If I were a polly, if I really believed that Y2K is going to be nothing much, I would simply go about my normal business of making a living, raising my kids, etc. I would not spend any time on this forum. Why would I care what anyone here thinks?

I would certainly not come back time and again to attack those who think Y2K is going to be nasty, nor would I try to change other people's opinions about Y2K. It wouldn't bother me a bit that there are people on the forum who don't see this the way I do. Who cares what a bunch of doomers think about anything?

How then do we account for the pathological obsession of people such as Ladylogic (who is neither a lady nor logical), Y2KPro, Andy Ray and lesser lights such as Paul Davis? These people have returned to the forum over and over with sneering, arrogant attacks on those of us who think Y2K is going to be bad. What causes such sick behavior?

-- cody (cody@y2ksurvive.com), December 22, 1999

Answers

Probably because both the polly and doomer camp have the same basic interest in computers. If two people argue about which OS is better, Mac or Windows, it doesn't mean that one side or the other has any less interest than the other.

Anyone can reverse the question as well. Why do doomers sit around in this forum and repeatedly come back to post. Do you need to convince yourself that your preps are necessary? Does a person need that incentive to purchase the new generator or the additional 6 months of goods?

I can't speak for everyone but I enjoy reading this forum and posting over at Debunky for the simple reason that I enjoy working with computers and am interested in the topic. As well as the scene itself is interesting since a huge spectrum of opinions can be found here, CSY2K and other sites.

-- Village Idiot (BAMECW@aol.com), December 22, 1999.

Village Idiot: You didn't actually reverse the question. The correct reversal would be why do doomers go into forums made up primarily of pollys or people who have no interest in Y2K and repeatedly attempt to convert these people to the doomer perception of things? There is a considerable difference between a doomer being a regular on this forum and a doomer aggressively going into other forums to cause trouble. I am not aware of any doomers who fit that description.

-- cody (cody@y2ksurvive.com), December 22, 1999.

Why don't you ask the question to the people (doomers) who do those same things on the Debunking Y2K forum?

Seems to me that you think the only "sick" ones are pollys. That right there is clear indication that your biased and incapable of seeing the whole picture. You see what you want to see, and then appeal to the forum with a brand of self important arrogance that is exactly the kind of thing you say you hate.

Besides, this is all debate and discussion, none of it changes anything in the long run, so lighten up! This is just the way we pass time until the rollover. People have different opnions and they share them whether you like it or not. If you can't deal with that then you must not have lived a very long life because it's something most people learn to deal with in their late teens. It's called life, and it's not always pleasant. This sort of freedom of social interaction between groups who share seperate views is exactly what the country is founded upon, where everyone gets a fair chance to be heard and seen.

But just to clear things up a little, Paul Davis and Andy Ray are very much NOT "lesser lights". They are cognizent, thinking individuals with much experience, a good sense of humor, and reasonable minds. There are plenty of those kinds over here too. What you fail to see is that there are a handful of people who troll both sides of the issue. Double-agent trolls so to speak. Those are the people you have come to hate. Unfortunately you've misdirected that annoyance onto nice people whom you happen to disagree with.

The treatment those "lesser lights" have gotten from the slack jawed yokels, and overbearing Sysops is sickening. They have every right to be angry. Hoffmeister is a good example of a person who proved his points, but got run off this forum by the doomer crowd just because they didn't like the fact that he wasn't as stupid as they thought he was (or should be maybe).

I guess you'll find out in a few weeks how far off these "sneering arrogant" pollys were about Y2K and then you can post all the rants and raves you want. Until then you're just missing out on some good ideas and opinions because you're too closed minded and prejudiced to broaden your horizons.

The emotionalism and sensationalism of Y2K has very obviously taken it's toll on some people's better judgements, and that's just a shame.

-- (ignorance@knows.no boundries), December 22, 1999.

Come on over to Debunky, wfk122, Princeton U and many others have become regular posters. They are annoying but they have every right to post what they feel since its a public forum.

Its located, Here if you want to visit it.

-- Village Idiot (BAMECW@aol.com), December 22, 1999.

Nobody wants to visit your stupid forum. We just want your pathetic drivel out of ours.

-- (brett@miklos.org), December 22, 1999.

Ignorance: Perhaps I'm not expresssing myself very well. It's not that I don't think other points of view that differ from the doomer position should be stifled. I certainly don't have any more of a clue what will happen in January than anyone else and I'm trying to gather as much information as possible so I can try to reach some conclusion that seems reasonable. However, Ladylogic, for example, delights in disruptive spamming of the board in some kind of mindless tantrum; what she is doing is not helpful to either side of the question. She's simply a kind of polly Nazi who will resort to any means to get attention.

And by the way, I don't hate anybody (well, possibly my ex-wife but that's another story).

-- cody (cody@y2ksurvive.com), December 22, 1999.

the only thing I have say is,Below average people talk about other people. Average people talk about things. Above average people talk about ideas.

-- jwhit (jwhit10238@aol.com), December 22, 1999.

Cody,

I formally apologize to you, sir. I saw the spam you referred to and wish to take an apologetic step backwards. Again, sorry for my misdirected parenting there.

-- Rob (maxovrdrv51@hotmail.com), December 22, 1999.

Hopefully that Bret Miklos post was a joke because otherwise I think he/she should read the ignorance post from above.

-- Village Idiot (BAMECW@aol.com), December 22, 1999.

Rob: apology completely accepted and incident behind us and forgotten. I probably should not have started this thread but it's really frustrating to see this kind of trouble occurring here, especially at this late date.

-- cody (cody@y2ksurvive.com), December 22, 1999.

There are probably numerous reasons why someone would do what you described, Cody. Here are my attempts to define a few:

The first reason that comes to mind is that some people are raised in an environment that lends itself to making other people's business their own. I would refer to this as someone who hasn't spent enough time in Texas (a state of mind where people are free to dream their own dreams and respect the rights and fences of others). This type of person probably never has had the good fortune to be humbled by life and learn their place in it.

The second reason is that some people are not capable of a minimal level of understanding of others. They don't understand that other people see situations differently and as a result of these situations feel motivated to act.

The third reason is that some people are inherently malevolent in their disregard of others. These sorts generally respond well to a Family Sized Case of Industrial Strength Whoop-Ass, especially if it starts with a broken nose.

The fourth reason is that some people generally fail in their attempts to have original thoughts and so they follow along behind a person suffering from reason number three. Unfortunately these people are like a broken record, stuck in an endless loop unable to have an original thought and therefore they have no real direction, a compass with no moral pointer.

The fifth reason is that some people are in a state of apostasy from the truth and are resentful and angry with themselves for having failed. The only way out, they think, is to lash out at others who try to know the truth. And it's too bad for them because their lashing out is only a temporary distraction from their overpowering mental noise.

---

-- snooze button (alarmclock_2000@yahoo.com), December 22, 1999.

If you people were polly's, you would be a heck of a lot smarter.

---/--@

-- (cody@youare.stupid), December 22, 1999.

What snooze button said. By the way, I have found the pollies as a whole to be extraordinarily self-satisfied and smug, a reaction unwarrented by the situation.

-- Mara (MaraWayne@aol.com), December 22, 1999.

Why attend a meeting of the "flat earth" society? Or the "Victims of alien abduction" conference? Or the "Elvis Lives" support group?

People sincerely believe the earth is flat, they've been abducted by aliens or that Elvis is really alive. Every "fringe" idea has its own scientists, salespeople, devotees, critics, etc. The people who believe in the paranormal are just as sincere as any pessimist on this forum. Like forum pessimists, they feel the facts support their case. In my experience, the paranormal folks are not quite as militant or "in your face" about their belief system. In short, they don't call everyone who does not believe in ghosts, "DGI's."

This forum was originally started by Ed Yourdon for a "nontechnical" dicussion of Y2K. Most of the optimists who come here think Y2K will have an impact... just not the impact predicted by Milne and Company.

Substitute "aliens" for "Y2K." CPR attacks anyone who suggests alien might exist. The more moderate "Pollies" believe aliens might exist, but they see no evidence of a threat. Someone like Flint does not believe we're facing an alien invasion, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared. Most of this forum believes an alien invasion is possible, perhaps likely. The extreme pessimists think aliens will definitely invade, with the help of a cabal of international bankers and the U.S. government. These are broad generalizations, but I hope you get the basic point.

I'm here because it's an interesting discussion.... and because I think reasonable voices are valuable.

-- Ken Decker (kcdecker@worldnet.att.net), December 23, 1999.

Cody:

I agree with what the first respondent said regarding your first paragraph. I'm optimistic regarding the unfolding of Y2k, but I've programmed computers all my adult life and we aren't going to see a repeat of this phenomenon so are certainly curious about the thoughts of others.

Your second paragraph deals more with evangelism. Evangelists exist within both the pessimist and optimist groups. I'm a crappy evangelist myself. I have no interest in converting others' opinions to coincide with mine.

Your third paragraph deals with pathological obsession. I wouldn't necessarily agree with the examples you used, but assure you that obsession, much like evangelism, again exists in both groups. It almost seems to me as though the evangelism BREEDS the obsession, but I'm not qualified to make psychological inferences. I assure you, however, that the optimistic fora have the same experiences with both the evangelists and the obsessive.

-- Anita (notgiving@anymore.com), December 23, 1999.

Village Idiot sounds quite objective, doesn't he or she? But look at what he or she posts at Bonkers:

What are the doomlits afraid of? Check out this thread on censorship at the Censored 2000.

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ back to main page ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by (205.188.198.27) The Village Idiot on November 20, 1999 at 16:26:22:

Check out this following thread over at TB2000. You can reach it at this LINK

I suggest reading the thread before you read my shiznit on it.

============================= What are the doomlits afraid of over at TB2000? They are asking for peoples thoughts to be censored by someone that they have no clue about. They are hypocrites in the truest form. They rally against any form of authority but when it comes to protecting newbies from other thoughts and opinions, they won't.

They should just call it the Art Bell forum then because all your going to get is comedic material that is supposed to be serious discussions.

On top of that no specific rules are stated on what is appropriate or not. A polly that posts On Topic is enemy number 1 but when Stan or any of the shills post for profit its acceptable.

Really though who cares. In two months the doomlits will move onto a new topic. Im sure the new topic will be very similar and a spinoff of Y2K. Thats why they continually post about hackers, software viruses and anything else related to computers but not Y2K related.

The forum as well will be PW protected in short time because they hint at it and posts during the summer were supporting the idea. That time though most of us will have gone off back to other interests and will continue to work in respective fields.

So to the pollies/middle of the roaders such as Flint, Hoff, Decker, Y2KPro and any hosts of other regular posters good luck. Just remember that Darth Squire will be watchin ya.

http://stand77.com/wwwboard/messages/4885.html

P.S. What happened to OutingsR Us?

-- Student (of@OutingsR.Us), December 23, 1999.