The Flat Earth Society
The Flat Earth Society => Announcements => Topic started by: xasop on December 01, 2018, 12:28:31 PM
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Five years ago to the minute, I asked for help (https://forum.tfes.org/index.php?topic=637) in building the best damn Flat Earth discussion forum on the web. The growth and success we've seen since then is more amazing than any of us ever could have hoped for.
The number of people who've helped make this place what it is is too numerous to mention, but here are some high points:
- Our forum growth is accelerating (https://forum.tfes.org/index.php?action=stats) both in terms of new topics and new members, in a decade when independent web forums overall are rapidly declining.
- We remain one of the few Flat Earth discussion forums that welcomes constructive discussion from Round Earthers. We still believe that the best way to improve our own ideas is by exposing them to criticism.
- Our wiki (https://wiki.tfes.org/) has grown into one of the richest references for Flat Earth knowledge on the web, and continues to be actively maintained.
- On social media, we continue to be a voice of reason in discussions with Round Earthers and fellow Flat Earthers alike. Follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/FlatEarthOrg) and Facebook (https://facebook.com/FlatSoc) for your daily dose of logic!
- We've expanded our media presence to include regular (https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/flat-earth-society-meet-man-convinced-that-world-isnt-round-1651207) interviews (https://www.thedailybeast.com/flat-earthers-call-trumps-space-force-idea-impossible) with the press.
- We have developed our own consistent branding across all our channels, and it's pretty slick, if we do say so ourselves.
We're especially proud to be a positive influence on the growth (https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2017/11/28/americas-flat-earth-movement-appears-to-be-growing) of the Flat Earth movement at large. We believe that being transparent and providing a freethinking platform for open (but civil!) discussion of all ideas is the best way to promote our own ideas, as people see how they stand up to scrutiny. We believe the numbers speak for themselves on this one.
To everyone reading this, no matter where you are, what shape you think the Earth is or what your opinion of our organisation, we invite you to raise a glass to these accomplishments, and hope you'll be a part of making the next five years even better!
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Congratulations on the milestone. Y'all have built a fantastic site, run it with dignity and class, promote free speech rather it is offensive or not and have put together a fair amount of intelligent free thinkers willing to push the envelope of questioning the status quo.
Mazel tov!
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Even I'll admit that this forum is a pretty good one.
Try not to break it.
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Milk shake cold and long, raised.
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As much as it sucks, it's a fact of life that the world holds counter-cultural people and points of view to a different standard than mainstream people and points of view. Bill Nye can show up for a flat earth debate wearing a zany novelty tie and people embrace it as evidence that he's a fun, clever guy. If the flat-earther shows up in a zany novelty tie, it's taken as evidence he's a crack pot. TFES has to maintain a seriously serious persona because so many people walk in the front door with the preconception that this place is full of whackos. It's a bummer that we have to dampen the jocular drollery in the upper forums but it's understandable.
It's not just TFES but any non-mainstream viewpoint has to watch how they carry themselves. An activist in front of their state legislature who's trying to legalize pot can't show up looking like Cheech and/or Chong. They have to look straight just like the people their trying to talk to.
For all the arguing over moderation, I have to say TFES has done ok.
Raises a bottle of mad dog in salute... just before a wave of nausea from the morning's hangover causes me to blow chunks....