to set up, and don’t take up a lot of computer space or resources. They also allow for you to layout physical architecture and have built in mail and communication functions.
Of course that might be more than you want to have or deal with. Those are also both real time communications environments, while a bulletin board allows longer threaded conversations.
You could also build a live journal clone (I believe the software is in the public domain) and have moderated group journals for each key disscussion, with links from your virtual picture to all of these communities.
Yes I know a lot about this stuff, I’ve spent way too much time playing with it over the years.
So, do we have a forum set up somewhere yet? If not, I can throw one up right quick as a preliminary meeting place before Ejectia goes live.
Or, probably we should just throw up a forum on Ejectia. I’d suggest setting up an install of PHPBB for ease of use unless anyone knows a much better system.
The only concern I’d have with PHPBB is the security but you tend to get what you pay for in that department.
FYI – the running list of those chiming in AND who posted contact URLs is already well over 100.
woah.
Whoa, NICE move Goy. If you’re going to keep that updated, I’ve gotta bookmark it.
Will do – at least until we have some form of registration, when I (or someone) should be able to automate it.
Muscledaddy, thanks for the
welcome.
Anything we can do, we’re glad to jump in.
My other half is a disabled veteran of Vietnam, and he’s got some pretty specialized skillsets he can share with those who wish to learn.
He’s also a pretty good hand at braiding with just about anything that can be braided from wire to haystring!
Rope anyone?!
Goy- thanks for putting the blogroll together. I’ll get the code from you at your site. Is anyone putting together a non-blogroll for those who, ya know, aren’t bloggers? I would hate to see the great non-bloggers become second class citizens in Ejectia.
Folks, this is amazing. Thank you, and keep them coming.
For the very kind and decent people who have asked permission ot join, or to express whatever beliefs they may hold — consider yourselves invited, equal to anyone, and please accept my deepest esteem for having the integrity to ask permission.
All are welcome. You do not need to believe or behave in any particular way to get in (although certain repeated behaviors will most certainly get you OUT).
What a remarkable group!
The only talent I have is writing fiction. I’m a published author of mystery fiction, and I teach a class on how to plot and write a mystery. What this means is, I’m literate. Not as literate as Mr. Whittle, but I am a journeyman wordsmith. I don’t know if this might be of any value, but I’m game. See my website for a clue.
That is, see Monica-Ferris.com for a clue.
Bill, I could write you a piece of music for the website if you like. I’d be honored. It could be in anthem-style. I could probably either get a good live recording or work on making it a great electronic piece with one of my buddies. Email me if you like.
Bill, I am just beginning to read The Gulag Archipelago (abridged) and two of the chapters I’ve read bring up extremely good subjects for discussion.
One talks about the motives and psychology behind the people who cooperated with the Soviet horror structure, and the other talks about torture.
I’m sure there is more to come. I’d love to head up discussions on these topics, specifically, on how to recognize totalitarianism and how to be the person who resists rather than the one who collaborates.
Gah!
MSN says my email server is down.
Dougman if I ever get my hands on you!
So, anyway, I’m not ignoring anyone.
No. No I’m not addicted to email.
Seriously. I can quit anytime I want.
…tremble
Time to take that first step daddyquatro:
We admit we are powerless over our e-mail addiction – that our in boxes have become unmanageable.
*giggle*
I love the idea, Sir.
But there is one problem. You assume that the Remnant are “social” people. And that’s one of the reasons that we are who we are. We’re not joiners of “groups”, or given to being members of much of anything, apart from the human race, and maybe our Church.
I’m in, I’m down with it, and I’m stocked up, locked and loaded, and preparing for the worst.
But crusty old curmudgeons like myself don’t network well. I have a local network, but even the thought of a larger one worries me.
My level of altruism may show up at some strange times, but on the whole, I’m looking out for me and mine first, foremost, and always. The rest of the world can go wherever it wants to, and I’ll compliment them on the lovely handbasket while they are going.
We can’t possibly save most all of them. Or even a healthy minority. Once it quits flying off the fan blades, I’ll come out and salvage something, if I can. But while the stuff flies, I’m taking care of my people, and the rest of them are, sadly, statistics.
It is a problem that way. I can’t save the world, and I figured that out a long time ago. So I’ll be here, maybe. And my family will be, almost surely, because I’ll be in front of them, and they can all shoot pretty good too.
But the world doesn’t want the kind of saving we’d give it anyway, so it’s on it’s own until the stuff stops flying, and then I’m still only worried about making a world that I can live in. And the current philosophies that are running around don’t cater to that, so they wouldn’t want me saving them anyway. I’d make them work for their food.
Bill — I’m not sure how my skills fit in (I’m a lawyer/lobbyist for an insurance trade association), but I’m happy to join in. Your essays tend to be very much along the lines of what I’m thinking, but you do a much better job of stating why these things matter, and are true. Thanks.
Mr. Johnson,
Thanks for mentioning that. I’m a active reader, and I want to participate, but I can’t say I’m a blogger. Where can we sign up for the first boat to Ejectia! I’m willing to do some dirty work to get this place working, and working well.
For anyone already pulling this together, the email is cgsguy2 AT gmail_DOT_com
Bill , thanks for all the words and the sentiment. Count me in.
Your book brought solace to my Academy roommate while he was working for Gen Petraeus in Iraq, last year. Your words have my brother, muscledaddy, more jazzed and motivated than hes been in quite some time.
You are right about it being a “frequency” – if you get it it RESONATES with you, if you don’t it sounds foolish.
When I was still in the Navy, I had to go to a “cross cultural communication” class given by the SPECOPS command, because I was working with international officers.
They had a “moral exercise” they gave.
There was a woman who had to cross a river to meet her fiance. She HAD to get married (that was a constraint of the story). There was a river captian who had the only way across. He refused to carry here unless she would sleep with him. She did, and when her fiance found out, he abandoned her. Another man came along and said, “I do not love you, but I will marry you”. The question posed was “who was the most heroic and most villainous in the story” I was alone in stating that the second man was the hero, and the river captain the villain. My reasoning (straight out of spider man) was that superior ability means superior responsibility. I felt pretty alone in that room, filled with over 200 military officers.
Nice to know it isn’t true.
I felt moved by what you said. In a way , ironically, that was last true when I read Gates of Fire.
Keep it up.
I like the way The High Road is set up:
http://www.thehighroad.org/
Very easy interface to use, easy to go where you want to go and find what you want to find. It allows the members to communicate information very freely and easily.
Hello all,
My name is Chris, and I’m an attorney as well. I love this idea, and count me in. I don’t know how good a teacher I am, but I’m happy to discuss legal issues I know something about with anyone. (with the understanding about stuff I say not being binding legal advice of course). Other things I can speak fluently and knowledgably about are: spiritual issues, politics, sports (esp. football and martial arts), English (language, syntax, grammar, spelling, and the like). Anything else is on a topic by topic basis, but I’m locked, cocked, and ready to rock. Let’s roll.
–Chris
OK, I’ve seen some comments and gotten at least one IM in-world that indicates that there may be some interest in the SL angle. So any interested Ejectians who also happen to be Residents, come to my “estate” in world, located at Aphrodisia (215, 67), and gather there to discuss how to bring at least one facet of Ejectia to the Grid. The doors are unlocked and there’s plenty of space for people to gather…
(If you’re not a Resident already, it’s free to become one, though the hardware requirements for the client can be stiff. Visit http://www.secondlife.com to get started.)
Mr.Whittle.
Thank you for such a great idea.
And thank you for making it possible for many ideas and dreams to come together.
I guess I forgot to list the talent thing…
I am an engineer, systems/simulation now (I build “video games” about “flying robots”)
Nuclear engineer by Navy training. I worked for the Navy (in one capacity or another) for almost 20 years, now I work for the Army.
I have a lot of hobbies: linguistics, classical lit, woodworking, blacksmithing, martial arts, outdoorsy stuff, auto mechanics -
Very much a jack of all trades…
If I can help, please ask.
Don’t have time to read all the comments right now but has anyone noticed that something like this was the reason Stewart Brand made
“The Whole Earth Catalog” maybe send him an e-mail?
Wow! This is impressive. Let me know if you need someone to document and manage changes made to the site. I have experience as a Technical Product Manager, I can gather requirements, write technical and functional specs, and do beta testing on modules.
Or, I could head down to Chase’s Lounge and serve you fine folks a beverage of choice?
Chase…. Chase !!! You didn’t close early, now, didja???
Ma’am, (Ms. Tanya), I’d like a cold, cold Sam Adams Lager, if you please…
And WELCOME to the group, the Lounge, and all that is to be! I’m sure you’ll be much at home!!!
Monopticus — THANKS for your support of the services, whether civilian or inside… Good to have you along!
Tom, Maggie, Chris, EVERYONE, NICE to meet you, and I look forward to “interesting times” ahead! (This is fun, isn’t it?!?!?)
Welcome, all!!!
My talents range from fixing airplanes for a living to driving a Macintosh for a living to pushing a soldering iron for a living to…
I also build models, collect and appreciate music and, in my spare time, write detective/romance/drama/comedy in a 1930′s Pacific Islands setting as well as driving a 1923 streetcar at a museum and studying history and lotsa other stuff.
So, count me as interested. Can’t guarantee I can devote a lot of time, but this sounds like a great idea!
-MMM-
Um, I have some web-type skills, mostly just really basic stuff. I have done a lot of mechanical and electrical stuff over the years, along with some electronics. I also play guitar and am in two bands. If anyone needs any of those skills, I’d be happy to loan them out, research some music or programming theory, etc.
Oh, yeah. I have some web space that is available for small stuff. I have to check to see how much space is still available, but probably a lot. I’m not using much at http://www.TheBlindDucks.com. It’s running a Linux, but I’ll have to get back to you on the version. It also uses PHP, MySQL, and PERL. It’s hosted at dotster.com and works great.
This is awesome.
James
Um, I have some web-type skills, mostly just really basic stuff. I have done a lot of mechanical and electrical stuff over the years, along with some electronics. I also play guitar and am in two bands. If anyone needs any of those skills, I’d be happy to loan them out, research some music or programming theory, etc.
Oh, yeah. I have some web space that is available for small stuff. I have to check to see how much space is still available, but probably a lot. I’m not using much at http://www.TheBlindDucks.com. It’s running on Linux, but I’ll have to get back to you on the version. It also uses PHP, MySQL, and PERL. It’s hosted at dotster.com and works great.
This is awesome.
James
MMM, I have a feeling whatever time you can spend will be well worth it… to you and many of the other folks !!! Thanks for checkin’ in, and welcome aboard !!!
And, James, a member of TWO bands??? How do you find the time to play AND do web stuff, even if only a “little…” ??? Welcome, too!!!
where do I sign?
Man, what’s so mind blowing about the ‘net is — we stand on the things we write/say – and not on our outward appearances. So there are people here today that might not have associated with one another otherwise.
I definitely want in. I have some small skill at IT stuff, and can write a little but my real skill is information gathering. I’m the go-to person for everyone I know when someone needs facts or sources of information or where to buy goods and services. Whatever I can do to help, I will.
where do I sign?
Give it a while, the User Registration module hasn’t been set up yet, mheh.
After skimming the comments a couple of thing come to mind.
1. Second Life, and others like it have one huge problem.
They are bandwith and computer intensive.
Whatever is done, should be done -simply-. KISS needs to be the rule here.
Perhaps starting with a simple forum system and building from there might be best. I am relatively certain that there are a number of ‘off the rack’ solutions that will work.
This will help with the organizational load, and make it easier to build what we want.
Think of it as a preliminany white board.
Chase,
If you’re going to be running the Lounge, lay in a good supply of single malt – I believe Kim du Toit also fancies it (and I think I’m getting Whittle hooked, too).
I like the Islay malts, myself (Lagavulin 16, Laphroaig 15, Ardbeg “Airigh nam Beist” and ESPECIALLY Caol Ila 18), but I’ll drink Macallan 18 or 25 (NOT the new “Fine Oak” abominations), Glenlivet 18 or 21, Glenmorangie 18, Talisker 18, Aberlour “A’bunach” Dalmore 12 or Dalmore “Cigar Malt.”
That should get you started. Oh, yeah, and some Guinness, Harp, Sam Smith Taddy Porter, Shiner Bock, St. Pauli Girl would also be great.
Gonna have a lounge singer??
Count me in!
Goy, you’ve inspired me to start a new blog. Not that it’s a huge deal in the grand scheme of things. But the other blogs I have are specific (homeschooling, personal ones for family only with pictures, etc.).
For what it’s worth, my *official* blog will now be at http://quickontheuptake.wordpress.com/ .
Thanks again!
Why do my comments sometimes get held for approval, and other times they don’t?
Just wondering. I don’t completely understand how these things work.
Steve Peden,
Clearly I have much to learn about single malt. And, although it may require much personal sacrifice, I’m ready to dedicate myself to the effort.
Lounge singer?
Over on the other thread, there’s a person named Leslie, who’s a Filksinger; a folksinger of sci-fi themes.
How cool is that?
Btw, expect a lot of these:
Ah, the relish! Compete?
Baltasar Gracian’s Art of Worldly Wisdom has this to say:
“114. Never Compete. Every Competition Damages your reputation. Our rivals seize every occasion to obscure us so as to outshine us. Few wage honorable war. Rivalry discloses faults that courtesy would hide. Many have lived in good repute while they have no rivals. The heat of conflict revives and gives life to dead scandals, digging up long-buried skeletons. Competition begins with belittling, seeks aid anywhere it can, not only where it should. And when the weapons of abuse do not effect their purpose, as often or mostly happens, our opponents seek revenge and use them at least for beating away the dust of oblivion from anything that is our discredit. People of goodwill are always at peace, and those of good reputation and dignity are of goodwill.
A lil bit of old fashioned wisdom applies, I think.
Daddyquatro,
Hey, I’m a father of four, also! Two boys (15 and 11) and two girls (4 and 6). I must be insane.
As for the Scotch part, I’m ALWAYS happy to help indoctrinate a new recruit! As I said, I’m well along in getting Whittle hooked, and I’d be MORE than happy to contribute to your delinquency. Actually, interestingly enough, when your drinking single malt, you rarely drink all that much – it’s about the flavor, the “nose,” and the friendship. Our little club (we meet every couple of weeks to taste some new malts) has a motto from Robert Burns -”whisky and freedom hang together” I like that.
First, tell me what malts you’ve tried, which ones you liked, and what you liked about them, and I’ll give you some suggestions for where to go next.
A Filksinger, eh? Cool!
Democracy! Whiskey! Sexy!
River – Yeah, I think reactions like that are pretty much expected by about 90% of the people you meet. That would be one indication of the distinction between a member of the Remnant and everybody else.
Candy – I think we’re liable to need the help of a lot of information getherers and classifiers before we’re done.
Gini – I’ve had problems with that in the past. While I don’t have access to the back end stuff, I suspect that some email domains trigger that more than others.
daddyquatro – dang it! what’s that from? I can’t remember! Dougman!
OK, count me in too!
Regarding Second Life as a possible platform for Ejectia, I have to agree with several others here that it does seem to have the tools already in place for designing, building and securing a community, and the way it allows person-to-person interaction is perfect for sharing, teaching, etc. You still need all the graphic artists and technical experts to get things set up, but the basic interface that’s already in place would allow us non-techies to participate right away also.
Maybe one of the Second Life veterans could arrange a “tour” of the place for those who haven’t been there yet? It seems a shame to write SL off without first kicking the tires in terms of its possible utility for Ejectia.
Oh, and just to introduce myself…my skills are in the area of business development within the private education sector. I started off at Control Data (anyone remember them?), then joined a start-up outfit that specialized in computer-based applications training, that itself, somehow went on to acquire Sylvan Learning Systems. For Sylvan, I managed international franchise development for a number of years.
My husband was with NASA for many years before starting his own aerospace company – with various NASA departments being his primary clientele (hey, that’s what he gets for marrying a business development person!). We’re both licensed providers of therapuetic foster care and we have a habit of adopting every one of these kids we can (and then seeing to it that they receive a classical education that understands and reveres Western Civilization).
It’s a pleasure to meet you all and I look forward to contributing in any way I can to this exciting new community.
There was one thing Monopticus forgot to mention…
He’s also my brother. (damn, I guess they’ll let anyone in here!)
I’m already tapping him for the systems/simulation thing – as it’s a good deal of what we’ll be trying to do here…
- MuscleDaddy
Okay, I find this idea intriguing, but at the same time vaguely troubling. Throughout history, it seems to me that the Remnant consists of those people idealy suited to essentially “do what’s right” AFTER the fall of said civilization. The Remnant are those who, to cop a phrase from Pete Townsend, “Won’t get fooled again”. They are the people who have seen the down times and are still there to pick up the pieces and reorganize society into a coherent form once more.
But… this all has traditionally occured in the REAL world. How, exactly, will the establishment of Ejectia challenge the coming calamity which must ensue when our Western Civilization collapses from a collective lack of will to enforce it’s own laws?
It seems to me that, in addition to there being a virtual “Ejectia”, there needs to be a real-world equivalent… a way for the members to be able to reach one another physically. If only, at some point in the future, to be able to reorganize “the Remnant” into a coherent society once more.
For an online “Ejectia” to survive, there needs to be a real-world “Sanctuary” dedicated to its preservation and continuation. For the Greeks, even though they never envisioned their great buildings falling into ruin, their ideas survived in their written works. Those ideas solidified the core of the Remnant, in their age, bolstered Roman society, were adopted into the Catholic Church, and found fertile ground in Western Europe. Now, with Europe literally on the verge of ideological collapse from a competing ideological world view (Islam), these same Grecian ideas are alive in a “Remnant” within our own culture, although not without considerable challenges from our own leadership. We have our own issues here and yet, if we surrender our “real world” in our quest to establish a utopian “Ejectia” in the ether, where will we go if our own society should face collapse? We can strive all we want to improve ourselves, and it won’t make a hill of beans unless we are equally-forcibly striving to improve the physical conditions around us.
Our Forefathers, in the country banded together to actively resist their remote English masters, who, coincidentally, were refusing to listen to the real-world complaints of our Forefathers. It appears to me as if, today, we have a similar case involving the disconnect between our leaders in Washington D.C., and our general population. If we are truly the Remnant, do we simply sit back and allow the collapse to unfold, as it has done countless times before, or do we actively work to prevent it?
WayneB,
Couldn’t find a link but it was during the liberation of Afghanistan. An old man by the side of the road holding a sign.
“Hello America”
He was asked what he hoped the Americans would bring to his country.
I’m personally against SL as a primary platform because it is accessibility-limited. It definitely can be used as a more interactive kind of chat and other stuff, but what of the fellow who wants to get on Ejectia via his PDA?
I think the idea of Ejectia is great. Just reading through the comments it is clear there is a wide variety of budding Ejectians we could all learn a lot from and potentially meet. BUT, clearly (to me anyway) I believe it has built in limitations. As much as the internet has radically changed the way people communicate and the speed by which information is spread, we all still live in the real world in real cities and towns with real neighborhoods and communities.
If Ejectia ultimately becomes the messageboard to end all messageboards and a launching pad for like-minded people to meet, it will be a tremendous success and worth all the effort going into it. But meanwhile, we all still live in the real world. If too many of the wonderful people who have posted here spend their time building an internet utopia at the expense of serving in their physical community (by which I mean doing all the things that better a community – raising a strong family, being a good neighbor, seeking to enact just laws and electing good public officials, community service, etc, etc).
I guess this is just a reminder that we all have lives and communities outside the computer screen which need a lot of TLC if they are to be the lives and communities we want. So along with building the messageboard to end all messageboards that Ejectia may become, lets not forget to be good men/women/parents/children/neighbors/citizens/etc and work to better our real homes, cities, towns and nations, which after all, is where we live, sleep, work, play, etc.
A note about anonymity. I see it has been mentioned earlier, but just thought I’d add another point to the need of anonymity: In this world, expressing certain political views etc can be held against you by potential clients, government, etc..
free speach is not so free anymore…
Put it this way: I have no issue with giving complete and verifiable personalia, but I would not perhaps appreciate it being “freely” available..
Beyond that, I’m a database specialist (hard core tech type), and would gladly contribute in any way I can should needs in tha area come up (Sybase, Oracle, MS SQL, but db theory in general as well, patterns etc).
Eric 1108A – I’m listening hard.
Boid, you too.
Eric and Boid- I share your concerns. I think we all need to think of Ejectia as a tool or a resource to use in our real lives. It should not be about creating an alternative society in the internet ether, but about having the resources and knowledge of like minded people to push back in the real world. To know that there are people who will stand with us in the breach.
Hey Bill and everybody! First time commenter here, but I’ve been a fan of E!E!E! for a couple of years. It’s nice to read intelligent thought and get some new ideas in the process.
I don’t have anything all that intellectual to say, but I do have something important to bring up in regards to Ejectia! (I love that name
).
From what I can tell, the design of the site seems to be heavily based on image maps and java applications and potentially flash animation (not sure on that last part; after reading the full articles I don’t have the stamina to read the comments
). As a blind reader of this site and a citizen who would like to be involved in Ejectia, I am putting a vote in for accessibility of the project. I don’t know much about computers or even accessibility itself, but I know what works for me and what doesn’t and maybe that will help others. Java applications, image maps, videos and all the fancy, pretty things on most sites make them look great for people who can see them, but make a site completely useless for the person who can’t read that small, fancy font or only hears “image, link” when he investigates a site with a screen reader.
There is a simple solution to this problem: create a text-only version of the entire site. As I said, I don’t know much about programming or site-building (I coughed up my own, but it’s not exactly pretty and only uses the most basic html), but whatever I can do to help, I would like to do it. At the very least, I can tell you if your site works with Mozilla Firefox when the browser’s fonts have been set to “HUGE” and “override all other font styles”. And if I can ever get my speakers working again, I can tell you if the page is accessible with the screen reading program JAWS (one of the most common screen readers available for the blind).
And I don’t know if this will help, but my default skill set (as far as I can tell) revolves around telling stories, turning ideas on their heads for a better look, drawing, and making random observations. I’m not sure how to utilize those skills to their fullest yet, but at the very least, people like to hear stories and like to see silly drawings just because it makes them smile. If that helps, I gladly offer these talents in whatever capacity they are useful in.
Also: RSS feeds via e-mail and various blog sites (like LiveJournal) would be awesome. I’ve got ADD and remembering to check things isn’t my strong point, but if something forcefully reminds me of an update, I’m sure to take note. And I’m sure I’m not the only person who’s thought of this/would find it beneficial. I guess this is just my two cents, then, on keeping forgetful, busy people in the know.
Eric,Boid,et al.
This is what Bill said a couple of weeks ago when he first leaked a little hint of his BIG IDEA.
“Otto said something a few posts up that encapsulates my only concern. He said, This is what worries me with the idea of a virtual space…
He’s right. If this becomes a retreat, a fantasy to get away from the real world, well, we might as well all be playing World of Warcraft and call it a day.
No, the ESSENTIAL characteristic of the success of this venture is the idea that we can exchange information — both for survival and protection AND for personal growth, education and just plain fun — and then take that knowledge out into the world and make the world a better place.”
Eric,
A fine set of questions/observations…
Essentially, Ejectia is intended to be a repository of knowledge & wisdom, both static (documentory in nature) and dynamic (connection to the knowledge/wisdom/reference value of people).
Your reference to our ForeFathers is a good one, so I’ll go with it.
In the time of America’s Founding Fathers, they (and people in general) both had and needed an intimate knowledge of what was going on around them, because their survival depended on it. They knew what they were getting into and kept tabs on whether their grand experiment was starting to slide.
Less so today – a number of factors (technology, commerce, the ability to ‘specialize’) have made it possible for people to live in a society without really being of that society, as well as allowing them to ‘get by’ without the knowledge/wisdom/ability resultant of what was once considered a ‘classical’ education.
This goes a LONG way toward contributing to the ‘drain-circling’ that many here see coming.
PART of Ejectia is an attempt to stem/reverse that, by attracting both those who would be teachers and those who would be students. Knowledge is power and, as a people, we have ceded too much to those not our betters.
Likewise (and to your observation of Remnants appearing AFTER the fall), that same condition, has left many of those who may be Remnant-like in nature, woefully ill-equipped to step up properly if it should come to that – making Ejectia the place for them, too.
Ejectia will be a place of learning for either situation.
…and even if they didn’t know to name themselves ‘Remnant’ through history, I believe that those people always saw it coming.
- MuscleDaddy
daddyquatro, thanks for your comment. A couple of days ago I didn’t even know who Bill Whittle was, and we bothwork in the same city in the same industry (though very different roles).
If Ejectia becomes a repository of information and a platform of communication to inspire people to better the world around them based upon the principles of Freedom, Reason, Honor, and Country (stealing from the E!E!E! home page) then that’s fantastic. Becasue, otherwise, as you said, we might as well be playing World of Warcraft.
In fact, not that I am much of a mission statement kind of guy, but does anyone think that this captures what it is about Ejectia! that has inspired all this effort and energy so far:
“Ejectia! A repisotory of information and a platform of communication to unite defenders of Freedom, Reason, Honor, and Country in order to better themselves and the places in which they live in ways great and small.”
I’d also add the word “Faith” to the mission statement because I think we need both faith and reason, but maybe that’s just me.
WayneB and Rickbert,
Thank you for your support! I hope that whatever I can do to get Ejectia (though, perhaps a better name is in order, no offense to the proprietor of this site) off the ground will be as equally accepted.
This place… has the real potential to change things. I mean seriously, this could slow if not stop the moral decay of the West. It may take years to get there, but it has that ability, I do believe.
I have no real technical skills to contribute, I can barely code HTML, but I can write awfully well (or so I am told and am something of a people person.
And you, Mr. Rickbert, your kind words and understanding are especially welcome. In a world that is so hostile to organized religion in general, and the Gospel in particular, you are most definitely a pleasant change of pace.
I pray that this place can become a site where all men (and women) may go and better themselves, and come a little closer to God.
Via Con Deos, everyone.
Gaige
Gini – I’ve had problems with that in the past. While I don’t have access to the back end stuff, I suspect that some email domains trigger that more than others.
Thanks, WayneB, I don’t know if a post was eaten, or if it’s in the approval nether-world.
LOL
Hey y’all. This conversation just gets better and better.
MuscleDaddy …I would humbly posit the idea that our ForeFathers WERE Remnants of a sort. This is a subject near and dear to my heart.
If you have time…and haven’t already….read Nathanial Philbrick’s “Mayflower”. One of the better accounts.
Eric, Boid,
Others have said it; I will too. Welcome!
You express some very intriguing questions; I have no answers.
What I can tell you is: I have only been reading and commenting here for just a short time but, even though e!3 and ejectia are in the virtual world, what you pick up here – not just from what you read, but from what you LEARN expressing, explaining and defending your ideas and positions – DOES get out to the real world. Visitors here exercise and build muscles in their brains that may not be getting the kind of exercise necessary to defend themselves out on the streets of the real world.
Others, who have no one available in their daily lives providing the opportunity to interact with feedback, support, encouragement, and challenge while the decide how they feel about FREEDOM, REASON, HONOR and COUNTRY can come here and grow.
I know of no other site where this is available in such a compact package with such a fine group of people as Bill’s essays have drawn like moths to a bright light.
Ejectia may end up being many things, but – in some small part – it will end up being what you two {Eric; Boid}, I, Mark Paules (who you must meet) and others make of it.
I look forward to getting to know both of you.
BTW: Bill, may, just possibly, have some influence and occasionally a word or two to add to the conversation.
Unquiet Mind
Hi everybody,
While reading through the comments, I have noticed that a lot of us know a lot about a lot of basics and a lot of us want to learn a lot about a lot of other basics. I would like to suggest that we all start with a foundation of “THE BASICS”… just in the off chance certain onerous questions ever come up. Such as:
What do I do if a dirty bomb goes off five miles away?
Can my children safely eat my neighbor’s dead and rotting cat?
How do I grow my own tobacco and distill my own Scotch?
Where in hell is all of that blood coming from?
The National Guard won’t get here until when???!!!
Not far from where I live is a county library. In the basement of that library is a “Used Book Store” where I have found, for example, Boy Scout Handbooks, Tom Brown’s Field Guides to Wilderness, City, and Suburban Survival, Emergency Fix-it and DIY Manuals, and EMT-101 textbooks. I have found handbooks, guides, manuals, and textbooks on everything from agriculture to zoology. For those of us who are financially restrained the price is definitely right… in some cases just a few cents. Some of these tomes are a little ragged, of course, but that is what the grey duct tape is for… right?
Thrift stores and yard sales are also good places to pick up simple tools if you are on a budget. Would you believe a rusty machete that I can clean up for a quarter?
Pardon me if I got a little too basic for my new tribe. I’m new here and I don’t really know what is expected of me yet.
Dick
Nope, that’s good stuff, Dick- I’m going to wander through my library’s “used book store” next time, with an eye for that. Here I thought all that was in there was some of the most epically awful novels ever to be published. (Which is all I found on quick browses before.)
Tangentially, I think most people really don’t know the value of a good machete… at one forum I used to frequent, people were commenting on a news story that involved a kid going after his babysitter with one to the effect that just the fact that they HAD a machete was proof that they were horrible psychopaths and that’s why the kid was screwed up.
Until I piped up that they’re a godsend if you’ve got a fair amount of brush to clear…
Which was apparently a logistical problem totally foreign in and of itself.
LabRat,
I hope you enjoy the steak seasoning when you get the chance to try it. To be honest, I thought my little post would get lost in the hundreds of other posts on the comments section, but it didn’t! Let that be a lesson to me.
I was thinking on my drive home about what might help facilitate positive real world impact apart from the difference we all make as we better ourselves individual (and make our friends and neighbors delicious steaks!), and I was thinking it would be helpful to have a section that would keep us all abreast of the legislative happenings in Congress and our state legislatures with encouragement that we call/write/email/fax our elected representatives to support/oppose whatever. I know as it is, the blogs are very much capable of stirring up support/opposition for an important bill (this past week with the immigration bill is proof of that), but nonetheless, I think this would be a nice addition to Ejectia to help us all get out there in the real world, so to speak.
Thank you for the welcome Unquiet Mind, I’d love to meet you. You don’t happen to be in or around Los Angeles do you?
Boid- we probably won’t try it for awhile yet since we had steak two nights ago (plus I’ve got to convince Spouse, who does all the cooking while I do most of the R and D, that there might concieveably be a way to improve on his steaks), but recipes stand out like they’re in neon flashing lights to my eyes.
I think your idea of having a section (perhaps in the forums, perhaps elsewhere) for keeping abreast of current legislation. May I suggest an additional twist? Most bills that go through Congress are available for free in fulltext, but it seems like no one, including Congress and most of the media, ever really reads them. Links to those fulltexts would really help get a bead on legislation to see if it’s all the good or bad it’s cracked up to be.
Gaige,
Pleased to meet you. I had to look up your original comment to find what merited such an eloquent response. (Note to self; buy ear plugs. It’s the only way to keep such a volume of stirring content from pouring out my ears.)
As a believer in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, (just not that sure how to put faith into works) let me say that there is room in Ejectia! for all. The name grows on you, believe me.
Please forgive me if I am profane at times, if I talk a lot about drinking (but never gambling or whoring!)
Did I mention I can be profane?
Sorry I missed you yesterday; or was it today?
Welcome, dear lady.
I think your twist is an excellent idea.
And you don’t need to convince Spouse that the seasoning is an “improvement” on his steaks, just something new to try. Oh great, now my mouth is watering!
Boid,
Sounds like someone is volunteering for a daunting task.
Beware what you say here, dude.
We’re the Remnant.
If you have an idea that somebody should do something; assume that somebody will be you.
Dick Stafford, making your own Scotch is VERY difficult – the smokey peat taste is hard. Making good corn whisky is much easier. See http://homedistiller.org/
My daughter has just given me what may be the first Ejectian joke.
How do you tell if you’re a Democrat, a Republican or an Ejectian?
Imagine you’re
walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small children. Suddenly, an Islamic Terrorist with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, praises Allah, Praises the knife, and charges at you.
You are carrying a Colt 45 automatic and you are an expert shot.
You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family.
What do you do?
———————————————————————-
Democrat’s Answer:
Well, that’s not enough information to answer the question!
Does the man look poor? Or oppressed?
Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire him to attack?
Could we run away?
What does my wife think?
What about the kids?
Could I possibly swing the gun like a club and knock the knife out of his hand?
What does the law say about this situation?
What do the European courts say about this situation?
Does the Colt have appropriate safety built into it?
Why am I carrying a loaded gun anyway, and what kind of message does this send to society and to my children?
Is it possible he’d be happy with just killing me?
Does he definitely want to kill me, or would he be content just to wound me?
If I were to grab his knees and hold on, could my family get away while he was stabbing me?
Should I call 9-1-1?
Why is this street so deserted?
We need to raise taxes, have a paint and weed day and make this a happier, healthier street that would discourage such behavior.
This is all so confusing! I need to debate this with some friends for few a days and try to come to a consensus.
……………………………………………………………………………………….
Republican’s Answer:
BANG!
……………………………………………………………………………….
Ejectian’s Answer:
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
click…..
(sounds of reloading).
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
click.
Daughter: “Nice grouping, Daddy! Were those Hydra-Shoks, or Winchester Silver Tips?”
Son: “Can I shoot the next one?”
Wife: You ain’t taking that to the Taxidermist!
RR, LOL! Beer donw my shirt. Do you know Dougman? The laugh I give you credit for, my spillage is Dougmans fault.
Hi, everyone; long-time reader, first-time poster.
I have some practical skill at writing, proofreading, software testing, video editing, and a little bit of voice acting. Drop me a line if you need a hand with any of those. Or if you have any good sources for either coding or Japanese; I need to start studying both.
By the way, Mr. Rosenberg, I like your books. GotF especially.
Ryan,
…coding or Japanese…
Dude, lot of room between those two.
Welcome!
Voice acting?
Might we have heard you somewhere?
I’m not the best at anything but I’m aquainted with lots. I’ve been to the very rock bottom twice and made my way back. Once of my own making and once not.
I’ve learned my life is what I make it to be and I have no reason to believe, or even ponder the notion, that anyone else can be responsible for it.
I’m glad there are others who still know this to be true.
What about some real-time interaction? I help run a major IRC network where I specialize in Exploits Prevention and IRC Operator Training. I can install and set up the Bahamut ircd on any Linux or FreeBSD machine. I don’t have a physical server handy at the moment I’m sure one can be found. Single-server bandwidth for an IRC server with 100 active connections online runs very near the dialup range.
I seem to be envisioning this IRC server complete with channels dedicated to different parts of the whole structure of Ejectia. Channel topics can be whatever is needed. What do you think? IRC is great medium when the people involved are dedicated and you don’t need much computer experience to use it to its fullest extent.
Bill, I’ve been reading you for a long time. I’ve never posted a comment but I’ve found comfort in the fact that, while I can’t express myself the way you can, there are those like you who can.
You have my sincere appreciation and I’d be extremely happy to provide whatever services I can.
D4, Is that you?
Ryan, Welcome, Sir. You do know, with the spelling challened people around here (Member of the Month, Unquiet here). You may be volenteering for 24\7 job?
Potential PC Incorrect Joke Alert:
Al Gore on Letterman just said: “The reasoning process ……. has been assaulted ………” (long run on sentence I did not catch.)
No duh!
Assaulted by you! Sir.
- We must be polite; even to those with an overabundance of global warming in their cranial cavity. Few of us place a high value on clean air actually inside our cranial cavity.
Sir Al, – I assume some EU member must have knighted him by now – supports clean air wherever there is unused space.
David thanked him for his insight. What a buffoon.
BTW: This comment was made in The Chase Lounge.
End Politialy Incorrect Joke Alert
I am an excellent proofreader of the English language for spelling, grammar, and style.
I hold a BA in Political Science, though I am a firefighter by trade. If anyone would like information or advice on a career in the fire service, I will share every bit of knowledge I’ve acquired in my lengthy (Only a year and a half, but I’m not a rookie anymore) career.
I’ve also been shooting various firearms since my grandfather put a .22 rifle in my hands at age 5, though I’m no expert marksman, as monetary and logistic constraints prohibit me from as much practice as I’d like. I’d be glad to pass on basic firearms safety and skills to anyone wishing to learn.
I also know enough about a lot of random subjects to be dangerous, so I’ll chip in what I can.
Luke,
Welcome!
What about some real-time interaction? It is in the works. Your details are beyond my skill level to comprehend. I last worked in unix\BSD back in the early 90′s with SunOS. I don’t know the details of what is going on with the infrastructure but if you could drop me an email at unquietmind42@aol.com I will check in with those that do and find out the details.
Please include your background, if possible, so I can keep track. It may take a few days, – hurry weekend we can’t wait – but I will reply either way.
Unquiet Mind
Clay,
Dude, you’re a firefighter!
’nuff said.
Welcome!
UQ.
Go to bed.
Clay,
A fireman with a PS degree. That could lead to some smoke in the firehouse during the lulls.
. (I have relatives on both the professional and volunteer side of firefighter\EMT arena.)
I got my first .22 from my Marine dad when I was (?; how old was I; have to ask dad). He got it from his father. Gave it to me in parts with the old yellowed maintenance\assembly instructions. “When you can put it together, I will teach you how to shoot.” If I remember correctly, it took me a few days to get it right.
Good Memories, Thanks,
Unquiet Mind
When Ejectia was just a hint and whisper a couple weeks ago, calling upon all of us to examine what we’re good at and what we can teach to others, I was thrilled but also dejected, because I’ve realized recently that I’m only “good” at Texas Hold’em, Sudoku, and procrastinating about everything that’s not Texas Hold’em or Sudoku. And on a bad day, I’m not even that good at either of the first two.
So while the idea excited me in principle, having been a Friend Of Bill W. for a long time, and not the Alcoholics Anonymous version — there can be no Twelve Steps once Eject! Eject! Eject! has throttled your brain — part of me was disappointed, because so many of you are so smart and so successful in ways that transcend base materialism that it makes me feel like a failure.
But luckily, now that Bill’s really spelled out the why of Ejectia with YOU ARE NOT ALONE, the discouragement has vanished: the most important thing about Ejectia is not what any of us brings to the table; it’s that we’ve come to the table in the first place. There is strength in numbers, and no matter how superficial my contribution may be, it will be a contribution: one more addition to the Tribe, one more member of Silent America.
So I hope you giants don’t mind if I manage to climb my way to atop your shoulders. If this project succeeds, then maybe someday I’ll echo Bill’s own words, from the end of FREEDOM: I am deeply proud to be a member of such a magnificent group of people. I hope to God I can give back as much as I owe.
Mike Marchand
South Bend, IN
Thanks for the welcome, daddyquatro and Unquiet.
In answer to the voice acting question, nah, you probably haven’t heard me yet. Most of my work’s been local, and the rest won’t come out for a while.
As for proofreading: Hey, whatever makes the Internet more legible. Someone’s gotta do it. :p
Mike Marchand,
A wonderful post, Sir. May I welcome you, and buy you a libation at Chase’s? What would your pleasure be? We have the most eclectic collection of ales, brews, and all manner of libation known, so don’t be shy…
I think daddyquatro was here a while ago, and I’m sure he’ll be back, but sit down, have a sip or a quaff, and relax. I hope you, like I, find that you’re among friends…
I don’t have much energy in life left for anything *but* ideas… those I can worry to death and work to get what’s left of my thought processes to turn them into something more or less understandable and comprehensible.
One of the things that I looked at is the 21st century form of political party which must actually utilize the ideas behind most of the modern, online world. It is flat, non-heierarchical, no steering committees, no funding arm… in short no way to concentrate power into a permanent and small group that then proceeds to abuse power. Joining requires agreeing in whole or in part with those making such community and openly stating one’s differences and views on what they do and don’t subscribe to. Being open about one’s beliefs is necessary so that others can know where you are coming from.
Actual, registered *party* as in the current political process is stood up by those wanting to make same. That registered *party* will adhere to the power distribution concept and ensure that those making up the party share equally in its control.
This party has an ethics code to be enunciated or not so that folks know if you hold yourself accountable for what you do. The Party, itself, are the ideas held in common which are not doctrine and to be implemented by individuals who clearly state their views on them. Individuals gather donations from those that agree with them.
Mostly I created the thing so that I could regularize my thoughts and give them a proper ordering and outlook. For all the fact I understand the role of organizations and communities, and have taken part in various online communities since the old BBS days, I am not much of a community based individual and look to my own means to safeguard myself and those I care for. I had meant for my blogging to serve as a sort of ‘message in a bottle’ concept, to put forward a good idea or two for those finding the Republic in bad straights and needing some sort of a different outlook that breaks across the current ideologies. That site and the party site materials are all free for theft with attribution. Good ideas are built from many parts, and it seems to me the Nation and the world are lacking a few basic outlooks. Can’t say they are *perfect* or even *good* but I do try to make what I put together *better* than what exists.
If I had more energy and real life of any sort left, I would not be online all that much as my time was productive and useful when my thoughts were more coherent. Now I work with what is left and hope a few ideas will let others see things in a new light so that a way forward can be found.
Mike Marchand,
After having worked for and with people in numerous jobs over the past 20 years or so, and finding that 90%+ of them have no intellectual curiosity whatsoever, I was feeling pretty smart before I found the sites that eventually led me here.
Even before I was directed to E!3 (I think it was when Power came out), I had been humbled by the people who had gathered in places like Misha’s Place, John Hawkins’s site, or Kim’s site, finding people who were much more able to put thoughts to words than I. Then I came here and read Bill’s essays and was astounded. Now, finding so many articulate people gathered in one place is simply amazing, and I thank Bill for providing the draw which has called so many together. So, as Bill says in this latest essay, You are not alone.
Interesting idea, I have no idea just what a vitural city should look like but, in my opinion the individual building/links of the main page should give a newcomer a rough guess as to where they go.
Like a 3D image of a renisance (sp, not so good at) armory could lead to a room/board devoted to weapons and weapons safty. A cathedral could go to religous discussions. Various towers on the outer walls in the background could go to areas discussing border security or world events.
I am not sure what Bill has in mind, but to me this is an easier way for someone who has never been to a nexus (or whatever its called) before.
Hi all,
Since one of the purposes of Ejectia is to share info among like minded folks, I am going to ask for a favor. In Honor of Memorial Day, I am looking for a animated American Flag to post on the main page of my blog. I really have no skills in this regard and would truly appreciate some help. Credit will be given. I would imagine this would be a downloadable GIF file or something. Someone out there probably has what I need sitting on their hardrive. If you have suggestions for me or an actual file, email me at natomaswestATyahooDOTcom. Thanks.
I am a professional instructor and teacher, fluent in English, Italian, and Spanish, and I know the basics of Russian, Farsi, Arabic, and Mandarin. More importantly, I know how to teach languages and would love to offer this service to anyone who would like this. Also, throw in Photoshop CS2, web page design (would love to work with the programmers here) 25 years of music (percussion and piano) and a somewhat published poet.
I wonder if we should have a regional section to the virtual city? After all, there are some things (like teaching someone how to shoot), that need to be done face-toface.
Speaking of which, I just spent some time learning how to shoot and clean an M-16 after the Navy sent me on an all expenses trip to Iraq, but I could use some help with pistols. Is there anyone within a hundred miles of Washington, DC who’d be willing to help out? I’m a historian/researcher by training, but I could also make you some beer or sew together a sail or something.
Tim
Skype does video chat. Skype is free and a good laptop camera is available for around 60 US$ or less.
Just get that in mind.
http://www.skype.com
Please count me in! This is little that I feel that I can offer, compared to the credentials of some of the posters here, but I may be of some small assistance.
In Real Life, I support LAN and WAN hardware for a living. I also do a great deal of technical writing, and have served on projects that successfully rolled out knowledge management tools. If you need content management done (realizing we are a FAR ways from that point), I’m your girl.
I agree with an earlier poster that the size of this project is too large for usual blog or Wiki formats. A forum may serve to an extent, but I doubt that it will meet all needs.
Perhaps, as a respectful suggestion, all of the above might be considered? Use a content management tool for articles and shared knowledge that users will want to search, use a forum for flyby fast-paced discussions and brainstorming, keep Bill’s blog (duh!); etc. Just as a city has many departments and utilities, so could this virtual community.
Of course, this means space, bandwidth, and organization. It could even mean that in the future, we’ll all need to pitch in to keep our virtual city running. But, speaking only for myself, I have no problem paying a monthly or annual subscription fee just to know that there is a meeting place I can visit to interact with other like-minded souls, and learn.
Overall, I comment very rarely, because someone else has already stated what’s on my mind quite eloquently. But I’m usually hanging about, even quietly. If there’s anything I can do to help, please just sing out, or drop me a note at muse[DOT]thalia[AT]gmail[DOT]com.
Bill, once again, you’ve turned growing frustration into hope and the sense that all is not lost.
Excuse me if this is something someone has already brought up or if it sounds a tad silly (I’ve been sniffing bleach fumes in the kitchen for over an hour now)…
Something about Tim’s above comment made me think of an idea for having a “Trading Post” or “Market Place” type of forum. If you have a need, or a service you are willing to render in return for help in another area, and are willing to meet up (online or in person) with those that can provide the service you need or needs the help you can give, then the trading post would be the place to check first. Then if that is not helpful you can try checking the more specific areas of Ejectia! to find more information. It might be a way to keep things in the main forums from becoming too confusing. It can be broken down into subcategories, by needs and services. Something along the line of a Convenience Store stop to see if it saves you the trip to the Supercenter.
Just a thought that popped into this tired brain of mine.
Linda, I agree this is too big for a wiki or blog comments. It will be too big for a forum, but it’s better to have something running that sortof works than wait for the perfect solution.
Absolutely, Rich. I think what I was suggesting is a website with multiple pages. In keeping with the Virtual City State idea, I was thinking the main page would serve as a sort of central square, with links: “this way to the forum;” “that way to the university (knowledgebase);” “Essays (Bill’s writings);” etc.
Just throwing out ideas. (I do so love a good brainstorming session!)
Oops! Pardon me, Richard! Took a liberty! Shouldn’t have shortened your name w/out permission. (Only defense — I work with a “Rich”. We were talking only a few minutes before I typed my last comment!)
Blushingly,
L.
NP, L
I’m going to assume a nom de keyboard sometime soon, just because there are too many Richards posting.
LabRat,
If I may be so bold, I have a suggestion for the code of conduct. Near the end, in the “get noticed” section, leave out the line that says: “This possibility will only ever be true in your own dementia.”
That particular line is belaboring the point of some otherwise perfectly delivered snark.
As Dr. Katz’ drinking buddy once said, “When you have to start explaining your jokes, life’s just not worth living”.
Best,
MZ
OK. Next time I clean it up for v.4.0 (which should be the last), I’ll take that line out, and probably clean it up and edit a bit more in general once I’ve not been looking at it for a few days and can see it with fresher eyes.
Your point is well taken.
I’m a web content writer by trade; I’ve done technical writing, marketing writing, and political writing (strictly amatuer) for the past nine years. Seem to have some natural talent for it too … perhaps the gods felt they had to counterbalance my ineptitude with romantic relationships.
At this point in the construction of Ejectia! I think I’d be of most help editing what other people write for structure and readability. If you need to get a point across via the written word but just don’t feel you’re doing a good job of it, I’m your man.
Feel free to email me anything that you want to run by an experienced writer. That goes for stuff outside this project, too; I’m happy to help any honest, decent person communicate an important concept.
G
I travel for work in the “real world”. So sometimes it seems I cannot do much about some things that require more stability. But maybe I can share as I go on the road. I’m new to this computer stuff so talk of code and sql is Greek to me, but I am a great motivator,poet,gardener,musician,and lover of life, words, and meaning. My heart fluttered as the envelope opened. I would humbly like a room in the school if we open one.
Greg,
20 minutes ago you were drinking beer and waxing.
Now you’re here and writing a perfectly honest post.
My kind of dude.
Welcome, again!
D4/Stan
You make very logical points, love your thoughts and have been reading for some time.
I have some idea where you’re going but I have no idea how it will or will not work out.
Many people here have expertise which can be very useful. I have been in quality for 28 years, what can possibly I contribute?
I have had some assignments of which I considered important, chief inspector on engine controls of the advanced tactical fighter, stealth bomber, cruise missile (I’m really showing my age now) harpoon missile, B2 bomber, F117 and many others. How can I possibly fit into a community with these skills?
You want to know how to measure something? I can tell you. How to use a C.M.M.? no problem. Simple things like a micrometer or a caliper? Yup.
Maybe something I excel in other than my profession could be of some help.
History buff, versed in current events and a damn good cook.
Is there a need for someone with these credentials?
Craig,
There is always room for a damn good cook! If for no other reason than I like to talk about cooking.
Welcome aboard!
Don
Graig,
Dude! Do you know how many people wouldn’t have a clue how to use Calipers or a Micrometer if you handed one to them?
As to your other main skills, try thinking about how what you were trained in might relate to everyday life. For instance: I’ll bet you had to work in some pretty cramped spaces. How did you manage to make the most of your available work space?
And we can never get too many historians (Well, maybe, if they are all focused on the same section of History…)
Mr. Johnson, 5/25, 9:28 AM –
A “quick and dirty” Google Search turned up something you might look at… http://www.patrioticon.org/patriotic-downloads.htm …
Maybe you could give it a look.
And WELCOME ABOARD, Sir!!!
RiverCocytus — I use Skype extensively in remaining in touch while here in China… cheap, cheap, cheap…(inexpensive rates)!!!
Linda, 5/25, 11:25 AM — I don’t think the folks in the ARCHITECURE group are looking at any ONE solution for the entire site… I think they are figuring on “the best of the best” for each particular “application” in the site… your thought of a “web site with multple pages,” (indirect quote), is, I believe, spot on!!! Welcome, m’Lady, and THANK YOU!!!!
Greg Neuman, Craig, Weston — Nice to meet you folks!!! Welcome to the “Best Little Website in WebSpace…” (my term…) GREAT to have you along!!!
Unbelievable thinking going on here!
Just letting you know I posted an update at the top of the page. More coming very soon! The progress is incredible.
BW
My coding skills are pretty limited to HTML and basic style sheets but I have some experience moderating discussions that I would gladly offer if needed. I also think I may be able to offer a site as an example to buld “Ejectia” on. It’s called Ancient Worlds, a large site for students and lovers of ancient history.(www.ancientworlds.net) They have created emmense archives of information, forums, scheduled discussions, chat rooms, an various areas of accessibility for moderators and administrators. Eventually, they *did* have to move to a subscription basis at various levels but the majority of information and access is still without cost to the user. It *does* allow for multiple user personas, which while suitable there, (some folks want to study in Rome and Iberia for example,) could be a nightmare here. There are other “frills” that I doubt would be needed here such as “decorated” personal pages, but the basic premise might be something worth building on.
On a side note, I can alredy see what an enriching experience this is going to be as I just found myself agreeing 100% with Mac, the Atttorney…Amazing!
I am intrigued.
I don’t know exactly how useful I would be. I’m something of an artist with a little animation background, but with my cleaning job I don’t have much time or money to do most of the things I like.’
Apart from my webcomic, I’m picking away at making the assets for some kind of 3D animated talk show to put up on YouTube.
Lorraine 5/26 1:35 AM — You AGREED with an attorney… I have a feeling WONDERS will NEVER CEASE on this site, with these people, and this premise!!!
George guy 5/26 1:58 AM –
There’s MORE than enough room, let me be the first to welcome you in!!! Hope you enjoy the view!!!
After reading these comments there’s some incredible talent in this collection of minds. I’m retired and my contribution, however small, is I read to the first graders in the public schools. I also have a small opportunity to encourage them to think on their own, to do what is right. This I hope counters the standard indoctrination the publi schools dispense. One small but eager mind at a time.
Clark Carter 5/25 5:09 AM –
What are you doing UP at this time of day?!? I know I am a “morning person,” (usually up no later than 4:00 AM, whatever time zone, but that’s me…) Well, I for one am glad you are… glad you took a moment to post… glad you do what you do!!!
Thank you, kind Sir!!! And a big Welcome aboard!!!
I hope one of the repositories will be on Seedkeeping. This is important for the physical future of man on earth and when he begins his travels across space.
The idea of the library fills me with excitement, a true treasure trove.
Thanks again Mr.Whittle on the Big Idea.
Hi all,
I’m an entrepreneur in the communications business living in Hong Kong. I’m originally from Canada but have lived in Asia for nearly 20 years. I’m a father of three with experience in philanthropy, real estate, writing, photography, music, etc. I’m not entirely sure how these interests/abilities would fit, but I’d be pleased to share whatever I can.
LabRat: I think your code covers all the bases. More important, it catches the spirit that I think Ejectia should embody.
Paul A: I’ll be here in Hong Kong until mid July, when I take off on vacation. I’d be happy to buy you a beer while you’re here. You can reach me at quidividi8 – at – runbox – dot – com.
Bill: Many thanks for the excellent essays and for providing the spark for Ejectia.
Best
Midas Mulligan
Last week, I didn’t know who Bill Whittle was.
Today, I’m throwing my lot in with him.
I don’t want to overstate my background, but I have experience in broadcasting (technical and talent sides), website design and management, support services, graphic designer, musician, actor, director, follower, leader, and most importantly: Dad to four great boys.
I think that this is an amazing idea… and if it’s going where I think it’s going, it could be one of the more important projects on the web.
ARCHITECTURE: I echo previous recommendations of Drupal. It is a particularly robust and scalable platform for exactly this sort of project. Modules are available for nearly everything that has been mentioned above, and it can be up and running very quickly. It is easy to admin and maintain— and the price is right (G). I’ve seen Drupal sites handle a slashdotting— IMO, there’s no reason to re-invent the wheel.
Although my time is kind of limited (re-read the part about the four sons, above…), I am happy to be here, and hope that I can contribute some value.
Ian
I’m a little late to the party and I have never commented before, but Bill, your writings are dead on with how I have felt for many years.
What skills do I have? I am an artist (ceramics, painting, computer animation and a little web design – mostly on the graphics side)
Can I teach it, yea – I’m pretty good at teaching.
I don’t know if you need the skills I’ve got but just let me know and I will do what I can to help out.
At first, I didn’t think I had much to offer. I mean, most of the people posting comments have real, marketable skills. My English degree seems so tiny in comparison.
Then I started thinking about the non-work related questions people ask me during the day. I realized then I can make a contribution. I am an amateur health and fitness coach. I have researched and participated in sport and training of one sort or another for almost 20 years. This research includes comparing weight lifting vs. aerobic work and combinations of the two.
Need a workout plan? Need to set some goals? Need a coach? Let me know.
Dear Douglas,
Here is your horoscope
for Friday, May 25:
Think of your life as a good book. Sometimes there are twists and turns you didn’t see coming, but when you think about it, you realize they were pretty much inevitable. All your hard work has prepared you for this.
Maybe so, but it didn’t prepare my children for it did it?
People, i have followed the first of the ten set down by moses to the abandonment of my Family & learned something that all people of Virtue already know.
My Story will be told.
But this is not the time or place.
That will happen in the arena when i face apollyon.
Until then, whatever has, is or will go wrong is my fault.
Or Stan’s because every good beat’in goes better with a beer! ;^)
I had been consigned to a fog surrounded by a cacophany of bleating, incoherent voices. Coming upon a door and having no key, I knocked. The door to the world of E!3 opened.
I can offer nothing regarding computer skills.(It took me an hour to learn to hit the Ctrl-Alt-Del keys at the same time ! )
I can offer 30+ years of very large commercial/industrial property management experience, a love of chess and the ocean sciences and two failed marriages.
If that qualifies..I’d be pleased to join up.
Thank you
This has very little to do with Ejectia, but…
Hey Instinct, you do ceramics? Do you do any handbuilding for sculpture? I’m trying to get back into it (though not until fall- the studio I rent space at has kids’ classes all summer and that spells horrible mortality for greenware), but I seem to be the only non-potter ceramics person in town. I’d love to pick your brain sometime if that’s your interest too.
Just a couple more comments, on top of my offer of language instruction and Photoshop work.
Has anyone thought of doing a weekly podcast? With a few writers/ editors, and one or two podcasters, it would be a good way to disseminate information among Ejectians. I would be more than willing to set this up if I have a few people working with me, and I could commit at least three to five hours a week reading stuff for the podcast.
Has anyone here been following the Free State Project? I already know from personal experience (I live in southern New England) that New Hampshire is fairly libertarian, and if the project succeeds, it will be even more-so. If we really want to find land or a physical location, this would be a place to check out. I may do some field research next weekend, and let you know what I’ve found out.
Dougman,
I would be most honored to hold the post of emergency backup Dougman. However, I have, quite possibly, the world’s smallest ass.
Cris B,
I too have some fitness and health and nutritional background, herbs and martial arts…Chi-Gung, Tai-Chi, meditation, stretching,maybe we could open a health center.
Hey LabRat, pick away
I have done sculptural work and come fall I’m going to be in grad school and taking sculpture as part of my requirements. Most of the stuff I have done so far has been on the small scale for character design (for animation)
But (big bonus) my ceramics professor knows more about ceramics than anyone I have ever met, so if I don’t know the answer I am pretty dang sure he would.
Bill, again I love your site, your postings and your ability to put into words the things that I have learned my whole life from men who were never afraid to step up and hold the line. You voice all the things that I know. Proud to know you and proud to have served.
Midas Mulligan 5/26 6:27 AM –
Dude, thanks for “stopping by!” I’m in Hong Kong ’till early Sat. AM, 6/01… I’ll email you, and maybe I’ll buy YOU a brew!!! (I’ll have a diet soda or fruit juice…)
Ian Sutherland 5/26 9:10 AM –
Four boys, eh?!? What ages? Do we possibly have a DaddyQuatro(squared) here? WELCOME aboard!!!
Instinct 5/26 9:32 AM –
Your skills WILL be valued, but, probably more important, your life experiences and intellectual contributions will matter. Welcome aboard, Sir!!!
Chris B. 5/26 19:15 AM –
DITTO the remarks above… I think this will be a LOT about many things, and LIFE is the preparation.
DOUGMAN –
You here?!?! Or did you just slink by?!?!?
Daniel 5/26 10:44 AM –
You sound imminently qualified to me… Welcome!!!
C. J. Casey 5/26 1:15 PM –
Very interesting thoughts and suggestion. Hold onto that… maybe “down the road…” Who knows?!?! Welcome aboard, Sir!!!
Responding to Bill’s update -
The Lounge is terrific, but chat software is so impermanant. It’s fine for a conversation between 2 people (and I think that should be available) but I’m a big fan of threaded forum structures. The non-real-time conversations allow vastly more people to participate.
George guy 5/26 1:58 AM –
What do you need for the animation you want to do? I’ve got a bunch of old Macs sitting around….
Don
I
My name is Peter Jackson, but I’m not that Peter Jackson so don’t get excited or anything. I know Ejectia! probably needs a political party like it needs a hole in the head, but for the last two years I’ve been putzing around with a website trying to build a narrative for what I call liberal capitalism and an online political party called the Liberal Capitalist Party.
I wouldn’t mention it if it weren’t for the fact that the whole project has been heavily influenced by Bill’s essays from the start. Silent America is listed as one of the foundational documents of the party along with Virginia Postrel’s The Future and It’s Enemies and Brink Lindsay’s Against the Dead Hand.
I hope no one thinks that it’s inappropriate for me to post a link here but the fact that Bill’s vision and my vision are so in line with each other, so complimentary, that I felt stupid not doing so. But please, Bill, if I’ve stepped over the line don’t hesitate to delete this comment. Regardless, as far as Ejectia is concerned the Liberal Capitalist Party, such as it is, is all in.
What skills do I have? I know Macs pretty well and I know enough xhtml and CSS to be dangerous to myself from time to time. More than anything else I’m capable of reasoning out the implications of ideas and idea systems, and I can teach anything.
yours/
peter.
Don | May 26, 2007 6:00 PM
A render farm would be greatly appreciated, though I’m not at a point where I really need something like that quite yet. This thing is really still in its infancy stage.
First off, I love the idea, and would be happy to help out how I can. Even if this turns into a big episode of crash and burn, it will most certainly be a rewarding episode of disaster.
Far as I can tell, this looks like a lot of the ideas that are being kicked around here are things that folks in some communities have been chewing on for a while, although I haven’t run across something like this specifically, I would like to toss in a few ideas.
1) A lot of the underlying mechanics of what is being talked about basically fall under the category of social networking software, and there’s been a lot of really good stuff put together on this front which may be of great use to folks pondering these things.
2) There are certainly concerns with using a wiki-like system, but you might want to check into the Citizendium project, which is a rival to wiki started by the founder of Wikipedia in a bid to iron out some of the deep, underlying structural problems that exist in the current wiki architecture.
“You might not get the system you want, but you do get the system you incentivize for.”
3) The ratings system idea isn’t bad, but as many have pointed out, can fall prey to a number of problems. I would submit that what folks seem to be driving at is something that looks a little bit like reputation economics. I think the model has broad applicability, particularly if somewhat economic ideas are applied.
3a) Giving someone else credit should cost you a little bit – you’re staking your reputation on them not actually sucking (think of referring a buddy for a job), and can mitigate some of the popularity contest mechanics. Likewise, beating down on someone should cost (a bit more than praising), simply to force folks to forestall impetuous criticism, and, in general encourage people to be a bit more judicious in their condemnation.
3b I would also submit that there must be some sort of buffering mechanism, or transactional limits or delays, or something of the sort to forestall tit-for-tat rating retribution or mutual admiration societies.
3c) Overall, it is important to keep a system configured as an economy – particularly the part about the fact that wealth can actually be created and that not all transactions are zero sum.
4) Another thing that might be worth checking out is some of the concepts underlying social bookmarking projects such as Digg as a means of letting people draw attention to that which is useful. It’s sort of like the whole link and trackback thing from back when the number of blogs was small enough that there was significant feedback between blogs on various ideas.
5) As to anonymity, I am very, very much in support of allowing anonoymity, while keeping the 1-to-1 correspondence intact. I work in areas which, while not classified or are covered by any sort of NDA, aren’t things that do benefit from a little bit of discretion. I have no intention of violating any of those confidences whether anonymous or not, but I’d just as soon not have to deconflict my involvement here with anything at work, by making issues muddier. Particularly if it results in people erroneously mixing professional views and arguments with personal views and arguments – particularly in the event that participation online could be taken wildly out of context.
That’s all I have for now, and wish I could dig into these things a bit more, but I’m still slaving away over a hot computer, and have to get back to work-related stuff.
BRD
Also, if someone can stomach the content, it might not hurt to see what the pros and cons of the D-Kos model have been thus far.
Well so far Ive read and lurked and commented my ‘amens’ along the way – I am incredibly amazed myself at such beautiful things that people have suggested. I had never before heard of anything like what you have started, Bill & Company, much less something called Second Life. In my life I have determined this much: that I was not given so many skills to lead; instead, I do believe I was given skills to follow and support and encourage…and I am still learning how to USE those skills. I cannot tell you how excited I am to have been led to a place where those skills will recieve the finest influence.
So once again, I am chiming in to say “Yipeee!! Yay! And I can’t wait!”
Steph,
Welcome to the perfect school.
Not yet, but that’s the vision.
peter jackson,
Don’t think we’re quite ready to move into the politcal sphere just yet but for me personally, I LOVE THE NAME!
Liberal, with its original meaning: in support of liberty.
And Capitalist; the frame of reference that has brought the greatest degree of liberty to the world.
I’ll check it out.
Sharon,
Come ye and be a lurker no more! Great things are coming.
Welcome!
The Remnant? Here’s one:
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2089130,00.html
Sir HM 5/27 3:11 AM –
It would appear you are correct, Sir! Thank you for the post, and Welcome!!!
The guardian also shows something that we have to aim to stop the puting scare quotes around the word hero. This Adam chap was clearly a hero. Why does the guardian feel the need for the quotation marks?
I think that the number of people who have come out of the woodwork saying, “This is the first time I’ve commented anywhere” is a testament to how much Bill’s latest has resonated with so many, wouldn’t you say? Or did you say that already, daddyquatro, somebody?
WELCOME ALL!!
Oh, and Steph, you’re absolutely right. Heroes need to be properly lauded more often, and not looked on as an aberration.
WayneB
I think I got all cheesy and said something about tuning forks and breastbones.
Steph, WayneB
Oh, we can’t have heros in the world because that would imply that the opposite also exists.
We all know that there are no real “villians” in the world; just folks we haven’t figured out how to get along with yet.
PS
No villians but GWB and America of course.
WOW! I’m not alone, am I? Let me say thanks to Mr. Whittle and putting to words so eloquently, exactly how I feel. I am retired USAF, aircraft maintenance and logistics, currently the HR Coordinator for and aircraft painting company. I offer any and all life skills I have acquired along the way, no strings attached. I am certainly proud to be among the likes of this fine crowd, known as Ejectians!
Regards
RJS
WARNING! Do not take a short vacation, even if it means missing a daughters graduation! Playing catch-up around here (59 printed pages small type) is tough on the eyes as well as the time – but it was worth it! And that was just thru Friday night, now I have 11 pages more from yesterday. However, before reading most recent, must post two things -
labrat -
Code of Conduct – outstanding – especially liked “Politics”. Maybe one of those “I agree” buttons could be added before being allowed to post first time. In all seriousness, it is kind of an “I’m in” declaration and well worth the read. Humor in it aside, it “is” how we feel. Might be amusing to have an “I don’t agree” button too just for a heads up. That person’s postings could then be marked with an icon of some sort – red flag, saber, question mark, mask???
Additionally, when I need some “humor” in a particularly trying moment may I come looking for you?
Dougman! Did you go to Milwaukee (what a fun town) to my daughter’s graduation too? There were some commentor(s) in this august group who were beginning to suffer withdrawals! No more vacations for you and welcome home!
Andrea
I will offer my help. I have experience in running a BBS before internet. I have served as a beta tester for a few programs of the if you don’t break it your doing something wrong school. I have a very rudmentary skill with html and css. I know a little about a lot, air conditioning and heating and refrigeration has been my experience for over 30 years. DIY and some construtctions skill, photographer, wood turner and woodworker, swimming pool maintanence, machineist,electrical, electronics. Boy Scout Volunteer. Writing skill so-so. Have answers to a lot of questions just ask and I’ll pass on what I can.
Andrea- thank you. I’m still tweaking it (in a much more minor fashion), and there are definitely plans afoot resembling what you describe.
You can come to me for a grin anytime, though if I’m feeling grumpy I might have to break out the rubber chickens.
Labrat -
Rubber chicken!!!! Perhaps that can be the icon (with a large mallet over it’s head?) for those who press the “I don’t agree” button! There are enough artists here who could handle something like that!
Andrea
Andrea!
Hey Girl!
I’m enjoying this fine afternoon with the Old W ine-skin.
In the kingdom of G-D. right now!
Passover baby!
YEAH!
http://www.myspace.com/sweetcharityc
Go introduce yourselves to my Family.
This is the place my Wife set up during our seperation.
She can’t find it in herself to believe in me,can you?
Dougman,
Beautiful Kids!
I believe in you D’man! I believed in you even before I knew there was a Dougman. I mean all these crappy things that happen to me can’t possibly my fault, can they?
Got you back brother. Just shout.
“your” back.
Don’t you ever give up?
I’ll Never surrender but to the One.
As is proper, Grasshopper. As is proper.
Dougman!!!! Your back… You gotta catch up with The Chase Lounge. I gotta deal with the kids for a few. Back after 5. Unquiet
Dougman -
Yes! I believe in you!
Go look at a rose!
But I don’t matter – the question is – do you?
If not – go look at a rose!
Andrea
There’s one important issue that has yet to be addressed.
We’re going to need bumper stickers.
I require something I can attach to the outer surface of my car/other personal effects that has “Remnant”, or something to that effect, on it.
On a related note, I just coughed up the requisite $2400 for a macbook pro, and after struggling for hours over what to name it, finally settled on just “REMNANT.”
Interesting. I was thinking I’d have to do this myself. Imagine my surprise to find this place accidentally.
Western Civilization is going to the stars. Count on it.
I’ve always assumed this was the way to escape. The natural order, leaving behind the decay and rot. And no doubt WesternCiv is under assault.
Me – builder of companies, small but growing. Good at organizing/planning. From big picture to detail.Some computer knowledge. Networking, hardware. Programming in dead languages long ago. In the real world I can provide legal help.I can learn anything, and am fairly quick about it.
Two brief questions/observations (Well, okay, three..)
1. This base of knowledge is vulnerable. If TSHTF the internet may not be available. We need some way to make replicated backups of the sum of the community knowledge locally. And frequently, bc you never know when this won’t be here. Additionally, seed banks, or anything tangible is vulnerable. Actual objects like that would need to be distributed for redundancy. (Which means we’d need actual property in more than one real world location, ideally in different countries.)
2. Banking/Economics. If we going to be here and doing this, shouldn’t the organization be capitalistic in nature? More so than simple ad revenue? Perhaps our own monetary system/credit system for use internally. And then, some method of exchange with the ‘real world’. The point, of course would be to be a net importer of wealth. Do things in the real world, provide services, etc. and build here…. not by charity as such, but by creation of wealth treating the entire world as an external market. Profit off the others.
3. Is the end goal to actually E!E!E! Earth? A colony?
I found this site 3 hours ago.
D’Anconia:
The objective is success and stability. One thing that should be clear is that the population is exceedingly diverse. I, for one, would be happy with a less “virtual” incarnation. I am willing to move in a few years to join a community of like-minded people. This discussion is presently in English, but two of us view Esperanto (the universal second language) as a means for spreading the concept worldwide. At this point, I don’t believe we want to constrain its form. If you think it should be backed up — you should plan to do it! I doubt your plans will be rejected, unless they interefere with others.
Personally, I think it should be distributed and redundant. To that end, I am looking into establishing my own web presence, with the objective of becoming one link in the structure (one building in the valley). I am personally partial to WikiMedia, because much of what I construct and document contains mathematical equations, and WikiMedia has the best browser-based method of typesetting mathematical formulae that I have seen.
Money is an interesting issue. I would like to see something like e-Gold, but I’m not willing to pay “a few percent” per deposit and/or withdrawl. The level of transparency required for investment security is also high. Similarly, privacy is an issue that cuts both ways. About I decade ago, I bought into “Laissez Faire City” (LFC), which ended up being somewhere between a scam and a good idea gone wrong. LFC provided the ultimate privacy — nobody knew who anyone else was, unless they had joined through outside recommendations. It turned out at the end that half-a-dozen or more of the “principals” were all the same person, the founder, who used multiple online personalities to “vote” to ensure his recommendations would pass. We should be very careful about a “funding” process for Ejectia, to ensure that people with less than honorable motives do not try to take it over.
docduke
P.S.: Anyone who has a strong stomach can follow the link in my name to see my comments on the Senate Immigration Bill.
docduke,,
Hmm… my point wasn’t really to language. But availability of the internet. If something catastrophic happened to the US, there would BE no internet. And these resources are survival oriented….. I meant we should have local “hard” copies, in whatever language.
Yes, vaguely aware of LFC. I think where I was going was a way to use our skills/trade here, on the outside world and cause them to fund us….. ideally, we’d build this by providing exorbitantly priced services to IRS agents and Congressman…or perhaps that’s just my sense of humor.
Daddyquatro, I gotta ask bru, is my name actually that feminine? I’m told it’s French for an assayer, or one who makes judgements.
I am, in fact, a 17 year old male who plays football and can press twice his body weight. I was just doin’ my best to be humble. )P
I can tolerate profanity (although, one should work to eliminate sin in every part of one’s life), if you can tolerate my musings on the fairier sex of this age.
As for your lack of direction in serving Christ, I find that just living your life where you are, but living it as if you were Christ (with his compassion, tenderness, and holiness) is a good place to start.
Gaige
D’Anconia,
I certainly am not trying to constrain it! Nor do I want to change the language. I am just saying that my view is it will be enormously broad in scope, leaving everyone the flexibility to contribute what they wish, within the constraints that Master Whittle chooses to establish. Based on what I have seen recently of Congress, it appears to be a black hole for funding. If you wish to get money out of it, you have to put money into it, and what trickles out afterward depends on whose district you are in!
docduke
Just some rudimentary civil planning ideas for Ejectia:
University of Ejectia: A forum for knowledge transfer. No debate here, more a place to post essays, ask & answer questions, etc.
The Octagon: A forum for debate.
The Fortress: An intellectual sanctuary of sorts, explicitly dedicated to the development of strategies for the defense of The West from its enemies, both foreign and domestic.
The Armory: A place dedicated to the practical implementation of the virtues of Ejectia
into the real world. Where the rubber meets the road, if you will, for Remnant Activism.
The General Store: A place to trade skills, goods, and services.
The Chase Lounge: An oasis for social gathering, humor, and general mirth & merriment. Must be stocked with Tullamore Dew along with good ales & lagers.
A couple of afterthoughts:
Welcome Center: An entry point to aid in navigating Ejectia. Maps, directories, links, etc.
The Great Hall: A touchstone repository of sacred Western thought, quotes, a Hall of Heroes, memorials, etc.
Oh! And Whittle Manor, of course…
Gaige,
My deepest apologies!
I tried to find my reply to you but the thread has gotten beyond me. In my defense, you wrote,
“Mr. Whittle, may I ask if there is a humble little sliver of this valley that we believing Christians may call our own? It would of course be contingent on a promise not to exclusively focus on evangelism, but could a place for the exchange of ideas be complete without a market-corner for a latter-day Paul to speak from?
Of course, all those who would meet in Ejectia in the name of Christ do so to share in the commonly held values that unite us all, whether or not one calls Christ Lord. We would not spend our time saying, “You are an amoral heathen”, but rather attempt to be a lamp in an already pretty well-lit room, and let the light of the Savior make it even brighter.
Even if it’s just the catacombs of this new city, anything you could give us would be appreciated.”
This did not strike my ear as a 17 year old, football player. Your own eloquence led me to believe that you were much older, and the gentleness of your tone led to my mis-gender-fication. I try not to assume gender from names. In your case I did.
My most humble apologies.
Paul A: Thank you for the hearty welcome. Sorry I’m a bit late but here is a cold cold Sam Adams Larger. I’m throwing in a shot of your choice as well.
Cheers!
Dougman: What a bunch of cuties! Thanks for sharing.
Dougman!
Indeed, what gorgeous chiddrins!
Must be the power of what is rumored to be a very capacious trunk.
g’night … no really, for reals….
Tanya 5/27 10:34 PM –
Ms., you are simply too kind, and too generous… Sincere thanks, and may I double back??? (That is, buy double back on you…) Good gracious, this IS going to be fun AND elucidating, eh?
Gaige Mosher @ May 27, 2007 7:59 PM & daddyquatro @ May 27, 2007 9:53 PM.
Gentlemen, if this is the level of civility that we can expect as the norm in Ejectia, I think this community has a very bright future.
Just sayin…
Aleni- my dad worked for Bill Norris and CDC for 25 years- we were CDC gypsies, installing main frames at a bunch of land grant Universities.
I have little in the way to offer Ejectia except maybe moral support and steadfastness. Count me in.
Gary C.
Bumper sticker, Check.
Would you like a mouse pad to go with that spiffy new computer?
D’Anconia,docduke
At this point there are no plans to move beyond the virtual world, build a spaceship and colonize Mars. However, I have no doubt that the remnant will begin to hook up with those close to them. In 2s and 3s, then 20s and 30s. It’s a start.
Idly Awed,
Most of your ideas have been suggested in one form or another; except the Welcome Center. Spectacular!
Tullamore Dew, Check.
First one’s on me.
Midas,
Back at you, Sir.
So is anyone working toward defining the back end stuff? Have any decisions been made in this regard? What’s being considered?
Something like CivicSpace probably has all of the features Ejectia! would need but that fact that it’s devs are mainly lefties makes me nervous. Personally, I love Xaraya (it’s what I use for most of the Liberal Capitalist Party website), it scales well and is easy to expand and customize but I worry a bit that the platform is being neglected. vBulletin is a best of class forum for sure, I’ve seen some wonderful online communities built around it, but I’ve also seen it groan beneath the weight of a huge international user community although I don’t know what the bottlenecks actually were. And then there’s Plone, open source and huge and stable, but managing it is not exactly like managing a WordPress site…
yours/
peter.
Idly Awed, I’m liking your Welcome Center idea as well, something more friendly than a FAQ page. I have to believe that daddyquatro’s brief acknowledgement does not mean to dismiss your other suggestions, but rather to note how remarkably resonantly the thinking is flowing, many minds sharing the vision and describing it in their own words, but sharing a core vision. For my part, I trust that Bill is going to be able to steer the ship, and keep building and refining, with the constant flow of great ideas like yours.
By the way one of the things Bill metioned was virtue. I thought I would create a place we could discuss virtue while ejectia is under development. So I put a post on my blog with some links to wikipeia aricles on virtue. I thought we could use the coments section to discuss virtue.
the link is http://anglosphereunionnow.blogspot.com/2007/05/on-virtue.html
Just an idle thought… How about adding a Firehouse : to put out the ” flamers ” ?
I’m getting ahead of the plan at the moment, but as it is Memorial Day – for The Great Hall/Hall of Heroes – I would be submitting the following link.
It is the work of a young man in Iowa who every year since 1999 has, in the weeks prior to Memorial Day, painted the most stirring scenes from our American and military history – on the sides of a 56 ton granite rock.
He calls it the Freedom Rock or the Patriot Rock.
It is his tribute to our military past and present.
This link includes every year to date but I have been unable to find 2007 photos – even from his website. The on-site video won’t play for me, however, he posted that the work for this year will be compete by today and based on his history I know it has been.
http://imageevent.com/awlol/freedomrockpatrioticrock
His painting says it so much better than my words ever could – but I will be eternally grateful to the men and women of our military.
Andrea
Otto Re Idly Awed,
I absolutely did not mean to dismiss Idly’s suggestions. Sorry if it came across that way. Like my momma used to say, “Great minds run in the same gutter” ;>)
I just thought the idea of a Welcome Center deserved special attention. I mean, here I am, standing by the door to shake hands and I never thought of it.
By the way,
where you been?
I’m getting too excited for and old f**t. This is one of the best ideas I’ve seen in a long time.
Sorry to be late getting on board, but been real busy lying on the beach at Destin.
I don’t know wht I can contribute, but I’m willing to do about anything. Beta testing maybe? Time I got, as a disabled retiree, but my skills are dated.
My civilian career was in configuration management, HW and SW. Maybe of use to somebody in town.
All –
Just stopping in to say, “Hey!!!” The posts continue to be, in a word, amazing. Awesome. Uplifting.
Well, one word simply did NOT do.
Getting ready to start my day, so I will be checking in from time to time.
N5 5/28 8:31 AM –
Welcome, Sir or Ma’am… Please fasten that seat belt, ‘coz we gonna be travelin’ at a high rate of speed…
Daniel 5/28 10:18 AM –
POLITICALLY INCORRECT WARNING… /On
“Ve haf vays of dealing vith zem…” and I think you’ll LIKE them!!!
POLITICALLY INCORRECT WARNING /Off
Welcome, Sir!!!
Andrea 5/28 10:30 AM –
A simply beautiful idea, IMHO… Thank you, and WELCOME!!!
Old SGW 5/28 2:05 PM –
No matter the date of the skill set, Sir… The skills are the issue, and sharing the technique… to build, improve, and propogate… My own skills are quite dated, but…
Welcome, SIr!!!
Daddyquatro – am a Houstonian as well, albeit a native one – actually live about 35 miles SW of the Blob That Ate East Texas – currently gnawing away at the fields of Fort Bend County. Too much has changed around here…so the prospect of an Ejectia is even more appealing.
A blip of a thought passed through me brain today – something that will definitely have relation to the ‘academy/archives’ that will surely be filled rapidly is perhaps (later on down the road in the future) establishing a sub-order of archives whereby the Remnant members can write something about the part of the country/world where they live. Being the history/anthropology student that I am, I know I would be absolutely fascinated by what others have to write about where they live and/or grew up or just about a part of the world that they fancy the most – a kind of ‘living history’ archive of the members, something that records what we have all experienced in our time here and will set up a foundation for what all led us here and how we will approach the future. We all want Western Civilization to survive because of our own particular experience in it. I guess I keep thinking how much more fascinating it would be to read about ancient Rome or medieval Europe if the members of those worlds (and not just the big-wigs who got to say the last word) had recorded what their experience and viewpoints were at that time.
Of course I have an ulterior motive for my own particular contribution : my husband and I cherish the history of our home state, Texas – the point where we have been endeavoring to participate in the historical re-enactments. We are getting our camping equipment together and hope that by February of next year, will be able to fully participate in re-enacting history that is dear to our hearts…not to mention educating and preserving the history that has now been horribly warped by the PC multi-culti agendas.
Sharon Ferguson -
Did you see the NYT piece today? Rows of New Markers, and Untold Sacrifice by Civil War Soldiers
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/28/nyregion/28civil.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
Another of those proud to be American kinda moments.
Andrea
Well, considering that my technical skills are pretty much zero, I’m going to content myself to lurk until there’s something substantial I can contribute.
Jimmie,
Point of fact. You are no longer a lurker.
Welcome! Don’t be a stranger. Even a big mouth like me has a place here.
Sharon,
Not a native Houstonian, (oh I guess I already said that) I hated this hot, sticky place when I first moved here. But it grows on you.
I hale from the high plains of the panhandle. Now that, I could write about. Up there, if you see a tree it’s because someone planted it, watered it and nurtured it. Down here, trees just grow all by themselves.
Love your idea for the archives!
Old SGM,
Old f**ts are especially welcome!
Bill:
I am just finishing Alvin Toffler’s book “Revolutionary Wealth” and in it he speaks of how much things are changing and gives some interesting reasons. One of his main points is that world-wide, society seems to be at or near an inflection point that will catapult us forward rapidly or cause us all to retrace our steps for awhile. I like your idea…I think it can be a catalyst for real & positive change in the right direction. Count me in!
BTW, my specialty is finance and our company has several specialists that train FEMA and others for Chem/Bio/Rad events. Give me shout and I can hook you up with an expert.
I hale from the high plains of the panhandle.
Posted by: daddyquatro | May 28, 2007 4:17 PM
I (heart) Palo Duro Canyon!
You’re native of the Staked Plains?
I’ll trade my trees for your canyons.
Maggie?
Weren’t we supposed to meet for tea in the morning?
According to my wife: Palo Duro = Hard Stick.
But then Amarillo = Yellow and I never saw anything but brown.
Canyon High School. Class of ’81
Daddyquatro – why you’re just a neighbor – howdy!
maggie- Ive been to Palo Duro – fell in love with the lead male of the musical there. Beautiful beautiful country!
Andrea – thats a WONDERFUL article! thank you!
Whew! After 3 days of cleaning out my mother-in-law’s apartment, I’m really behind! But I’m not Dougman’s behind, heh.=-)
Gaige – I have to admit, from the “voice” of your original post, I also pictured you as a 30-something woman, and I wondered why you would have a name like that.
Idlt Awed – I had had in mind suggesting an Information Booth, but a Welcome Center is much more encompassing and less impersonal. Good idea!
Sharon – The “Living History” definitely sounds like a good idea for the Library, because much of today’s History comes from just such writings, and if they are gathered together as they are written, it will be much more complete and comprehensive than if historians have to search them up and paste them together decades or more later.
Anybody I missed- Hi All!
WayneB,
Anybody I missed- Hi All!
The word you’re looking for is Ya’ll. Embrace the inner Texan. It’s only a matter of time.
D4/Stan
Because it’s been a while.
DCMSly!TAMN!
D4/Stan – we say Y’all here in Kentucky, too, I just swiped off a fast one to include everyone else.
Tha’s ma dang collidge edjucayshun a-showin’. I’s rally uh red-neck f’m down inna hills, don’cha know?
(Well, I’m actually just on the other side of the river from Cincinnati, but they call us all dumb hilljacks anyway).
Ask me sometime about the “Florence Y’All” on the water tower near where I grew up.
D4, WayneB, et alia…
Y’all doin’ such a fine job, I think I’ll go git some grub tonight…
Catch y’all on the flip side, folks!!!
Have a goodun!!!
Please count me in!
Ruth 5/29 4:43 AM –
OK, YOU are counted IN!!! And Welcome!!! Tell us more… what are you hoping to find in Ejectia! Chances are, it’ll be there, with just a little patience!
OK WayneB – I’m askin about the “Florence Y’All” on the water tower near where I grew up.”
Speaking of Texas. There you have San Antonio. My California husband pronounces the full mouth full. Some take a shorter route – San Antone…….but we grew up saying San Tone. Husband says San Tone doesn’t exist.
???
OK dear.
Andrea
Ok, Andrea,
I grew up in Burlington, KY, just a few miles down the road from Florence. Back in the mid-70′s, they decided to build a Mall near Interstate 71/75 (they’re the same road there for about 20 miles). At teh time, this was one of the largest Malls in the world.
They also built a water tower there to handle the increased water demand. Before the Mall was completed, they painted “Florence Mall” on the water tower. Due to some regulation in Kentucky, however, they were ordered to change it, because they weren’t allowed to have a sign for a business before it was open for business (don’t ask how that was written, I don’t know – I was only about 10 at the time).
Anyway, they debated quite a bit over how to make the sign conform to regulations without spending any more money than they had to, because if I remember correctly, it cost about $100 per letter to get it repainted. While they were talking this over, someone noticed that if they whited out the two outer legs of the ‘M’ in ‘Mall’, they could turn it into a ‘Y’, and add an apostrophe, to turn it into “Y’all”.
Of course, that would be a pretty uninteresting story, except that it turned into one of the wildest accidental marketing schemes in history. Because of someone’s crazy notion of how to save money, and a few square yards of paint, people came from all over the COUNTRY, and even from CANADA, to see the “Florence Y’all”. It was just amazing.
So there you have it. Now, Florence has grown from about 5,000 people then to about 50,000 today, and is growing more every day.
Oh, here’s a photo I found from the Interstate as you drive by:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevinyezbick/23064893/
I do computer network design & research for a living, and pastor and preach for free, but I have a ‘checkered past’ and can weld, fabricate, operate bulldozer or backhoe, carpenter, do wiring, auto repair – none of these things particularly well, but there you go. I have often thought about the question, “what would my town look like if everyone was like me in terms of ethics, relationships, and activities?” Perhaps that’s a remnant-related comment.
M’okay…who has put the comments box in the middle of the posted comments and made the bottom part blue?
Or is it just my browser?
Maybe I need a tinfoil hat, after refreshing my browser twice now the blue on the bottom has disappeared.
So have the comments that below this dialog box.
/hrmmmmmm…
I’m good at graphic design. We do mostly touristy-type products here at work – but my heart is in the finer arts, and creating profound beauty where it did not previously exist. Most recently, I’ve started learning the intricacies of landscaping, for similar reasons.
Howdy all…lots of info here…
Have not had time to dive in and read everything yet, but more than willing to chip in wherever I can.
My name is Michael R. and as you might guess from my handle I am a Soldier from Texas. I’m a Guardsman and teacher. Can’t wait to see what springs from all of this!
Guess who just got back today
Them wild eye’d boys that had been away
Haven’t changed, had much to say
But man i still think them cats are …
Sorry i been AWOL.
I even got kicked out of the Kingdom for indulging a little too much.
A good guest knows when it’s time to leave, unlike myself, passover>passout>hangover>hangout>GETOUT!
Can someone steer me to the Chase Lounge? I’m a little dry.
(and, no, i’m not making fun of any religion here so Back Off!) GR-rrr…
(cough…hack…spit…) ah! that’s better.
Andrea! Alexa! Tanya!
Thank You!!!
Has anybody seen my ass?
I just can’t seem to remember where i left it.
I thought it was tied up in the bushes but it must’a got lost…
I must’a got lost
Somewhere down the line
Can do all the ‘trucking’ you need. (vans, tankers, hoppers, dumps, flats)
logistics and communications are my speciality. (I can get it there -the only exception was New Orleans 21 months ago)
Can build or fabricate almost anything. (however, I don’t have my own lathe…yet)
I can skin a buck, run a trout line, make my own moonshine or milk a cow.
I wake up each morning saying: ‘I have all that I need and more than I could ever want’ and it’s not a good day if I haven’t ‘paid it forward’….
Not much into ‘group think’, don’t belong to any organizations, but I do take a stand for God and Country. I’ve got your back.
Andy,
creating profound beauty where it did not previously exist.
I can think of no higher calling.
TxSoldier94,
Howdy! And thank you for your service.
Dougman,
Friday night they’ll be dressed to kill
Down at Chase’s bar and grill
The drink will flow and blood will spill
Griselda Conn,
You wouldn’t happen to have a good friend in New York City would you? ;>)
Pay it forward and watch my back; couldn’t ask for more.
Hello, everyone! Hope you had a wonderful weekend. To the Military men and women here, whether on active duty or retired: thank you SO much for your service and sacrifices. If it weren’t for you, I would not have peaceful weekends gardening with my husband and playing with my daughter.
To Paul A: Thank you so much for your warm welcome. It brought a big smile to my face when I checked in to see where the discussion had led over the weekend. (I agree with the others who stepped away from the keyboard for a couple of days: lots to catch up on, and too much to absorb all at once. I’m glad I’m wearing my computer glasses, that’s all I can say!)
Idly Awed: I love your ideas. It was exactly what I was thinking. You expressed it perfectly!
I can’t help but chuckle a little in regard to the “y’all” discussion. A Texas-born girl who wandered toward vast mountains, and found my heart’s desire, I get a lot of funny looks from folks here in Colorado whenever I say “y’all.” Which I do without even thinking. When my husband (a Rocky Mountain native) tries to correct it in his gentle way, I just remind him that the term is inclusive. “Y’all” is a lot more welcoming than “you guys.”
Linda
Just one question.
a. a coke
b. a pop
c. a soda
d. none of the above
D4/Stan
D4: In general, my answer is “A.” Even though I (nobody gag) still prefer Big Red.
Linda,
I think daddyquatro was asking what your generic term for soft drinks was. In some areas of the South, ALL soft drinks are referred to as either “Pop”, “Soda”, or “Coke”, so that you can hear such interesting questions as, “What kind of Coke do you want, Root Beer or Mountain Dew?”
WayneB, Linda
Yes, that was the question I was trying to ask.
Where I grew up it wasn’t uncommon to be asked if you wanted a “coke” and get handed a Dr. Pepper or whatever fizzy beverage the host had on hand.
Down in south Texas the term was “soda water” which always conjured visions of a seltzer bottle.
Sorry for the confusion. Sometimes my cleverness is a figment of my imagination.
D4/Stan
Its all coke…with a little “c”.
I’m a Pepper, personally.
Anyone else here hail from the Pineywoods of East Texas?
Daddyquatro, Otto, WayneB, & Linda…
Thanks for the kind words! And daddyquatro, don’t sweat any perception that I may have felt slighted in the least by your comments. Fleshing out this great beast from skeleton will invariably involve some repetition and tweaking along the way.
….
Daddyquatro squared? I know that I’ve been called “L7″ before, but still…(G)
My boys are 13,12,10 and 6. Or something like that. Great kids- already able to see the willful mental illness that pervades our society.
Everybody knows that it’s soda, btw. Sometimes even “Sody Water”.(G) I lived in Irving, TX for several years– I now live outside of Knoxville, TN — one of the few bastions of semi-sanity that I’ve found.
I’ve looked at the Free State project, and some other more secessionist movements. I don’t know if we quite qualify as a “remnant” if we don’t remain…
Ian
I’m in. 12years in IT, and a father of three… point me where you need a hand with the place!
Ian,
The boy just turned 13 and the quatro-ettes are 11, 7 & 5.
I’ve found that most people in small towns, excluding the college/resort type communities, still have their heads screwed on straight.
Of course, in every crowd, there’s some nanny on city counsel/planning commission/homeowners association who can’t resist using their little bit of power to impose on their fellow man. The trick there is to point out their stupidity as rapidly and publicly as possible. The blogosphere is really good at that.
Houston ain’t a bastion of anything except really good Mexican food.
spool32 5/29 2:10 PM –
Welcome in, friend!!! GLAD you found us, and hope you stay!!!
I’ve pretty much always said soda pop or soda or pop, meaning a generic carbonated soft drink… When I say coke, I mean coke, pepsi, or RC Cola… (anyone “remember” RC?)… And these days, being Type 2 diabetic, I REALLY mean the Diet variety…
Here in Hong Kong and China, they are referred to as “Light…” And because I’m in the Pearl River Delta area of China, a sub-tropical, highly agricultural area outside the industrial zones, there are all manner of fresh fruit juices very readily available… from pineapple to mango to melon to the standards, orange and apple, and more… every restaurant has at least a page or two of “fancy” non-alcoholic fruit drinks, as well as the “spiked” sippers…
Just a litlle aside… Maybe I’ll start putting together a “short” article for the Gazette on my impressions here… Then again, boring would be the risk I take…
Anyhoo, gotta go get ready for the day at my “real” job…
Welcome aboard, all you “new posters,” and here’s hopin’ ALL have a good day!!!
Here’s a question designed to determine what part of Texas some of y’all are from:
What’s your favorite type of kolache?
Piney Woods critter here too.
And we call it soda water, unless it’s a Pepsi.
If Ejectia has an Intelligence Community, I’d love to be part of it. Other than that…crisis response? An Ejectia Newspaper? I’m also very good at testing chocolate but I don’t know if that’s really a helpful skill in Ejectia…
Linda – CHEESE kolache thankyaverramuch!!
Sharon, who hails from what used to be the center of the Czech Fest (Richmond – not exactly East Texas, but not West either…) and loves kolaches and klobaschniki (my spelling LOL)
Am half Czech too…
Watchcat, I’m sure there will be a use for people who can go out and gather information on things that are happening outside Ejectia. Mostly, or course, that will happen naturally, but if you want to be one who goes sniffing around the lesser-known places, in dark corners, and the like, I’m sure that information will be welcome, too.
Hi, sorry I’m so late. New job is dragging at me.
Please accept my offer to do any Tech Writing you all need. It’s well and good to build something fantastic, but if it isn’t documented, when the originators are unavailable, a good document explaining it in user terms is good to have.
Bill, it looks like this will be great!
Sapper Mike
WayneB – Florence Y’all
I remember days so simplistic that something like this could be a major attraction, but doubt the next generation will.
Hey! Maybe on the Welcome Page!!! – “Ejectia Y’all” – Think that wouldn’t get some eliteheads puzzling?
Andy – “creating profound beauty where it did not previously exist”
This breathtaking sentiment is something close to how I feel when we take an empty piece of land, plant seeds, and then watch the miracle of a vegetable garden grow each year.
Griselda – speaking of profound beauty – I can’t even imagine what a daily paying it forward produces and you probably never see the half of it but it’s out there.
TXSoldier 94 – “Anyone else here hail from the Pineywood of East Texas?” Is Wolfe City close enough for ya? And, THANK you for your service!
Paul A. – Hong Kong – On vacation there before the British left I would hurry down to the coffee shop at the crack of dawn to watch from the huge bay windows the boats in the harbor, the old people leisurely picking up trash (everyone had work to do) left the night before, people stretching and doing the beautiful Tai Chi on the green lawns, and all the while I sipped their expresso like coffee. Heady stuff. I for one would love to hear your impressions of Hong Kong and would, I can assure you, find it less than boring!
Linda – kolache? Wolfe City was more a doughnut kinda town.
Andrea
Wow!
I feel like an intellectual ant in a room full of elephants, but this is the kind of thing I’ve been looking for, for a long long time. I’d like to become a member.
This is me:
44 years old
undereducated (but working on it)
currently an industrial mechanic at an ethanol plant in the midwest which means I have the usual set of mechanical skills (plus a little welding)
formerly:
a process operator at the same ethanol plant
a fire suppression systems tech
a radioman in the USN sub fleet
a kid
To be perfectly honest; I don’t know that the set of skills or intellectual dexterity I have is enough to warrant membership, but if y’all are looking some background noise to add to the roar of the crowd, I’d be happy to add my voice.
Keith
“Dear Douglas,
Here is your horoscope
for Tuesday, May 29:”
How come you always come a day late,huh!?
“Your brain doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘break.’”
But it does know the meaning of the word ‘Snap’. What’s yer point?
“All this overtime is producing excellent results.”
Results? Right now i’d settle for some cold hard freak’n CASH! But being up there in the cosmos you wouldn’t understand that kind of reality based concept, would ya?
“Tackle any knotty issues, and you’ll see solutions leaping to present themselves.”
See my last response to you up there? Read it again! (i’m look’in around for something to hit you with now. Cluebat comes to mind.)
“You’re filled with inspiration.”
IS.THAT.SO?
Well you’re filled with alot of ideals and lofty minded goals that you can’t realize without someone down here doing the dirty work, RIGHT?
Do me a favor m’kay ?
Either send me an Angel,or STFU!
Got it?
P.S. Good morning everybody! Honest , i didn’t wake up in a bad mood.
Keith/Pignock, if you feel like an ant, i feel like an Atom. Welcome aboard!
Hey, Dougman, good to see you again!
Now, WHY did you have to go and get my vehicles into TWO accidents over Memorial Day weekend?
pignock – having been a radioman, you probably had to be able to fix the darn thing if it was scattered across the deck, right? That’s useful knowledge right there.
Sapper Mike – I know I know you from somewhere else, but can’t place it right now.
‘Cause i’m a Gemini. It’s in my nature. Ha, and a duplicate, Ha.
Probably the most immediately useful skill I have re: Ejectia is software testing; I do both whitebox app testing and web testing, plus write automated test scripts. Perl, C#, some Java and bits of all kinds of other stuff, Linux/Unix and Windows.
General observations: I support the idea of verified identities rather than requiring your Real Life name. It’s a matter of trust, and I think people would be willing to be more open if they knew the people they were communicating with were all verified too. (On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.)
Rather than banning difficult people, I’d like to see functionality that would allow you to “ignore” specific users. Tastes differ, and someone I would find a crashing bore might be considered a thoughtful commenter by another. This would probably mean a client-side app or massive cookie for E!citizen’s computers vs. having all that stored on the main servers. Might we have a village green stocks for any determined trolls that show up? Only place they could post, and we could have little virtual rotten tomatoes to throw!
Skills to add to the pile:
Experimental solid-state physicist. General basic household wiring, plumbing, hardwood floor refinishing, reglazing wood-frame windows, computer upgrades, drafting (CAD), fiction writing, re-binding books, and I ripped off the old siding on my house and put up new (shingles) my own self and they are still there three years later. Decent pistol shot and mid-level aikido. Speak some German and a little Gaelic.
AAAAGGGHHH!!! Not another one! Geminis have been the bane of my existence!!
*Running in circles, biting myself in the small of the back*
Okay, since no one’s booted me yet, I guess I’m in.
Bill, or whomever else is in charge, what needs to be done?
Keith
Idly Awed: I second the request for Tullamore Dew!
daddyquatro: I’d also like to request some Bushmill’s black label.
Linda: but if it’s plural, it’s “All y’all”. Yes I’m splitting hairs.
All y’all: I’ve *got* to check in here more than once a day!
Wow! Stay away for a few days, and it takes a week to catch up!
Been reading since 02; first time poster. I’m a payroll systems manager at a university (end user, not IT). Not sure how that translates to Ejectia, but will stay tuned and be ready to pipe up.
Don: “I have *got* to check in here more than once a day!”
I hear that. What is it with employers expecting productive work, anyways?
I don’t think you’re splitting hairs. But maybe it’s training. My poor husband just about tears his hair on those occasions when he’s heard me say, “Alla y’all.” He keeps telling me to come north of the Mason-Dixon line. I keep telling him he’s referencing the wrong part of the US. Poor man.
That’s what I get for marrying a Westerner, I suppose.
Sharon: I’m half Czech, too! The bakery in West was often a bi-monthly pilgrimage after church, and then only when my Grandma was a little too busy to bake the family’s Super Secret kolache recipe. (My very favorite is poppyseed.)
Andrea: a kolache is a Czech pastry that is vaguely reminiscent, but far superior to a danish. Without risking howls of “heretic” from others, or a haunting from my Grandma, think of a sweet rising bread recipe that’s been shaped into little rolls puched down in the center and filled with a variety of goodies like poppyseed, sweetened cream cheese, or fruit. Koblasnek takes the same rising roll recipe, and fills it with meat and/or cheese. I always liked my Grandma’s (of course). She filled hers with kielbasa and havarti.
A warm howdy and welcome to the new voices — I’m looking forward to learning from all of you.
Now, I fear that I must run. I have a customer with a downed network, and I somehow have to make a meeting in an hour and a half.
Have an awesome day — see you tommorw.
Cheers,
L.
Ejectia is very similar to ideas I have been forming on a virtual country. I have been following the open source software world for some time now, and I have been asking myself the question, “If we can collaborate to make better software, why can’t we collaborate to make a better country, or world for that matter?”
One of the beauties of open source software is that it is a great leveler. If it’s not fast, well-written, and highly functional, it gets dropped like a hot potato. Can the internet allow us to collaborate on a better design for government, education, city planning, environmental stewardship? Can we as a group sift through all those things that aren’t working and come up with a better design?
And what if we end up with a better virtual country design? Can we become citizens, and what rights and privileges could be granted by such a country? Could it be sovereign without some form of territory? Or would it merely stand as a model for change?
Interesting stuff.
Mike
daddyquatro,
Thank you for welcoming me in. Seems we’re in the middle of stuff that needs plenty of tech folks, which I’m not. Looks like the best way I can help is to root on the Coders to greater feats of Coding Excellence.
I read that your cookout recently was rained out. I’m sorry for that. Had I known, I’d have gladly shared my place with you and your family.
HEY!!
Sorry… didn’t mean to yell, but I got excited when I noticed just now that over 150 prospective Ejectianauts have posted their URLs in support of Ejectia!
These are from the above comments and from those in the other recent thread. And of course they don’t include the hundreds of respondents who posted supportive, positive comments (but no home page URL).
For the full list, go here.
Ad Astra!!
bad cat robot – please shoot me an Email at eukonidor@gmail.com if you’d be interested in applying your mad QA skillz for us…
Linda | May 30, 2007 10:12 AM
Then we’d better not tell him that plural possessive is “All y’all’s”….
I too have been a lurker here. WOW!
Love the idea.
I’m in the Dallas area. background is some Army time, graduated USMA just missing Nam, but saw Korea and Germany.
Worked in baking and dairy industries installing equipment. Worked as a HVAC tech and do repair work on specialized temperature control devices. I can help you troubleshoot your AC or industrial control systems on line.
I have a reputation of knowing my way around a kitchen, and have been home brewing and making wine (and mead for those of you I recognize from Tim B.s site). Built most of my equipment for this.
My nic on most sites is scatcat, and if I can help on anything you can get me at hotmail as scatcat102.
Looking for the stars.
Paul I
I too have been a lurker here. WOW!
Love the idea.
I’m in the Dallas area. background is some Army time, graduated USMA just missing Nam, but saw Korea and Germany.
Worked in baking and dairy industries installing equipment. Worked as a HVAC tech and do repair work on specialized temperature control devices. I can help you troubleshoot your AC or industrial control systems on line.
I have a reputation of knowing my way around a kitchen, and have been home brewing and making wine (and mead for those of you I recognize from Tim B.s site). Built most of my equipment for this.
My nic on most sites is scatcat, and if I can help on anything you can get me at hotmail as scatcat102.
Looking for the stars.
Paul I
Bill Whittle:
I’ve been a fan of yours from the beginning of Eject!Eject!Eject!
Your blog was a big inspiration for starting my own blog. Your powerful essays pushed me to overcome my initial reluctance about broadcasting my thoughts to no one in particular via the web. Eject!Eject!Eject! also served as a model for how I wanted my blog to be.
After a couple of years of blogging, I often forget that I got an initial kick in the pants from your writing — but the seed you have sown is still percolating in my mind and personality, even when I am not aware of it.
I have expertise in math, problem-solving, critical thinking, and constructive criticism and debate. I hope that I will be able to make a contribution to Ejectia! — it would be a privilege if I could help out.
Thanks for everything you do and share. Keep on rolling, sir.
Cheers,
Matthew
If you want to your virtual library to work, you’ll want it organized. But you knew that, right? You’ve got some kind of system of “tags” going planned.
But those will fall apart without some form of “authority control” to manage them and keep, say the posts on pig-keeping from being called “pigs” and “swine” and “pork” and… well, you get the idea.
The experts in this are the indexers (if you hired one to create one for your book(s) you know that, too).
But free-form indexing can work if you have volunteer re-taggers and system of “commonly used tags” available, say off to a sidebar from which the folks adding to the library can and ought to pull, in addition to any of their own idiosyncratic or just more descriptive/accurate/detailedtags of their own.
Just a few thought.
HTH!
If I spend any more time in front of the computer I’ll have marriage troubles. So my online participation will be limited.
When, however, Ejectia goes ‘live’ (when the Remnant is called into service), I will be there. I will join the bucket brigade.
And, at 41, I feel that in my lifetime it will be necessary. I feel it in my bones. And my children see it in my eyes.
I tend to use the knowledge of my internet friends a lot, so I certainly like this idea.
Other than humor blogging, my big specialty is cryptography (software and hardware implementations). Other than that, I do digital design (mainly VHDL for FPGAs) and am also a skilled C programmer.
Hi Wayne,
It could be from Baen’s Bar, or some of the military sites I get on. I’m also a daily reader, if infrequent poster, over to Kim’s and Connie’s blogs. Dang, I’m actually over a lot of net sites.
Sapper Mike
Hello All,
I’ve been debating about posting and remaining a lurker but the draw is just too great.
I love the ideal of Ejectia. I’m not really sure about the implementation. Some of the comments I’ve read on this thread have me a bit worried. If indeed this is about bringing portions of the Remnant together then I’m not so sure about having them expose themselves to all and sundry.
I’d like to call attention to the Slashdot setup (Moderation, Moderators, Super Moderators and Karma points). This seems a pretty good attempt to allow the community to self regulate.
Given the bulk of comments that have been posted to these threads and the length of discussion I’d like to extend a couple of ideas. I hope I’m not duplicating too much. Since all users will need to log in to get to the discussions, is there a way we could present discussions that have changed since last log in? Hard to parse through 800 comments when you have to jump past the one’s you have read to do so each time. Some marking system would be acceptable too.
Cataloging experience would be the most important thing for the Remnant to collect. The smartest person I’ve ever known didn’t actually know everything. They knew who did know what they needed to know.
As for me. The handle Magycian (Magy for short) comes from working on computers. Most people I’ve worked for think I’m a bit Magyc in the way I make these things dance. I’m former military. I can shoot, dress a wound, set a bone or put in an IV. I’ve not found many things I can’t do to this point. I have a degree in Anthropology, with accompanying minors in Math and Computer Science and Physics. I’m working towards a security certification for computer networks and should have that in place by the end of year. I can build a network and keep it running with the best of them.
‘A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.’ – Lazarus Long (Robert Heinlein)
So… Where do we go from here? I’d be willing to do anything needed for this.
Magycian
Andrea 5/30 2:47 AM –
Thank you kindly for the encouragement re. the “article…” I’ll try my best, though my “ego” has always been quite “tender…” Hope this is a “gentle” readership… ;=)
Keith (pignock) 5/30 5:32 AM –
First, Thank You for your service. Submariner, radioman…cool. Welcome!
bad cat robot 5/30 8:18 AM –
Re. your “treatment” of “trolls.” Maybe down the road, such an approach could be technically done… but I!LIKE!THE!WAY!YOU!THINK! Especially the “virtual ‘maters…”
Keith (pignock) 5/30 9:05 AM –
Re. “…what needs to be done?” Be patient, Grasshopper. Linger, read, contemplate, and be patient. We have a “launch date” of July 4. It will all become clear by then…
Don 5/30 9:14 AM –
I know the feeling, Sir! Once-a-day-check-in simply does.not.cut it. ARRGGhhhhh!
MyersInVa 5/30 10:00 AM –
“Payroll Systems Manager,” eh? Say, about this “Cafeteria Plan” they’re offering at my work… ?
Linda 5/30 10:12 AM –
So, Linda, what’s so bad about westerners…? I mean, I are one, (originally, born in Spokane, WA)…
( JUST KIDDING with the question!!! ) ;=)
Mike 5/30 10:38 AM –
Heady stuff… Don’t know the answers, but, “All in good time, Grasshopper…”
Welcome aboard!
Don 5/30 1:24 PM –
LOL… just LOL… (or at least a bit of robust chucklin’)…
Paul I. 5/30 1:40 PM –
Thank you for your service, Sir. Welcome aboard!!!
Mathew Giggins 5/30 2:44 PM –
Most interesting comments, Sir! May I welcome you?
Carbonel 5/30 3:32 PM –
Thanks for that! I believe our “librarians” are working on that issue as we post!
Fran J. 5/30 6:38 PM –
Crypto, eh? To me, that says “volumes” of GOOD things… My older brother, (one of them), was a cryptologist (math.theory of…) for NSA. Welcome aboard, Sir!
Magycian,
Thanks so much for your service.
Thanks for deciding to lurk no more.
“If indeed this is about bringing portions of the Remnant together then I’m not so sure about having them expose themselves to all and sundry.”
“I have a question. How can a virtual community devoted to producing better citizens and a better society allow its members to hide their true identities?”
That comes from Chris Rowen, over on the other thread.
The idea of the remnant is not about your real name or your handle. The idea of the remnant is to draw strength from each other. Give strength to those in need. Draw strength when we are in need.
Oddly enough, quoting Heinlein is quite popular around here.
Welcome!
Paul A.,
Thanks for the welcome.
May the Ejectia! community live long and prosper. Seems like a pretty strong response so far, I’m eager to see what we can make of it.
Paul A,
Aren’t you supposed to be working about now or something? And I thought I was a slacker.
Daddyquatro 5/30 8:48 PM –
Why, yes… yes I am.
And yes… yes you are.
(from the very back of the auditorium, a muffled chuckle could be heard…)
Hey, Dude, I just check in “occasionally…” ;=)
I don’t know if this is a good idea or not, but how about building a “Hall of Failure”. I’ve usually learned more form my failures than from my successes, maybe there should be a place where others can learn from our mistakes. I know that most people don’t like to talk about their mistakes due to embarassment, but if they could get over themselves for a moment, it could help others. I think that CYA (cover your ass) is one of the main problems in modern society. Would you rather have someone you work with make a mistake, call everyone over and say, “this is what I did, don’t do that”, or should they just pretend it didn’t happen?
Thomas Edison said, “I didn’t fail to invent the lightbulb 10,000 times, I found 10,000 ways not to make a lightbulb”.
Just a thought.
“this is what I did, don’t do that”, -G.W.C.
That would be my department, or Stan (Daddy Quatro), when i can’t be found due to my Lost my wayward-ness, or sheepish-ness.
Yup, look to me and above all else, don’t do what i did.
I’m a sucker re-born every minute.
…how about building a “Hall of Failure”…
An inspired idea G.W.C., IMHO.
The ‘net is loaded with HowTo’s galore. Hard to find the all-important HowNOTTo’s.
This made me think of a web comic I saw the other day.
Sounds like a Dougman moment to me.
G.W.C. | May 31, 2007 1:27 AM
Hall of Failure
This is a great idea…………if we don’t learn from our mistakes…………
Someone suggested we be more creative with our names so here are a couple more suggestions for the room…………..
Path of Fire – or Trial by Fire – because that’s what we go thru often enough.
Or, how about – Room of the Double Edged Sword – pretty dramatic but success is the other side of the sword of failure.
I really like your suggestion GWC.
Andrea
I would like to join. I fix broken things, and can teach some things (30 years as a university professor, and department chair.) I like your essays.
Joints,
I checked your blog (give a guy some warning m’kay?) and I see what you mean about fixing broken things.
Welcome!
I guess it isn’t for the squeamish, but it has an impact, and is there to teach.
Thanks for the welcome.
I’m a surgeon with additional training in ICU care. Beyond that, I’m an amateur grammar expert and I draw real good, too.
May I get on the train to Ejectia?
Spread the word: Michael Yon has come up with another amazing story from Iraq, complete with pictures. In fact, shooting one of the pictures turned out to be a key moment at the climax of the whole affair.
Here’s the link:
“The Final Option”.
Abigail,
An amateur expert, purty picher drawin’, female* surgeon. Boy, we sure attract the stereotypes around here don’t we ;>)
*I hope I’m on safe ground here, but that gender assumption thing has bitten me more than once.
People all over the World
Join in!
Join the E train!
E Train!
Welcome!
I was very inspired by your essay on The Remnant. However, I find myself apprehensive about approaching a community whose members are openly racist against Muslims — see the joke about the difference between a Democrat, a Republican, and an Ejectian for a prime example — and, for that matter, does not seem to take liberals seriously.
I would consider offering my services to the community if I could be guaranteed that there are safeguards in place to ensure persons of all creeds, races, genders, orientations, ethnicities, abilities, etc. are welcome here, but at the present I see no such safeguards, and it does not feel safe to join.
This may be something you wish to take into consideration in your community-building.
Sara,
The community we are hoping to build is far less about ethnicity or other external (or even many internal) differences between one another, and more about a specific subset of the psyche.
This is the part which bridles at seeing the cornerstones of our culture mocked, denigrated, or outright torn down around us.
This is the part which sees moral relativism and unbounded tolerance as destructive, because they undermine the foundations of justice and honor.
This is the part which wants to DO something to raise standards back up, and give people something to strive for that challenges them, rather than lowering the standards so that no one has to work hard to meet them.
This part is without ties to any specific sex, ethnicity, age, or creed. There will be disagreement between people because of this. One of the things we will do is discuss these differences amongst ourselves to better understand each other.
As far as liberals being disrespected here, it’s just that the “mocking, denigrating, and tearing down of the cornerstones of our culture” seem to come more from them than anywhere else.
Everyone is welcome, we hope to extend the umbrella as much as we can, without bringing too many trolls under it.
Linda | May 30, 2007 10:12 AM
Are you, by any chance, familiar with Brother Dave Gardner?
Sara no H.
This is Stan no ly
I read your blog entry and I only have this to say.
I have made it my personal (pathetic) mission to read every comment posted on this entry and the “You Are Not Alone” entry. I was going to challenge you on the fact that any comment here had been racist or prejudiced against Muslims or any other ethnic group. I had honestly forgotten about that “joke”. I just find it interesting that you would pick that one comment, out of over 1000, to decide that we are racist against Muslims. (Leaving aside that “Muslim” is not a race.)
Let’s define our terms.
You wrote,
“and, for that matter, does not seem to take liberals seriously.”
If you mean by liberal “a lover of liberty”, then you will not find a more liberal group of folks anywhere. If you mean by liberal “I am my brother’s keeper”, then yes, you will probably not be taken seriously.
You wrote,
“I would consider offering my services to the community if I could be guaranteed that there are safeguards in place to ensure persons of all creeds, races, genders, orientations, ethnicities, abilities, etc. are welcome here, but at the present I see no such safeguards, and it does not feel safe to join.”
There are no safeguards. This is real life. We judge each other, as the good man said, by the content of our character. All of those other things you named are just window dressing.
You seem honest and sincere; I am trying to be the same. I do not judge all Muslims by the action of the radicals. Please don’t us by the words of one commenter.
D4/Stan
WayneB 5/31 8:17 PM –
Well said, Sir!
Sara no H. 5/31 7:57 PM –
IMHO, the principle focus of this endeavor is an individual improvement of the content of character, regardless of some external “classification.”
May I encourage a reading/re-reading of the “Tribes” essays, (Parts 1 and 2), by Mr. Whittle, which can be found on the initial page of this blog? Perhaps that might be relevant.
I also re-post the following section from the proposed Code of Conduct, posted earlier in this thread, (LabRat May 22, 2007 2:33 PM), which every Ejectia! participant is expected to accept. To wit:
“POLITICS
It is a fact of life that the majority here fall into some sort of conservative or libertarian camp just because of who started it and where. This does not mean that liberals are shot on sight; indeed, without contrarian points of view we all eventually find ourselves in an echo chamber. It is, however, a warning- conservatives! Treat nice liberals nicely! Liberals! Be nice and be aware that you will probably be in the minority here. If you do that, you will be among the most valuable of members- a real test of ideas rather than a straw man. When discussing politics, all of you keep hold of your temper with both hands and a boat anchor. Be aware of the unspoken assumptions of your point of view. Above all, remember that you’re talking to another person who you probably have more in common with than not. At the very least never say anything that would be likely to get you punched in the nose if you said it to their face.”
I hope these points will allay some of your fears.
Whatever your decision, may I welcome you, Sara no H.
Sara no H. 5/31 7:57 PM –
OOOOooooops, my bad…
There is no “Tribes,” Parts 1 and 2. Simply “Tribes.”
I just re-read it myself. An excellent essay.
Suggestion box – A quote “help” room?
Or maybe it could just be a “who knows the answer to this” room?
I often have a line pop up in my brain that is just short, or very short, of accurate. Certainly not quotable.
Because I don’t have it right, I cannot locate it on the internet via search.
The thirty minutes I have just spent!!!!!! trying to find it – would be much better spent elsewhere!
That being suggested, I now come begging!
Could someone please correct this (I think) partial or near quote by Spinoza.
Because we do not know beforehand (au piore) it behooves us to strive in time….
more accurate might be
Since we cannot know beforehand (au piore) it behooves us to strive in time….
English to Latin did not help on before/piore either.
Obviously I’m a mess tonight! Maybe I should just call it a night and sleep on it……that does work at times.
Thanking you in advance…………..
Andrea
Andrea,
I’m sure there will be several places, such as the Library, where you can find people to help you for such things. There are going to be plenty of places for discussion, and some people will undoubtedly be able to help with something like that.
That said, I’m pretty good at finding things with incomplete information, but I couldn’t find anything close to that, so that may be a more incomplete quote than you remember. By the way, was it Baruch or Benedict Spinoza?
WayneB -
I have always “assumed” it was Benedict Spinoza.
Last night even before the head hit the pillow I remembered a little more – and now I’m not sure “any” part of the quote is Spinoza’s but the conclusion the other writer was making from a statement of Spinoza.
Thank you for trying, I WILL find it on Saturday when I have more time in the archives of correspondence done before e-mail. Again, thank you!
Andrea
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a public service announcement.
CatScapeBarb asks: “Dear Rachel, So why don’t you tell us how you REALLY feel about Rosie O’Donnell? (sorry, almost couldn’t finish the question as I was concentrating on not throwing up at the sight of her name.)”
Dear CatScapeBarb,
Well if you must know, I hate that crazy bitch. When I see her face, I want to shoot my guns at watermelons. When I hear her voice, which is scientifically proven to be The Most Hideous Voice Ever, I wish I did not have functioning ears. She is the exemplar of all that is wrong in the world and is living proof that God, if He exists, has abandoned humanity. I think she is insane, stupid, and evil, and if I could train my dog Sunny to do ONE THING, it would be to spontaneously take a dump upon hearing the command “Rosie O’Donnell”.
That’s our Rachel!
Hmmmmmmm…….is it possible that Rachel is NOT going to be able to stay away from politics??????
Oh were that my tongue were so silver!
Andrea
Okay… this page is beginning to require it’s own search engine!
Can anybody point me to where the information architects are hanging out? I’d like to lurk….(G)
And now, the Arch-i-tect Sketch!
Ian
Andrea,
That was a response to Rachel’s new “Ask Rachel” column. She says she is much better when someone else gives her material to start from.
Sara,
Thank you for pointing out the need to be inclusive and for letting us know your reaction to the “first Ejectia! joke” and the proposed code of conduct.
When some of us cross a line and offend others of us, it is inevitable that there will be some discomfort and friction. I think the most important safeguard we can implement is to treat everyone who joins or comments here with respect.
We’re not here to agree with each other, or to make everyone feel happy and admired, but we are here to engage each other and learn from other, and that requires listening carefully and being generous with our patience and respect.
I hope you will hang around. If you join Ejectia!, your perspective will be very valuable, and I hope you will find mine to be valuable as well.
BTW, my reaction to the joke was bemusement, with a good helping of “Violence is normally only justified as a restraining force, not as revenge or summary judgement.” So I felt the joke was pushing the boundaries of good taste, but fell within those boundaries.
Daddyquatro,
One of the greatest detriments to the Gospel is the hyper-aggressive Christians who are possessed of a great sense of entitlement. We are called to be humble and meek like our Master, yet speak with boldness regarding the Gospel.
Indeed, I am something of a study in paradoxes. Not to sing my own hosannas, but you will be unlikely to find as gentle a son, friend, or boyfriend as I. Conversely, I am a veritable demon on any field of competition. I am non-confrontational, mostly because it is very hard to anger me, but have finished every fight that anyone ever started against me with extreme prejudice. And then wiped the blood off their faces and helped them up.
He is the Lion of Judea, as well as the Lamb of God, and I emulate both His sides.
As a result, I am extremely fierce in the defense of my beliefs. There is not a racist bone in my body, but I am an open cultural chauvinist.
I believe that Western (as in Greco-Roman-Judeo-Christian) Civilization is very superior to Oriental civilization, and infinitely superior to Islamic.
In fact, I openly hate Islam. Notice I did not say that I hate muslims, “hate the sin and not the sinner”, as it were. I hate the laziness it cultivates, the baseness it promotes, the way it takes sin and calls it holiness.
But I only pity the practitioners. Prisoners, really.
Gaige
Future USMC (11-Bravo)
PS: In case I rambled a little, my point is that I understand why you mis-gender-assigned me.
Gaige,
Are you absolutely sure you’re only 17? Did someone miss a decade on your birth certificate? I only wish I could be so eloquent in defense of my beliefs. I can achieve some level of eloquence but only through draft and painstaking revision.
To translate for the normal 17 year old.
U R so kwl!
“Future USMC (11-Bravo)”
The future is in good hands.
I’m excited, sounds like an excellent idea. I have worked on both MS SQL and MySQL databases, on and off the web. The majority of my web based work has been with javascript and PHP.
I don’t know if this is already a work in progess or what, but if I can be useful I would love to help.
Moslims are the adherents of Islam which is global, covering many nations.
Therefore when moslims or Islam are judged the word racist is inappropriate.
I’m still trying to wade through this Looooong page so if this has alrady been covered, I apologize.
Mac Callum said on 5/21/07 @ 5:54pm:
“Put simply, if I want to learn how to play the guitar, I’m going to ask the best guitar teacher I know, not a Remnantian (heh, new word) who happens to be decent at playing the guitar.”
I would assume that most of the “experts” here at Ejectia are going to realize that they are not “THE Expert” and will be happy to point towards those with a higher level of knowledge or better teaching abilities than themselves when necessary.
The great thing about a community like this is that we will be a whole community within a larger community. If you post a question about the best place to get pizza in central Illinois, I’m not going to point you to the best pizza made by an Ejectian, but to the best pizza made.
I don’t think anyone here expects Ejectia to be the sum of all human knowledge so much as a wikipedian almanac populated by utilitarians with a similar guiding philosophy of self improvement/reliance.
Keith
Daddyquatro et al,
A community’s silence speaks just as loudly as its words. To allow even one instance of racism (which I -do- feel is an appropriate word, based on the professed feelings of the Muslims I know and for lack of a better term to describe a religion that is primarily practiced by people of colour) to stand unchallenged says to me that either the community will continue to be tolerant of racism and other derogatory remarks or that the community does not care enough.
Additionally, I think it will be impossible to do what you dream of doing without taking into consideration how race, ethnicity, gender, orientation, religion, and all those other markers shape individual lives. They’re not just “window dressing” — those factors, among others such as economic class and physical ability, play a huge role in how people come to understand themselves and their place in society. I see people saying that yes, we should talk about these differences in order to better understand them — and then just a few more comments down there is another individual touting the superiority of Western civilisation, again without challenge, and in fact with blatant endorsement from you, daddyquatro.
So, thanks but no thanks; this community is not one I wish to be part of. I thank you all for your civility in discussion.
Thank you also SaraH, you won’t be missed.
Also, isn’t being offended by someone “touting the superiority of Western civilization” inferring that you believe something else is superior? If so, following along those lines we could assume that you think all humans equal as well, for how can civilizations be equal if their participants are not.
Which is or is not superior is not the question. However your seeming disdain for one civilization points to the hypocrisy of your being offended by another’s touting. For if you dislike one, there must be another you prefer, and on another forum, you would be the touter of said civilization. So just be plain, and say you don’t like Western civilization, and don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Sara no H,
Since the one common factor linking all the commenters here IS a profound belief in the superiority of Western Civilization as the one moving force in the world that has brought the greatest good to the greatest number, brought freedom where once there was tyranny, increased the quality and quantity of life for the entire world, perhaps you are correct.
This is not the place for you.
Your comments have been intelligent and civil. I would ask some of our more fiery friends to maintain that civility.
D4/Stan
“a community whose members are openly racist against Muslims” – Sarah no H.
“even one instance of racism (which I -do- feel is an appropriate word, based on the professed feelings of the Muslims I know and for lack of a better term to describe a religion that is primarily practiced by people of colour)” – Sarah no H.
“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” – Inigo Montoya
Sorry, couldn’t resist. Please, keep checking back, this is just a thread of people waiting for a more substantial and appropriate place for these kinds of issues to be discussed.
“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, … “it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less.”
I would argue with your use (and defense of that use) of the term racist. Whether I would argue with your understanding of what it means to be a Muslim, I cannot say, since you have made no statement other than that any who disparage the faith are racists (why wouldn’t charging them with intolerance suffice?).
If you’ve perused these comment threads you may also have noticed a general (tho not without exception) consensus forming to postpone more theologically oriented discussions until better means are available. I invite you again to keep checking back until that time, and reserve your judgement until then.
If you truly fear for your intellectual or emotional safety, I can only offer that you have not seem me come to the defense of someone I was in strong disagreement with but felt had been abused by others operating without good faith even tho they claimed to be on my side of this or that issue.
If, however, you feel you can render such definitive judgements on the basis of these comment threads alone, might I suggest that tolerance is a word you might also want to double check whether it means what you think it means. I mean that as a wordplay on the earlier quote, and in a spirit of playfulness, but am trying to go cold turkey with the smiley faces so this additional, and I would hope superfluous, sentence will be inserted, just to make sure. See you in the funny papers.
Rickbert,
You seem like a nice fellow. I hate to kill you.
daddyquatro, you seem like a nice fellow. I hate to die.
Rickbert,
Thank’s for not leaving me hanging. Some people might not have understood.
D4/Stan
D4, for a place planning on constructing an arena for rhetorical gladiators, how can there *not* be banter and swordplay?
(If any of you out there didn’t get the previous exchange and don’t know who Inigo Montoya is, put your mouse down, step away from your computer, go find and watch the movie “Princess Bride”. We’ll wait.)
/channeling Rachel
Best! Movie! Ever!
Anybody want a peanut?
You folk “would” suggest the “Best! Movie! Ever!” at an hour no woman is going to leave her abode!
On my list. Thank you I’m sure.
Andrea
If you’ve got room for a web editor for a gaming company who has rather odd-ball interests (Space exploration/Mars missions/politics and culture in history), then I’m in.
(Long time reader, first time poster here).
Kelly, Welcome. I hate to start disagreeing with somebody on their first post, but those are not odd-ball interest ; those are MY interest. Well, not exactly, I don’t know near as much about the Mars missions or politics and culture in history as I would like. I look forward to your continued denial of your past lurker ways. That lurking is bad stuff; studies show repeated repression of the desire to speak out can cause permanent brain damage; I just got off using lurking a few weeks ago and once you take that first step it get easier. Unquiet
Hello, I’m Scott, also known as MegaTroopX.
I only needed to take one programming class to realize that I suck at it.
On the other hand, I’m good at building systems. Now that I’ve picked up a little Linux know-how, I can build a fully-functioning desktop, the software costing little to zilch. Hey, someone has to build the silicon foundation you code-heads live on!
If anyone knows where I can get a digital video camera cheap, I can record courses about installing motherboards, cards, drives, setting up a home network, what have you.
Hopefully my small contribution can help.
(go find and watch the movie “Princess Bride”.
You mean people who haven’t seen it exist in this country? Now that’s just tragic.)
“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, “it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less.”
Which is actually chaotic in a bad way. A seed upon the wind has little worth, and no future, until it lands and puts down roots.
Words are seeds, and when they root, form the garden of language.
Unquiet,
Thanks.
I call my interests odd-ball mostly because there aren’t very many virtually innumerate people (like me! If I didn’t have ten fingers, I couldn’t count that high!) who will sit down and try to learn algebra on their own in their free time just so they can have a good idea of when Someone Who Knows Propulsion has made a good suggestion or one that could be improved.
I hope that people in Ejectia will be willing to put up with my not knowing much that’s useful so I can hang around a bit and learn useful things.
I’ve got decent knowledge of history, some strange ideas of historical (grand-scale) predictability theory, and marketing. I’d be happy to swap that to learn more about physics, astronomy, and math.
Kelly
That is the best essay I have read in a long time. I’m looking forward to seeing how this Ejectia turns out. I just came across this new idea and was wondering if it would work for Ejectia. It might also be a terrible idea but I’m curious what other people think of it. http://www.agloco.com/r/BBFD5145
MegaTroopX -
“Chaotic” yes and will not transform without intent to at least try to understand where another is coming from.
In discussing having an argument, Leo Buscaglia taught that it is best to sit face to face and not leave until each person knows exactly what the other meant in every single word used. His reasoning was that while a word may have it’s own (Webster’s) definition, each person’s use of that word is going to be colored by their own life experience with it. Example…..his favorite subject, love…..Webster’s may have one definition of love but each person would have their own.
Mr. Dumpty in all sincerity tells his definition of a word and then would do well to say……what does the word mean to you? The transition that would occur – “chaotic” to “garden.”
Andrea
This should be interesting. Good luck. I have a number of skills, few of which I believe I really know well enough to teach. Unarmed combat and high-school level history are two of those, FWIW.
I do have one skill that I believe you will find vital, though: forum moderation. For over a year now, and through a remarkably implausible chain of events, I’ve been an administrator on a reasonably large forum and acted as a go-between for several others. I know what makes a forum live and die, and I’ve helped cultivate a surprisingly long-lasting forum in the ephemeral world of gaming. Even more surprisingly (to me, at least), we’ve managed to make it a polite and civil place.
I’m not asking to be a moderator on this project. I doubt I have the time and I have not earned the right to be trusted with such a responsibility. I do offer what I’ve learned about moderation and community, though. Let me know if I can help: Quinn_Inuit@Hormel!yahoo.com (remove the spam)
I am completely filled with hope after reading about the building of Ejectia. Hopefully, I can in some way contribute. Thanks to all who believe in this idea, the world needs you.
MegaTroopX – Yes, there definitely are people who haven’t seen The Princess Bride.
Sigh, I guess I’ll have to, if people are going to start quoting from it… Fortunately, I just bought it for my wife.
Andrea (and MegaTroopX) – I spent several years beating this very notion of people not using the same words to mean the same things into my own head. I had a friend who frequently said things that didn’t mean anything near what others understood them to mean, and it invariably wound up in arguments, some of them pretty bad. It actually took me a long time to realize this (because I have a hard head), and we never did completely straighten out the problem.
Count me in. I’m a witer/researcher. Before I say more, I need time to collect my thoughts since finding Ejecta was a blessed accident.
Make that WRITER/researcher.
What an awesome inspiring essay. I am good at wood refinishing, Faux Finishes, very interested in learning and discussing history & politics, I have my private pilot’s license and love flying my c182 which has a the glass cockpit(very cool). It’s nice to feel not so alone and that you are not the only person in the USA that still believes that Amercia is still the greatest country on earth but happens to be heading in the wrong direction. I am an eternal optimist and believe that the remnant can turn this ship around…………..It’s nice also to see what parts of the country everyone is from, I am writing from West Tennessee
Well yes, harupmph!
Glad to be here (I think).
No real-world skills other than those of survival – but I do work hard at it.
Will be happy to contribute to the community as things shape up: you often never know what you can give until there’s a real need for it…
Come to think of it, perhaps it would be a good idea if people felt comfortable enough to ask for what they needed as well as offering what they could give.
As for me, have I mentioned a life? (Pregnant silence…)
Huh?!
In the meantime, feel free to query me on my decades of real-life experience here in The Twilight Zone.
Best wishes to all,
ryyannon (jonathan)
American expat (i.e., a lifer)
Paris, France
I suggest as useful reading Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert Cialdini. Dealing with the question of prompting people to act on what they know is right, Dr. Cialdini points out the example of Kitty Genovese, who was beaten to death in the middle of a block of apartments even as a slew of nearby residents heard her screams. Cialdini practicalizes the lesson of this event in the example of a crowd gathering around a heart-attack victim. If you’re the victim and plead, “somebody help me,” the likelihood is that the individuals in the crowd will all assume that somebody else will step forward.
What you should do, according to Cialdini, is point to a person and say, “I am having a heart attack. Dial 9-1-1.” Then point to another person and say, “Find someone who knows first aid or CPR and ask them to help me.” In other words, people are more likely to act when they know that they are personally responsible, when they see themselves as the only ones who can step forward at that moment in time.
I feel like I have a home, finally, in a very confusing world. I am just beginning to read through all the posts and don’t know what I can contribute yet. I have been told that I am a lurker, living in the background and watching and listening to the surrounding environment until I have input to offer.
I like this idea. I really do and I hope you find the following as constructive criticism:
My concern is of it becoming an adult version of Jane Elliot’s Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes classroom experiment, writ large.
I’ve already seen this in action in another thread here, specifically against myself.
It’s an easy thing to fall into, and we should be wary of the possibility if we want to form something beneficial to society.
I made my own mistakes in that thread, too, but never did I deem someone not “special” enough for the group.
That’s fine too, because my eyes are hazel and I’ve made more mistakes and missteps than I can count–so perhaps I’m not “special”. It doesn’t detract from my being one of the many who emailed Bill Whittle and told him I felt alone in a sea of madness–and THAT is what the Remnant was about.
-E
Hi. This is a great idea. I have admired Bill’s writing for several years. Don’t know squat about setting up web pages, but I can analyze things. I’m a statistician, geneticist, and botanist. I spend my day figuring out what’s real and what’s baloney. I like pulling together all the info I can find, then figuring out what it all means. I can teach stat, research design, and related stuff. I am also a student of self-defense. I take a course or two every year and get to the range weekly. I can teach the basics of pistol but would leave anything else to my own teachers. I can also garden, can food, change my oil, do basic carpentry, plumbing, masonry, run a back-hoe, etc. I live just north of New York City.
Hi Eric,
I don’t think I know what you mean by this: “My concern is of it becoming an adult version of Jane Elliot’s Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes classroom experiment, writ large.”
I know what the Blue Eyes exercise is but am not sure precisely how it relates to what we are trying to do here. Please explain.
Will
Anyone remember the movie “Pay It Forward”?
It came out in 2000. Of course, the ending had to be done that way, to maintain the “No good deed goes unpunished” view of the elitists…
Hi Will,
By telling the Blue Eyes they were more special than the Brown Eyes, both groups started ~being~ the roles. The Blue Eyes began to act superior, and the Brown Eyes acted inferior. When the roles reversed, so did the feelings of superiority.
It’s not only my concern. Others, such as some on Little Green Footballs, are voicing concerns about this becoming an elitist web-based society. I don’t think that’s what BW was intending, so I’m just suggesting we be wary of the possibility.
I still have the faith that people here are of the caliber which will try to not let that happen. It doesn’t excuse us from falling to the perils of humanity, though.
This is very exciting and I feel better already. But if Ejectia becomes part of Second Life, how much more complicated would it become? I’m pushing 70 with NO experience with that kind of community. Would be be likely to exclude some of us who want to take part, or to at least keep up with the ideas and hope thus provided?
Paul A. | May 28, 2007 5:20 AM
Ms., you are simply too kind, and too generous… Sincere thanks, and may I double back??? (That is, buy double back on you…)
Yes, please. I’ll have a cold glass of peach ice tea. I just finished an audit and plans are being made and groundwork being done on my landscaping project. Ah, progress and motion.
Good gracious, this IS going to be fun AND elucidating, eh?
Yes, this is fun. As for elucidating… that depends on the answer to my question.
I know culture of honor and culture of law are contradictory. Do you think the sublation of these two conflicting ideas will result from Ejectia?
I’m losing remnant portion of brain matter thinking about this.
Off to put pictures of cats and a coleslaw recipe in my daughters’ treasure chests.
Spiral on.
Eric,
I’m not trying to brush off your concerns: I have an easily inflated ego and have to be on the watch for it all the time, just for myself, so I know what you mean.
However, based on comments, I think that there are enough people here who are typically very humble, yet will not allow others to treat them (or others) that way unchallenged, that I’m not too concerned that it will be a significant problem here. Naturally, we will have to be on guard against that among other things, like just becoming too insulated from the world at large to make any kind of difference there (which has been brought up by other people, too).
WayneB,
Let’s hope!
I’m really curious about this little(?) social experiment.
Even if little is ‘objectively’ accomplished in the real (as opposed to the virtual) world outside this fellowship of kindred spirits, much good will arise from the mere fact of reading and interacting with one another.
From there, it can naturally be expected that as individuals, we will impact positively upon our respective environments in hundreds (or as many of us as are here) of differnt ways.
It looks like a winning proposition no matter what form our actual collaboration takes in the future…
Responding to:
Magycian | May 30, 2007 7:35 PM
I would append to your comments about the moderation system at slashdot:
The bias at slashdot tends toward Linux and away from Microsoft, with the occasional [political] leftist zealot thrown in. So the moderation system itself does not bring balance.
Also, the community needs its heretics for the rare occasion when majority consensus is wrong.
I would suggest, then, that the community needs a mechanism where warnings can be given, and further suggest that it is the zealot, who ignores the warning, and can not demonstrate self restraint that is the problem.
I would also raise the warning about the community becoming dominated by ‘cliques’, which then become rival gangs.
Which is why I remain reclusive. I have no desire to join a clique, gang, or for that matter, a special community.
But I do want to get off this planet, and am disappointed that this endeavour is strictly virtual.
I see in the comments above, skills listed from people who can build things, people who can organize large groups, people who can design things, people who can organize financing large projects. I have also noted others who express the hope, that I hold, that one day, soon, we can explore further.
Slashdot-esque = groupthink
Tanya 6/02 1:26 PM –
Enjoy the tea, and the progress…
As for the question,
“I know culture of honor and culture of law are contradictory. Do you think the sublation of these two conflicting ideas will result from Ejectia?”
I’ll have to get back to you on that at a later date… I’m traveling this weekend, coming home from China. Right now, I’m in a Korean Airlines “lounge” in Inchon, South Korea, awaiting my flight.
That’s why I haven’t been “around” for a bit… but, see y’all again soon!
Hi,
Sounds like a great idea. I can’t wait for it to start. I offer a knowledge of the military (currently serving), specifically its tactics and logistics.
Can’t wait.
MM
Great article and some fascinating ideas (ideals?). Let me know when you need an accountant, the old fashioned shirtsleeve, green eyeshade type (computer literate of course). I have had dreams about teaching bookkeeping to wayward youngunz, but have not actually done formal teaching. Informally, I have trained client staff successfully.
This idea of EJECTIA is a good one! I like the idea of having a place where I can communicate with people who actually have some knowledge of who the founding fathers were for our country and what they thought.
The media (television, radio, print) offers a distorted view of America. EJECTIA can be a place where real Americans and real free thinkers can come and share with and encourage one another. Count me in!
I see a role for influencing the broader community with viral marketing campaigns, Youtube uploads and the like that will just…get people thinking and talking. For example short teaser question virally spread around the internet…followed by explosive answer that gets people really thinking. Example: instead of “Why do they hate us?” a teaser could be “Why do we hate us?” and then thought provoking hard data to answer the question.
Paul A.: Have a safe flight and may I be the first to welcome you home (assumption on my part).
Hey Jimmie,
An anthem? Steal the tune of “O Canada”- I always liked it.
How about:
“O Ejectia! Our mother land our home” something about shining seas and finish up with “O Ejectia! We stand on code fooooorrrr theeeeeeeee”.
While the online component is intrinsic, I believe a mechanism for connecting, teaching and gathering in the real world is vital as well. After all, the objectives outlined so eloquently by you by definition must have application to the real world. I will continue to monitor for progress and hopefully can contribute more at some point.
I’m in. Can’t offer much now but will stay tuned.
Sara without an H:
I am sorry I was not reading the comments, and was unable to respond to you in a timely manner. Since it was my daughter’s joke, I will defend it.
The referential element of the joke was not “Muslims” or “a Muslim.” It was not “A follower of Mohammad (peace be upon him)” or “A Shia from Iran.”
It was “an Islamic Terrorist with a huge knife”
If you do not believe that Islamic terrorists – with or without huge knives – exist, you are probably correct. This would not be a good community for you.
You may also note that the butt of the joke is not the Islamic terrorist. He is the referential element. The butt of the joke is both Democrats (depicted as indecisive, elitist, condescending and not particularly bright) and Ejectians (depicted as unnecessarily aggressive, indifferent to violence, and a little nuts). It was, in short, self-deprecating.
John, Sounds like you are trying to build Galt’s Gulch. Your essay came straight out of Ayn Rand’s spirit from Atlas Shrugged. I hope you indeed read that. You would be shocked how familiar your ideas are to this book.
This giving stuff away for free though. That sounds more like a hippy commune than a real western society. We need to charge on another or exhange value for value. That’s the idea anyway, we have have to contribute to recieve.
Bill,
I am a long time reader and have enjoyed your inspiring essays for years. It’s affected my way of thinking and given me hope. Even though graduating college had impressed me into several years of forced leftist thinking, I wasn’t destined to stay programmed that way. I now consider myself radically centrist and believe that there is an objective and knowable truth in almost any situation. I will NEVER stray too far to the right or to left nor reject another’s ideals because of their political slant. I will, however ‘keep the gates’ at the edge of reason and can enlighten a person as to the inconsistency and irrationality of their arguments in a matter of minutes. I believe that truth can be laid bare, for all to see and that it never equivocates. Truth is perfect, perfect is not ambiguous.
Now, I make my living in account management at a major Fortune 100 company and consider myself a good American, a keen capitalist, and an ardent environmentalist (but I do not trust Al Gore). I think gays should be able to marry and make families if they want, I think the war on drugs is a failure, I think tough love is the ONLY love between a body politic and its citizenry. I want flat taxes, guns in every home, and a complete rollback of eminent domain intrusions. I think Hollywood and Michael Moore should shut the hell up and I think Roe v. Wade has worked just fine.
I guess what I am saying is: in many ways I am a misfit in my society, never accepted fully by the right nor left. May I join yours?
Please let me know how I can help,
Mike D
Egfrow,
The folks in Galt’s Gulch had given up, withdrawn from society and were waiting for it to collapse. We’re here to reinforce that values of Western Civilization and do what we little can to prevent a collapse.
Mike D.
I think it’s the Macro, the concepts of individual liberty, the rule of law, and how one should behave in a civil society that are the common thread here.
How those concepts are applied (the Micro) will undoubtedly be the subject of many debates in the Arena. But our common bond (left and right) are those bedrock concepts
Welcome!
There are too many comments to scroll through (whew) so I hope this hasn’t all been said.
Here’s how I envision Ejectia! or as pseudotsuga called it in the comments for You Are Not Alone, Ejectopia!
A city has various establishments such as a forum, a marketplace, a city hall/administrative center, recreation spots such as lounges and parks, a library, a university, a newspaper, and so on. Each of these establishments is run by a proprietor.
The internet has various forms of interaction such as forums, static sites, blogs, galleries, wikis, IRC chat, messengers like Skype or AIM, email, yahoo groups, Second Life, places to store and present your stuff like youtube and photobucket, places to influence opinion like digg and yahoo answers, places to review products such as Amazon and Epinions, networking sites such as myspace. Each of these is set up and maintained or used by a proprietor.
There are two ways to build Ejectopia: roll your own and/or use what’s available. Resources of time, expertise, money for server space, etc., being finite, I’d suggest making practical use of what resources are free for the using already, while concentrating our own resources where they give the most return on investment.
Imagine that you map the establishments in a city to the forms of interaction on the internet. The forum would be, well, a forum. I envision the forum to be part of the University. If the University is an installation of vBulletin, for example, it would have a section for the School of History, School of Mass Communications, English Department and so forth, along with a free-forum area that is perhaps the Arena that Bill described. It’s best for Ejectopia to have a forum of its own where the City Founders can control who gets in, however there is no reason for citizens to stop visiting the other fine forums where they go to learn. I would encourage them to share the links to these other forums and invite particularly copacetic people from these other places to visit Ejectopia.
For library resources, the university could make use of the Gutenberg Project, Wikipedia, and Amazon. For instance, why try to create a way to organize the encyclopedic knowledge of the Remnant when Wikipedia is as accurate as Encyclopedia Britannica. Let Ejectopia’s many sheepdogs do a service to the greater community by participating in and editing Wikipedia articles, which reach a vast audience.
Why not take advantage of Amazon’s extensive user interface studies and expert coding? Leave reviews of must-read books, create reading lists, then come back to Ejectopia and share the links so we can all go read.
Do our members have knowledge or ideas to share in the marketplace? Use Yahoo’s free web pages or Blogger, then add yourself to the Ejectopia webring. As we wander about the marketplace, guided by the webring, we will stop in any “stall” that interests us. Feel free to advertise in Ejectopia University’s free-forum area, or anywhere else the City Founders see fit to allow it. Use the telephone service, aka Skype or AIM, to tell your closest friends.
Which brings me to reputation. Your good name. Paul A. on 29 May in the You Are Not Alone comments said there are ways of deal with cheaters, trolls, and sock puppets, and that reputation will be an important element. To that end I would strongly suggest that once you have chosen a screen name, you stick to it and use it across all the various sites you might register on. So for example if you are “slarty-the-fjordmaker” in Ejectopia, you also register as “slarty-the-fjordmaker” on Amazon, Wikipedia, Yahoo, Skype and so on. If you must change a screen name, let it be known widely. Sock puppetry should be a taboo that gets you shunned and shamed. The atmosphere of Ejectopia must be conducive to free speech — none of the Remnant should ever feel that they risk rejection for speaking their minds politely. Therefore sockpuppetry is unnecessary, creates and is a symptom of mistrust, and is a transgression and a shame.
In Jane Austen’s polite society, one did not walk up to a person on the street and begin talking, even if one had been introduced the night before. The lady or the senior person had to acknowledge the other. Acknowledging a person in front of one’s friends and family was considered an endorsement that the newcomer’s character and virtue was a good fit for one’s existing connections. Carrying an acquaintance further was a form of sponsorship, and if the person so introduced into a circle turned out to be a boor, it was a reflection on the judgement of the one who introduced them. This made people reserved until they knew something about a newcomer through observation and reputation.
Screen names create the buffer that reserve did in Austen’s society. They help us keep a distance until a person has had a chance to build a reputation. If one wishes to share personal contact info privately they can do so at any time they are ready to trust someone. If they then introduce a person to another using real names, or invite them to a regional barbecue, it’s a form of endorsement. That’s how it is in polite society.
Mobys, trolls, and idiotarians would likely be treated as people with bad reputations. Their social circle would be limited and unadvantageous, and proprietors of establishments (eg chatrooms) may choose to eject!them so they don’t annoy more welcome guests.
Speaking of annoying, speaking of polite conversation – it would be naive to think that there would never be arguments about process. You know, “you were rude,”"no I wasn’t.” It would be nice to keep the Arena for clean arguments about ideas, so there ought to be a place if somebody needs to be taken behind the woodshed.
At the center of Ejectopia, across the square from the University, is City Hall. There the Declaration of Principles is on view. There visitor and citizen alike can find a directory of the “places” that make up Ejectopia and get help in using the facilities (a newbie guide, FAQ, help center). And a big oil painting of Hizzoner Bill Whittle.
Ad Astra
Sarah without an H
Muhammid considered himself white, as do the arabs of the middle east.
Which might be one reason the world now witnesses the killing of black muslims in Darfur by the Janjaweed.
With all her failings Western culture is the best option man has ever had living on this earth.
If you are unhappy with folks comparing one opotion against another then I suspect you believe all options are of equal value.
So when are you going to opt out of western culture for one of the options you declare as
equal?
Greetings,
Count me in Bill.
I haven’t read every comment. so my apologies if any suggestion is repeated. I can envision a Marketplace in the city – vendors offering goods, services, advice and knowledge on their expertise – which I think parallels your thoughts. Someone mentioned that you may end up needing lots of bandwidth and disk storage in the future, but I see no reason, at least within the Marketplace, that people in the virtual city need to be local. Each “vendor” should have their own site – thus alleviating disk storage and bandwidth. I’m not sure how many different areas of the city could benefit from this process, but at least a few.
We are going to get trolls. Will we have a jail for trouble makers? Or are there no jails in Utopia? Is it possible to attach a virtual “ankle bracelet” to users who consistently make trouble – a little icon attached to their user name? Placed in jail for a period of time? All logins force you to jail for the period of your sentence. Will there be a trial process? Do we need one?
The rule-of-law, the tit-for-tat – how to enforce it in the virtual city should be a topic of conversation.
rosh gadol,
Great minds do indeed think alike.
The only problem with using resources outside of Ejectia is the concept of link rot. If a library book review is just a link to Amazon that link may or may not be valid 2 years from now.
You left out the most important place in Ejectia. The Chase Lounge; a place where citizens can meet after a hard day, get to know each other and share good natured conversation and entertainment. As well as a virtual libation,
or six.
Welcome!
D4/Stan.
– I also posted this at the YOU ARE NOT ALONE comments– sorry for doubling up.
Hello Ejectia! I’ve been waiting for you all for some time now and I’m so glad that we’re finally getting together. Ejectia! may be the last best hope (along with our Military) for Western Civ and I fear we’re running out of time. I will do my best to fight for what’s right and true and make you all proud. I wish I could open my front door and high five each and every one of you. My heart has been aching for a community like this to turn the tide against the insanity. We have to fight, and we have to be strong. Together.
My name is Eric. I live five miles from the Mexican border (more on that later but So Cal is basically occupied territory…lost) in Chula Vista, CA. I’m 34, a devoted husband, and will soon become the father of a baby girl (our first baby, Abigail Rae) in three short months. This fact alone makes Ejectia! a no-brainer for me.
Professionally, I’m a semi-seasoned Geospatial Information Systems Analyst for a national planning and engineering company. That’s a windbag title for someone who uses computers and software to manage, analyze and display geographic data. So, I could help Ejectia! by making our maps. I love what I do and would love to do it for Ejectia!
Personally, I enjoy reading everything and anything about history, the military, politics, culture, the media, radical islam, how the left is actively pursuing our total destruction and baseball. I also enjoy serving the Lord, hiking, mountain biking, surfing, snowboarding, photography, and San Diego Padres baseball games. These hobbies (with the exception of the Lord) will be taking a backseat to rasing our girl and I cherish the gift to do so.
I will do whatever it takes for Ejectia! to succeed.
P.S. Bill Whittle, you are a genius with your mind and your keyboard. I’m still trying to comprehend the sheer magnitude of YOU ARE NOT ALONE. A masterwork.
I would like to help.
Do we need to provide a CV?
Although I’m sure you’re deep into the development stage of the web components you’ll need for this project, here is something you may like to consider implementing for this project; this is something that I came across in one of my communications classes. There is a free “virtual world” program call “Active Worlds” that literally gives you a 3-dimentional virtual world where users can chat and interact with each other. Users can build their own virtual bulidings/towns where they can interact with other users. The server component is free and will run on either a windows or linux OS. It would be a perfect solution for the chatroom and arena. It all runs through a web browser; the project has been around for many years and is constantly being improved. You can check out the running Active Worlds server at http://www.activeworlds.com. Both the client and the server can be downloaded from that web page.
This seems to be working, and I hope to be a part of it. I hope that the civility will continue, and that we will not allow ourselves to be diverted from our goals by those who just want to find another forum to bash anyone who has a belief in something of value. Not to say that we can’t have such a forum, let’s just not do it here.
I’ve enjoyed and been inspired by Bill’s writings and have commented and linked to his essays often on my personal blog, est. 9/’04. I read his teaser for this on May 5th but didn’t get back here until yesterday, and boy was I ever blown away! And, that was only a reaction to part one, I had to save part 2 and the announcement of Ejectia! for this AM’s reading. Now I’m really stoked!
I create commercial websites, several with online stores, and custom WordPress templates for business blogs and blogs for friends and associates. My background is in product & graphic design, mostly in the automotive aftermarket, but I did a 4-yr. span designing for the sporting goods market and coordinating the manufacturing of our products in the Far East.
I can offer PhotoShop skills, and decent html and css coding. Plus, I edit better than I write.
When once asked what I possibly thought that I would do with a Masters degree in “art ceramics”, the only thing I could think of was that if the apocalypse happened and I survived, I’d at least be able to make food storage containers and sewage pipe. So, if you need some virtual renditions of those, you got that too.
I am really looking forward to seeing what this can become.
Richard Riley,
If you [Sara] do not believe that Islamic terrorists – with or without huge knives – exist, you are probably correct. This would not be a good community for you.
I think Sara’s response would be something like this: Islamic terrorists exist, but so do other terrorists; by using a stereotype of an Islamic terrorist, your joke is reinforcing (unintentionally) stereotypes about Muslims themselves that should not be reinforced.
If I am correct about Sara’s likely response, then this is my response to her:
If you think a joke is inflamatory or otherwise unfair to Muslims, then withdrawal from the forum in which that joke appears is a rational response. A better response, though, is to stay in the forum and engage the people who like the joke so that some kind of common ground can be staked out through a respectful dialogue.
Los2000
I was checking out the activeworlds site, and while it does look pretty cool, I ran across this:
I was going to download and test, since I’ve got an extra box right now and the code’s free (as in beer), but not being able to isolate it from the net as a whole seems like a really bad idea.
Also, there’s no Mac client right now. I don’t know about your better half, if you’re so happily shackled, but optimal wouldn’t like that idea one bit, much less 32.
If anyone else wishes to try the software out, be my guest, I’m passing on this one, though.
Re the joke and Sara no H believing it was racist.
The fact fortunate or not is that in group and out group are basic social classifications. Some parts of the left want to pretend that this does not exist naturaly and necisarily as part of group formation.
Mild exenophobia is a social virtue. It is not racism which is racial collectivism. It is the acnolagement that if you voluntarily become part of a group you owe something more to the group you have joined than to those that you have not joined with.
Los2000 and suboptimal -
If you scan the comment thread, you’ll also find references to the possible use of something called Second Life to implement (or, more accurately, provide a ‘location’ for) Ejectia. It’s a similar sort of technology. I don’t know how/if they’re related.
I was involved with AW back when it first started – around ’96, I think. Back then it was revolutionary. As it’s grown and the technology’s matured, it’s gotten somewhat prohibitively expensive, IMHO. Also, my feeling is that while building virtual worlds can be good creative fun and all that, it can also be extremely frustrating, time-consuming and distracting. My concern is that it would start to become an escape from real life and take away from what I believe is the real-world value of citizenship in Ejectia: interaction between the citizens, themselves.
This is just one guy talking, but from the discussions in the Architecture group and the general feeling I have so far, as far as look-and-feel goes, we’re shooting for something closer to a web-based version of the original Myst (or maybe Riven, which was much prettier). This, as opposed to something like Uru Live, would put emphasis more on the actual thoughts, ideas, communication and interaction and less emphasis on the (ephemeral) novelty of a 3D environment.
I found this blog by being given directions by a friend of mine. I’m a devout libertarian, a former linguist, a USAF vet, a devout shutterbug, an ordained minister who wonders about the existence of God. Was Voltaire correct? One who finds wonders in the everyday things. And one who has become deeply enchanted by this community.
Steph,
The ‘racist behind every tree‘ mentality is something that has been actively encouraged in American schools for decades now. Check out Evan Coyne Maloney’s Indoctrinate U documentary for details (www.indoctrinate-u.com).
Not to pick on Sara no Clue in particular, but she’s a product of that indoctrination process, and pretty obviously came here trolling for “racists”. And dammit, she was going to find one! If you read her blog, her position, clearly, is that it’s not racist to write about a “fat, white guy“, or to write disparagingly of “white guys” in general; yet for someone here to refer to a social group (of brutal murderers) which she associates with “people of colour” is racist.
This sort of double standard is the hallmark of the self-anointed “progressives” who are actively tearing down what took Western Civilization centuries to build. Welcome thread or no, I firmly believe we should call bullsh!t on this sort of behavior whenever it presents itself.
An idea: There is a movement to get a group of libertarians to move to NH. The idea being to vote “I am my brother’s keeper” types out of office. As I fully acclimated Floridian, I find the idea repulsive. But here would be a chance to get a real domicile for Ejectia.
This is a fascinating concept that I would like to be a part of.
For its success, in some ways, it must be handled like a business. Unless a kind soul can be found to donate hardware and bandwidth, it must be paid for. Selling advertising requires a staff that has to be paid to solicit and process the ads.
An easier way is to levy a voluntary tax on those who use the facilities. As this is supposed to be an ethical community, if a member can afford the tax, then it would be paid. For those that can not currently afford it today, there is no need to pay. But the wonderful thing about Western Civilization is that it is the greatest wealth generation machine ever conceived. Times change and people grow. At some point when the tax can be afforded, and Ejectia! was helpful to that growth, then back taxes can be recovered.
Bill,
We have to deal with Immigration and foriegn visitors to our city. We need a process of assimilation to our culture. We must be absolutely unapologetic for the society that we are creating. Being a member of this society is a choice not a need. Therefore, we can’t tolerate other socieites believes and old baggage to much if it interferes with the rights of others.
Tanya 06/02 1:26 PM, and others –
Thank you so graciously for the welcome back!!! I got back at the airport about 11:00 AM this morning, the house about 12:30 PM, and have taken a short nap… But it will take a “while” to get my body back on East Coast Standard time… I’ve heard estimates of it taking 1 day per hour of time difference, and in that case, I’m looking at 12 days. Things will improve dramatically after a few, though…
As for “the question” you posed, quoted below:
“Yes, this is fun. As for elucidating… that depends on the answer to my question.
I know culture of honor and culture of law are contradictory. Do you think the sublation of these two conflicting ideas will result from Ejectia?
I’m losing remnant portion of brain matter thinking about this. ”
1.) I certainly hope to “stem the loss…”, but
2.) I have a reservation or two about the premise of the question. The question posits that, “culture of honor and culture of law are contradictory.”
Please help me understand that position, since my limited mind does not see or assume said contradiction. In fact, I “feel” that a culture of honor” and a “culture of law” are mutually supportive in general.
And am I to interpret the question, “Do you think the sublation of these two conflicting ideas will result from Ejectia?” as asking if I feel Ejectia! will somehow diminish the roles of honor and the rule of law in Western Civilization?
My mind may be too sleep/time warped at this point to sort these questions out, from what I have. Please help me, as I don’t want to fail you!
AND, to ALL…
So many new posts, so little time…
I hope to “meet” each and every one of you in Ejectia!, in good time. For now, allow me to simpley WELCOME you ALL, with high hopes and good cheer!!!
Good to “see” ya’!!!
And, in such a long post, there MUST be a typo or two… “The Dougman Lurketh… D@*N You, Dougman!” (in advance…)
Welcome back, Paul A!
It’s going to be weird to read a post from you and not have to try to figure out if you’re coming or going.
Get some rest, buddy.
We’ll still be here when you wake up.
klein-bottle – the question of funding is being addressed within the Core group working out the implementation of this idea. I think most people will be reasonably happy with it. Of course, we will never be able to please everyone all the time, as the saying goes.
goy
Pleased to make your acquaintance.
I’ve been reading some of the earlier postings, the point is moot, the core group has decided that SL is the way to go for now.
That’s what I get for showing up late. Back to sweeping the streets of our fair city for a while.
Paul A -
I agree, law and honor are tightly bound. It’s when they become unbound that problems arise. Consider the Duke/Lacrosse case – if the representatives of the law had acted with honor, there would have been no innocent lives shattered.
To further the Sara-h conversation – anyone with a high school education should know that there have been non-Muslim terrorists in this world. My great grandfather was one – IRA, escaped to the US after the Easter Week uprising. But the IRA was always confined to one nation – the UK – and they haven’t been very active in the last 10 years or so.
The ETA – the Basque separatists in Spain are also local and (for the moment) largly dormant. Unless you think the Anarchists of the early 1900′s were an international terrorist organization (an anarchist organization – we had to know that one wouldn’t last) Islamic Terrorists are the first and only global terrorist group.
The rest of the nationalist terrorists are shut down, at this point. T
Bill,
I’ve been reading you since 2004…BRILLIANT!
I’m a 50 year old US citizen living just South of Brisbane Australia. Been in OZ for about 6 years. I’m a Race Engineer for a V8 Supercar team. I also have a FAA Commercial Multi-Engine Instrument License. Recently passed the Australian Commercial written test and am preparing for the flight test.
Let me know what I can do to help EJECTIA.
Ian
Hi- I’m an engineer. Not sure what I can do to help right now, but I’m in!
WayneB
No problem, I yield to the Core group and look forward to Ejectia!’s deployment. This is what happens when you miss a meeting.
I’m sure when the time is appropriate, the “Core group” will let me know how I can help.
goy
Having played Sims and Myst, and having checked out Second Life last night (I thought it was great but every computer I have is below the requirements a bit), I just want to tell you that you sound like you know what you’re talking about.
Dang, a metaverse of our own would be cool. It’s got to be inclusive of the non-technophiles and conducive to communication. Second Life seemed to fit the bill on the latter, and as for distractions, well those exist in real life. For instance I spent the day on the Mississippi instead of on this blog. But I came back.
goy
Having played Sims and Myst, and having checked out Second Life last night (I thought it was great but every computer I have is below the requirements a bit), I just want to tell you that you sound like you know what you’re talking about.
Dang, a metaverse of our own would be cool. It’s got to be inclusive of the non-technophiles and conducive to communication. Second Life seemed to fit the bill on the latter, and as for distractions, well those exist in real life. For instance I spent the day on the Mississippi instead of on this blog. But I came back.
suboptimal: …the core group has decided that SL is the way to go for now.
ro: …Second Life seemed to fit the bill on the latter…
I’m reading over my post (and the others) regarding SL. Not sure that’s even being seriously considered for Ejectia – at least not Version 1.0. Sorry if my wording could be taken as to imply otherwise.
What I meant by the distraction of a Second Life or Alpha World was that, technically, it will be a challenge to get a basic community environment put together within our desired timeframe – let alone a 3D virtual one. That said, I doubt anyone would have objection to Ejectianauts staking virtual claims in either of those places.
And ro – I envy you your opportunity to spend the day on the Miss’! I was referring to unnecessary distractions.
Wow! A chance to come in to shelter, just to get out of the storm for a while, (picture hobbits at the door to the inn). I watch civilization and wonder where will it slide to? The bit about traffic waiting in line I completely relate to because of just coming home from Long Island across the Verrazano bridge. So many comments to read, it would be helpful to categorize them but but I know not how. I am no great wit but I think (sometimes). Honor, integrity, virtue sometimes we think we know what they are but do we really? What is truth even when we disagree with it?
This will be nice even to just slow down the storm in my brain and to reassure myself that yes I will stand by Honor and Integrity and Virtue because of its own value.
Ejectia! is Hope.
goy
Apparently I misread a few comments, then. Wouldn’t be the first time, nor, sadly, the last.
For those who insist on “face-to-face” meetings, I did find this project (Croquet) pretty interesting.
More or less an extensible SL or AW type of platform. Well, extensible if you know smalltalk and squeak. I don’t, but I never let that stop me.
It’s version 1.0, so be careful if you decide to play, it may just explode. I’m going to pull it down and see if I can push it to my “spare” server.
As soon as I finish sweeping Whittle Blvd.
drs,
Ditto.
I’ve read every comment here. Not at once! I paced myself.
Because I am a man of very little brain, I can categorize them this way:
Good people:
They say hello. They introduce themselves, by handle or by name. Maybe they say, “I can help.” or “How can I help?” or “I’m not sure but it sounds good.” or even “No thanks, not for me.”
They have manners!
Bad people: They don’t say hello. They introduce themselves with a criticism. Make a demand. State an expectation that hasn’t been met or a wish that hasn’t been fulfilled.
They have no manners!
Maybe we could use a little more scientific categorization.
Just speaking with the “good people” has made me a better person.
This will be nice even to just slow down the storm in my brain and to reassure myself that yes I will stand by Honor and Integrity and Virtue because of its own value.
It has started a storm in my brain and I find that I am paying more attention to those values on an everyday basis (see the traffic example)
Welcome to the Prancing Pony.
Will you be staying with us?
Hello all! It’s a treat just to be around most of you folks and soak up your wisdom and banter; I hope I’ll be able to add something useful to the mix at a later date. Until then, I shall lurk, listen carefully and learn.
Bill Whittle, thank you. I discovered your writings about 3 years ago, and like so many commenting here have echoed, I felt like I’d been rung like a big old liberty bell.
It’s incredible to have one’s eyes well up simply by reading some text on a page or screen. Something very special is going on.
I’m a Canadian citizen, lived most of my life on the west coast (from city centres to the deep boonies, and everything in between). I now live in Bangkok, where I and my partner started a small business in the early ’90′s. We’ve weathered some pretty serious political and economic crises over the 15 years, but survived (when many didn’t) and still doing well.
A note on anonymity. I’ve been blogging for 3 years, largely on the present global conflict, but also any interesting current issues and frequently on Thai politics. Making sure that these writings do not become associated with our business, with potential impact not only on my partner and I but the other Thai people who work for us, is very important to me. Sometimes I think a few commenters have forgotten that not everyone lives in the USA, and there may be dangers that they haven’t considered.
Which brings up another hope I have for this new experiment of Ejectia! I’ve seen comments from ex-pat Americans living around the world, but also from citizens of other countries. This new place (and yes, let’s stay away from the utopianism) is to be inspired by certain ideals and principles so movingly expressed by Mr. Whittle. These ideals and principles know no borders. I love what America stands for, itself having been born from these lofty ideas. But it makes me pause when I see that some folks see this project’s purpose as “renewing America” or “defending America.” It should be so very much bigger than that.
When I found the latest writings last month, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. But I promised myself that I’d read all the comments since the point they were opened up, before posting anything. That was a major undertaking! And I’m very impressed by the people Bill attracts.
I expect I’ll be trying to learn more than I’ll be able to teach. But I do have some expertise on Southeast Asia – Indonesia and Thailand in particular – that I’ll be happy to share at some point. My nick is actually a real name that I use wherever I go in Indonesia (pretty frequently), for the past 17 years. It was given back then by friends in Aceh, who had a hard time remembering my real one, and I’ve carried it ever since.
Many of my dearest, most beloved friends are Indonesian Muslims. That country is a very important front in the ideological struggles going on in the world now. I’m pretty fluent in the language, and always try to do my part to correct false assumptions about the West. I also know that I’ve learned at least as much from them, as they have from me.
If I might make a humble suggestion to our kind host: how about starting a couple more threads, perhaps divided into the several fields that the teams are working on behind the scenes? No need for an article for each – just a placeholder for public updates in the body, and a more focused comment section relevant to that field of current endeavour. One for the “core group” maybe one for “software and hosting”, another for graphic visions, etc. That way there could be some two way feedback, and some of this energy in these two gigantic threads could be drawn upon more efficiently by the teams involved. Just a thought.
I’m really hyped about this, and believe that it may well come to have some real influence on this old world of ours.
Last word on skin.
If you are of the Thin variety, you’d be better served elsewhere.
Like in a play-pen
Oh, and Sara?
Tell your playmates to keep their clothes on, M’Kay?
Observations:
1) We obviously can’t wait to get started
2) The information, stories and knowledge we want to share here look to be intended to pass on the virtues to another generation. And to anyone else who hungers for them.
3) At this stage, we seem to have a group of developers, with more perhaps stepping forward. Giving them input on how we want to use the computer while we participate in this community and what the information will look like once it is sitting on the net (what the city will look like) is probably very helpful to them. For instance someone said chat rooms are ephemeral and he prefers a threaded forum. I agree, and I love forums, but I also want a chat room of Second Life area for social purposes. Not everything is worth archiving, and society – trust – is built largely on social interactions.
rosh gadol,
Excellent point. I enjoy the idle banter of a chat room.
I can get off the occasional witticism and, every now and then, something a little more profound (see infinite monkeys) but nothing that deserves to be archived for the ages.
I’ll leave the deep thinking to some of the deep minds here.
I’ll meet you at Chase’s for a cold one.
So is there a directory where I can find Chase’s?
So is there a directory where I can find Chase’s?
Not yet, but I’m pretty sure there will be.
rosh gadol,
Bill said, at the top of this post, that he was shooting for a July 4th grand opening. We may just have to talk amongst ourselves until then.
One month – I’m counting the days!
This thread looks to me like the place for talking about user experience ideas and feature requests. If there’s a better place, someone tell me.
So I’m gonna restrain myself and find another spot to talk about anything that might not apply. These comment threads don’t work so well for communicating about a task unless the signal-to-noise ratio can be strictly controlled. And that’s going to be necessary in the more goal-oriented areas of Ejectia as well, don’t you think?
Well, if your gender, ethnicity, orientation, ability, etc, is preventing you from following the rules of the community then you cannot expect the rules to change to suit you, you effectively exclude yourself. The idea is to have rules that foster community. The point of this essay is that an ‘always includes’ or ‘always cooperates’ stance is as destructive as an ultra-exclusive one.
As it should be, you only exclude yourself.
(These opinions do not necessarily reflect those of ejectia! at large.)
Sara (no H) the rules and or laws are what they are. If your religion prevents you from having any discourse with a non-believer that does not involve you demanding they convert (for instance) you will likely find that you exclude yourself. It would be like coming to a tennis match and demanding you play badminton, or soccer.
Again, my opinion.
Agam,
Welcome aboard!
The overall purpose as I see it, is to re-affirm and defend the values and traditions of Western Civilization. Since most of us here are American we tend to see that purpose from an American prospective but you are right; it’s much bigger than that. The ideas and virtues that Bill discussed know no national boundaries.
I also agree about the need for a couple of new threads but that’s up to our gracious host.
D4/Stan
It occurs to me, with so many of us hitting Refresh on the E3 site these days, and presumably for the next month while we await the birth of Ejectia.com, we’ve gotta be sucking up some decent bandwidth.
Aside from going and buying a copy of Silent America (been dere, done dat, waiting for the tshirt), is there any way for those of us lining up with folding chairs and blankets (but little technical expertise) to contribute?
Could a direct contribution via the same paypal used to purchase the book be put to good use, even tho it’s not being requested?
Rickbert, taking the Initiative.
Seeing the Unseen,
Hearing the unspoken.
Daddyquatro,
Why thank you, sir, and I assure you that I am in fact only 17. I will be 18 in a bare four days, however.
I’m picking the Marine Corps because of it’s ancient values. Loyalty until death, it’s smallish size and elite status. It’s deployment methods will virtually guarantee seeing combat in the event of a crisis. That, and those Dress Blues always attract girls!
Of course, I will always remain a gentleman, God help me.
Is it possible there may be a place to post my works of fiction? I have a fondness for penning military sci-fi.
Gaige
Rickbert,
I swear I’m trying to wean myself from the F5 button.
No more than once an hour, I promise.
Or maybe two, but that’s it!
Or maybe….
must stop…
but I could miss something!
Must stop…
Gaige,
Contact me. daddyquatroAThotmailDOTcom.
daddyquatro,
Thank you for the warm welcome. Although I am not new to the internet I am new to online communities, Yes I shall be staying, for the time at the Prancing Pony, till a proper hole in one of the valleys might be acquired.
“I find that I am paying more attention to those values on an everyday basis” (I do not know how to change the font for a quote here)
I believe this to be important, in that we do not live the virtues “virtually” but out in reality. A “faith is not a Sunday morning thing but a Monday morning thing” if you will.
Upon reading thru some of the prior posts I did want to comment on the my brothers keeper idea, in that from a different perspective, am I not here to give to you a hand when needed? Or you I and others? I do understand how it was being used in the context but I hope being my brothers keeper is viewed as a positive value.
To Gaige, I wish to say thanks and my prayers are with you as you move forward to the Marine Corp. My oldest son is but one year ahead of you and will soon be deployed. I pray you will find brethren among the brothers and be great light among men of valor. And of course those dress blues are sharp!
RiverCocytus
You’re better off not wasting your time on that one. She’s already written us off as not worth her time. In her own words, from her own blog:
In short, she’s already chosen to exclude herself.
drs,
You are most welcome.
Forgive me, it is late.
I will answer to my meaning of “my brother’s keeper” on the morrow. Remind me?
I am a man of very little brain. “One thing drives out another”
D4/Stan
Dunno if it’s been visualized yet, but has anyone given any thought to a graphic icon to symbolize “Ejectia!”?
LGF has the green football, Bill has the ejection seat, Kim DuToit has the NoR Minuteman…what can this place have that makes it instantly identifiable to others?
Dunno if it’s been visualized yet, but has anyone given any thought to a graphic icon to symbolize “Ejectia!”?
LGF has the green football, Bill has the ejection seat, Kim DuToit has the NoR Minuteman…what can this place have that makes it instantly identifiable to others?
Can Ejectia also use the ejection seat? Or how about a Roman motif — capital of a column, facade of a forum building. I like the idea of keeping it classical, and classy.
Rosh Gadol 6/05 7:33 AM –
Your question,
“LGF has the green football, Bill has the ejection seat, Kim DuToit has the NoR Minuteman…what can this place have that makes it instantly identifiable to others?”
Answer: The view of the Dougman statue from any window in the Chase Lounge and Grill.
Badda Bing… (Har, har, har)… (sorry, I just couldn’t resist that one…)
Your question is a good one, and deserves a better answer. You have any ideas? Anyone?
OOOooops…. That question was actually from JCLJockey. My apology for the incorrect attribution.
AAAAAARRRrrrrrgh, Dougman!!!
40 year search.
I have been persuing the ideas in “You are not alone” for 40 years.
Robert Heinlein – Ayn Rand – James H. Schmitz – etc…
I am not sure I can be of any help with this enterprise. My speciality is electrical and mechanical engineering. Not thinking outside the box, but not being aware of a box.
Paul A. – remember: When speaking directly of Dougman, or especially of the view of the Dougman statue from The Chase Lounge, the probability of error approaches one.
Drs,
“Am I my brother’s keeper?”
This is where I go all Randite.
I think I can best describe my position with an illustration.
1. It’s a busy city street. A car has stalled in traffic. In the car are a young woman and two small children. I and a few other like minded individuals pull over, do a little impromptu traffic management, and push the lady’s car into a gas station parking lot. Maybe we let her borrow a cell phone to call her husband or give her ten bucks for gas.
2. Same busy street. Same stalled car. A cop walks up to my window and pulls his gun. He uses my cell phone and credit card to call a tow truck to tow the lady home.
It’s a matter of coercion. An obligation placed on me without my consent as opposed to an obligation freely accepted.
And I remembered all by myself! Yaaay me!
Paul A. – JCLJockey – Rosh G.
There were at least two submitted for consideration very early on – not sure if final decision made.
Mayhaps they are waiting on Dougman to submit artwork suggestion.
DQ4 can probably answer one way or the other but he hasn’t hit the F5 yet this a.m.
Andrea
daddyquatro,
Thank you and there is no need for forgiveness. Where understanding is achieved there is a greater knowing. I had perceived a liberal version as an unlimited handout which is not useful nor helpful and leads to abuses. I see it as meeting a need unable to be met by an individual. My obligation is driven by an external value system which I voluntarily adhere to. As an aside and why the comment stuck out to me, my wife and daughter are going to Romania this summer with an organization called “My Brothers Keeper” to work with abandoned children.
You lost me on the Randite but I grasp the “One thing drives out another”
Andrea, et al RE: Logo
Go back to the main page and scroll down to May 13th. Under the “Bill SUCKS!” poster you’ll see the prototype Ejectia logo. AKA “the evil smiley face”
Much tweaking has since occurred.
Bill and the construction crews… you have my sincere apologies if this idea has been covered already.
Are you planning on creating areas where each state’s remnant can congregate and communicate, apart from the “main areas”? I only ask because of how important it could end up being for people near each other to actually get together in person and/or focus on the different situations presented in a region.
My thought in this is similar to the “each person can make a difference” train of thought. Each of these individuals gathering in regional groups can help others in their area; helping them in more ways than a purely internet friendship can. This would make each region/state stronger… which would once again trickle upward to make the whole that much more significant and successful.
I understand that this is potentially a lot more work, but it seems like a goal to work towards as the project progresses… because of the benefits.
Again, my apologies if this is redundant.
Oops! I forgot how global this will all be. My apologies to people abroad.
Countries would need to be included as well. For the larger nations (in area), then regions/states/provinces/etc. would need to be added as well.
Sorry for throwing a super-huge idea out there!
Engineer, problem solver, spanish,english, volunteer at a shelter for abused women. construction repair/remodel, teach math and english. as an ordained minister can marry people.
these are just a few of things I can do. can learn to do what ever is needed.
In the natural realm, I am an accomplished machinist and tool maker. If it can be done on machine tools, I have probably done it. I am also well experienced in the use of firearms and explosives. I am a good mechanic, and I have a good understanding of physics. I am able to design and build prototype machinery.
In the spiritual realm, I am a non-denominational christian. I operate in several of the gifts of Holy Spirit. I am a seer prophet, a discerner of spirits, a watchman, and an intercessor. I am different than most, in that, I do not thump the Bible, nor do I offer spiritual advise or admonition unless I am personally and specifically asked.
my gosh … between the other comment thread and this one, how am I supposed to make my employer happy? Sigh.
Linda, finally got down to the end and still remember the important question: kolaches. I was bitterly disappointed this spring while stopping at an establishment in Houston. I discovered that a kolache was not a kolache. I was introduced to that taste treat by my now-wife, who got heres at a little place in Clute … and assumed they were all that good. I guess the name should have alerted me — since it had “factory” in it.
Favorite flavor for both of us is cream cheese, followed by cherry. Not a whole lot impressed by meat-filled ones, however.
TXSoldier94,
piney woods …. beautiful country. Not from there, but visit as often as possible. Stepson in Nacogdoches. Wife’s parents retired to the Kirbeyville area.
Sara-minus-H
a unsung part of my job is to interpret policies, procedures and concepts into understandable language for my team. That makes me commonly dissect comments, soapbox speeches and the like. Having read you comments and responses, my cut-to-the-chase would be “you all won’t play by MY rules, so I’m going home”. Being that most other have expressed a willingness and desire to both teach and learn (give and take), I’d say your decision to leave makes sense. BTW … that joke has been around for decades … almost always Conservative vs. Liberal vs. conservative/libertarian/ultraconservative/neocon, etc. The perp has been black, yellow, red, white, etc … but always a criminal and therefore only a foil. It’s really no differnet than “Clinton, Bush and the Pope are on a plane …” yada yada yada. I truly marvel at people who find offense in jokes … when it’s only actions that truly count.
Lastly, I, too, favor/favour the idea of a repository for the “I tried to do this and maybe you shouldn’t …” knowledge. My suggestion: House of OOPS.
Johnny Ringo,
Great idea.
The citizens of Ejectia seem to be a pretty resourceful group. Places to meet and greet will be provided. The citizens will take it from there. I’ll be very surprised if we don’t have country/state/region/local groups formed by the end of the first week.
Reverend,
Can you do an internet wedding? The thought is intriguing.
Gideon,
You’re right. Thumping the good book accomplishes little. Better to live one’s life in such a manner as to attract the good and those in need of your gifts.
Welcome all!
Now it’s time to leave this old thread. I will miss it. See you at the top of the page!
Thanks d4!
Actually, my brother and I have been trying to figure out how to form a Wisconsin group similar to Ejectia (only in person, not all online) for a couple of years now. We originally thought “militia”, but we didn’t want to have that bugaboo with the word militia holding the group back… or creating a negative image in John Q. Public’s noggin. We wanted to organize a group of people who fit Bill’s description to a “T”. I’ve got a blog mostly constructed for the “Wisconsin Patriots for America”, which was the name we agreed upon, but I haven’t been able to put to words exactly what we wanted to accomplish. Perhaps now, with this project taking off, I’ll be able to get things started with a group of people who, without a doubt, share the same ideals here in the land of cheese and beer. Of course, the name might need altering, but that’s something that will be worked out when the time comes.
Bill, if you read this and like/dislike the idea, or want clarification, please drop me an email.
Hello, all. I first read “tribes” two years ago and soon confirmed I was who I thought I was. I would check back from time to time to see what Bill was up to. When I checked in last week after several months, I was astonished by this idea and how quickly the snowball has grown.
I’m usually not a joiner, and I’m certainly no wordsmith, but I want to see how I may be of service.
My background is in historic preservation, and I’m viewed by some as an expert in historic masonry. A time will come when our little village (or megatropolis) will require restoration.
I love to preserve what those before us created, for the benefit of the future. I also love to teach what I know.
I’m ready to help…rh
Hi y’all! This is a cross-post from the other thread, I just wanted to make sure I was thoroughly introduced
I came to EjectEjectEject after seeing a comment on another website (was it LGF? Can’t remember…) The truth speaks powerfully, with no need of adornment (yes, I read Nock’s article after reading yours, Bill), and it has a magnet, a calling, all its own. I’m grateful for the chance to be part of such a community.
I’m a magazine and web designer and childrens’ illustrator, and am well-versed with all things Adobe and Macromedia. I love my job, love that I’m able to create meaningful things; however, I’ll always mourn not sending my resume to the Weekly World News when I was younger
Johnny, Ross, Gayle
Please join me at the top ‘o the blog.
Must… let… the … old… thread… go…
Good things are coming.
See you there.
As an addenum — while I appreciate that people have disagreed with what I have said, and that they would like to discuss their disagreement, I do not appreciate random Renmanteers trolling my blog. I have been respectful in your community and I would appreciate the same courtesy.
Also, I don’t appreciate being talked about behind my back. Goy accuses me of trolling for racists, ignoring the original blog post in which I quoted part of the original “you are not alone essay” and remarked that the kind of activism it described felt empowering and insightful; he also accuses me of being racist about fat white guys, but neglects to mention that the “fat white guy” in question was actively sexually harassing my coworkers and that I may have had very good reason to be angry with him.
Again, I have been cooperative and respectful with the general community policies of this place. It is wholly disappointing to find that the same courtesy was not afforded me.
I can’t control what goes on in this community, obviously — but please note that further commentary on my own blog from Remnanteers will be automatically rejected unless they are made in a genuine spirit of openness to dialogue.
Sara-H:
I fail to see how you can claim to have been respectful in this community when you have falsely accused members in it of racism, have attacked their opions most snidely on your own blog, and expect the entire community to bend toward your desire of how it should be, rather than attempting to meet the standards that are expected (and accepted) for everyone else.
If you accuse Goy of talking to you behind your back, then what do you call all the rude comments made about this site on your own blog? In one post you ask that visitors from here not comment on your site unless it’s according to your rules, but then you come here and again attempt to impose your rules on a place not your own. He may speak as he will here, without being moderated by you, and you may as well. The reverse is not true on your site, which you openly declared that you will moderate. So where is he supposed to comment, exactly? I know what my choice would be, certainly (this reply demonstrates it quite well, in fact).
Goy called you out on your false accusation of racism. What he said was true–you would find a racist even if you had to make one up by twisting the meaning of the word. The major religions have nothing whatsoever to do with race, but you make an attempt to brand a person ‘racist’ for making a humorous (and downright logically self-supporting) comment. You point out you might have legitimate complaints with a ‘fat white guy’, but did you stop to think, when commenting on the aforementioned joke, that some people might have legitimate complaints with a group of religious extremists (with a history of violent acts) who want to kill them?
You have not been cooperative. You have been antoganistic in an amusingly passive-aggressive way. Whether you have been this way intentionally or in a blissfully unaware fashion I am not certain. You are, however, effectively filtering yourself out of the community and are an excellent example as to how the system SHOULD work in a perfect world where people police themselves. You’re welcome to return at any time, so long as you follow the rules and remain aware that you are not specially protected against honest criticism.
— — —
Oh, by the way, hello everyone. I tried to post on here before this whole incident, but I guess the HTML gremlins ate my work. Hope I’m not stepping on any toes. Mr. Whittle has an excellent and wonderful idea that I hope will continue to grow and prosper, fueled by the creativity of those who are determined to make a difference in their world. I was musing earlier that the concept of Ejectia! would be like the modern equivalent of the legendary Library of Alexandria, but a bit more difficult to loot, sack, burn, or vandalize–as it would not exist solely in one place and would be maintained by those who do so out of love for what they do. I really can’t wait to see how it goes. If I can contribute in some small way, then I’ll gladly do what I can. I consider it to be some small form of repayment for the awesome inspiration of his essays and the people here.
Tyris,
Sara sans H is a good person; misguided and cognitively dissonant, but good. If we ignore her, and leave her alone, she will go away.
Please join me at the top ‘o the page. I’m getting old and I can only greet at one door at a time.
I don’t appreciate being talked about behind my back.
I’m going to suggest again: do get over yourself. You made yourself a topic through your own comportment – both here and in your “response” to my comment at your site.
As I posted at your blog – it is my observation that YOU CHOOSE to associate Islamist Terrorists with “people of colour”. I believe that you, like many others, do this so that you can label as “racist” anyone who wants to fight that terrorism – whether they’re fighting it through political activism, blogging, armed combat, humor, or any other means. Those who fight to enforce our immigration laws are often labeled “racist” in much the same, irrational way. That is re-defining racism to suit the needs of so-called “progressive” ideology.
Goy accuses me of trolling for racists, ignoring the original blog post in which I quoted part of the original “you are not alone essay” …
I ignored nothing. I noted (and Richard Riley has gone on to cogently explain – to any rational person, anyway) that you twisted the subject matter you chose in order to find “racists” here. A quick read of the sophomoric silliness on your blog – with its attendant references to “white guys”, “whitey tighties”, “fat white guys”, “the patriarchy” and such – makes it quite obvious where the motivation for that behavior comes from.
…neglects to mention that the “fat white guy” in question was actively sexually harassing my coworkers…
We’ll leave your sad mischaracterization of “sexual harassment” for those who want to go read it for themselves.
… and that I may have had very good reason to be angry with him.
I see. Your righteous indignation “justifies” your truly racist commentary. Meanwhile, Americans have NO reason to joke about the fear of Islamist Terrorists, right? Just because they’ve savagely beheaded a few of us, brutally murdered thousands more and threatened to wipe America and its allies off the face of the earth… those are all mere slights that pale in comparison to your choice to be “insulted” at your summer job at the coffeshop, right? Don’t worry Sara – we understand you. And those in your tribe who “think” like you. It’s part of the reason this site – and others like it – exists, and part of the reason why The Remnant, whoever they may turn out to be, are such a critical element of humanity.
And yes, you should switch to WordPress.
D4 et al.,
I vaguely recall someone saying that the behind-the-scenes work is based on Second Life. I had heard of it, but never (before) looked at it. Having looked, I have several questions. They are general enough that they probably apply even if my SL conjecture is wrong. (1) SL has pretty formidable hardware requirements, plus the need to downoad and install a resource-hog package of software. Many potential E’ia citizens may be unable to meet this requirement. (2) Second Life itself has serious support problems, as described in the WikiPedia documentation “Second_Life#Issues_and_criticisms”, not to mention financial and legal problems.
It also appears that SL has a problem with multiple avatars from the same owner. I have experienced this problem in a previous collaboration effort (Laissez Faire City) and caution you to not underestimate the seriousness of this “design flaw” in any environment which may include voting.
I am a programmer from “way back.” I began in 1959. I am retired now, and sufficiently out of practice that I would probably not be useful for actual coding on this project, but I would welcome the opportunity to beta-test the work in progress, and I might bring a rather different insight to the process. I am sending you a companion email to D4, so that you can respond either online or offline to this offer.
doc – based on what I’ve read in and contributed to the Architecture Group, SL is not currently ‘in the running’ as a technology base for Ejectia 1.0, nor is ActiveWorlds. Whether either of these will emerge as a potential component in a future version is unclear. My perception (and only mine) is that it’s unlikely either would be used as a core component.
I’m not sure what the end result of all this will turn out to be, but I can tell by reading a sampling of the comments here that one thing is certain..
Many of us are going to enjoy some high grade single-malt scotch.
I’ve got experience designing and programming software and web apps. Secondary skills too broad and diverse to mention here.
When we have a set of forums active I’ll gladly participate and share what I can teach. In the building stage there are probably quite a few people more expert that you have on board already, but I’d still help if needed for most any tech support.
Like Krashen Byrne who posted previously, I have experience with varied forms of virtual environment building. I have been part of many virtual communities and have built graphical virtual worlds as a hobby for the past 17 odd years.
I have several observations:
1) This is a really cool idea.
2) Attempting to discuss design concepts in the comments section of a blog post is, well, retarded.
3) Having been involved in implementation/testing of 3d chat environments in the past, I’d be reluctant to recommend you using one for this. They are “neat”, yes, but do we want “neat” or do we want “useful”?
There’s well-tested, very mature multi-user chat technology around. The oldest and most prevalent is IRC, and with modern Java-based browsers, people don’t even need to install an IRC client to get online. (Though they would still have the option of doing so.)
I’d be willing to set up and probably even host a dedicated IRC server for this if anyone is interested.
Other advantage: if you go with IRC, this can be up and running in hours. Not months, weeks, or even days.
Weasel wants in! I’m somewhat light in the virtue department, but I have an admiration for heroes and a very large bottle of Glenmorangie.
Hey Stoat!
What you doing hanging round down on this dead thread?
Come on upstairs!
And bring the scotch too.
Email me when this is ready. Thank you.
BLAINE: Your original offer was accepted shortly after 15 June. However, the address you supplied is not complete. Please resend your offer from a different account if you can. Thank you!
This is the absolutely the coolest friggin idea!!! I don’t know how you can keep up with how fast this gonna go, but I am all in.
If you want to have a lot of good information, to be able to incorporate the intelligence which is already out there (why re-invent the wheel?) nothing beats a good university library. You have to pay a subscription fee to access that information though which is very expensive. I can’t think of a solution, this is just a problem. Sorry.
Would love to be of service, even if few months late, experience in web design and Microsoft products including Active Server Pages, also quick to catch up and learn
I had responded here earlier. and that is either set down at your end or it isn’t. I’ve since read up on A.J.Nock and noted how, like all “political parties,” things change. At the risk of sounding both naive and stupid, I was pretty cranked up about what was being said in your Part One. Evidently the plan, however, is to wait until the Left has installed Stalin-Lenin here, with substantally under 200,000,000 dead? I.e., what are you going to do with what Id guess you have in abundance–a hell of a significant pool of caring citizens, not necessarily “conservative” (which, along with fascist and racist and fundamentalist, position all those who disagree to the very smallest extent with the sworn Left), certainly not Leftist–but people who very much give a damn about this still Great Experiment. Silence from your end resounds. Why? Or am I too stupid to see that your proposition depends on the post apocalyptic takeover by those whose banner reads DO AS WE SAY NOT AS WE DO.
Dear HScott:
I just updated the entry page. If you have not read it, take a look. I think you might be a very good choice to help us get the right software on the site.
I own the domain, but the sad fact is I have no idea how to install anything there.
I completely agree with what has been said: let’s get some simple things working over at the new site. Once the core modules are actually working, we can worry about adding chrome.
This is great fun!
See what happens when your eject3 viewing habits become as lax as Bill’s essay posting timeline?!
I go away for a stretch and you all built a city.
Bill, I humbly ask for inculsion to your city.
I have many talents, some paid, some free, some useful, some less than.
Jack of all trades, master of none is how my grandfather stated it, I believe.
Point me in a direction and I will help where I can, teach when I’m able and learn what’s needed to survive.
your a google whack
antoganistic dexterity…type it in google and your the only search result congrats haha