Ghost of V

Re: Membership suggestion
« Reply #20 on: July 17, 2014, 05:23:02 AM »
You should probably put in some clause saying that the members should discuss FET at least once in a while.
I don't think that a clause compelling discussion of FET among members is the answer.  Let's face it, if a number of people get together and are genuinely interested in something (whether they actually believe in it or not), then discussion will flow naturally.  The fact there is little to no discussion of FET on a FES web site suggests that few, if any, "members" have any genuine interest in FET.

Or they do, but they got tired of arguing the same topics with people like you repeatedly.
Are you saying that there are no aspects of FET left for FE'ers to discuss among themselves?  Have all the mysteries of FET been solved?  Do all FE'ers agree on the same FE model?

Most are petty differences. The fundamentals of FET have been solidly rooted in fact since the 1800s.

Thork

Re: Membership suggestion
« Reply #21 on: July 17, 2014, 04:54:58 PM »
You should probably put in some clause saying that the members should discuss FET at least once in a while.
I don't think that a clause compelling discussion of FET among members is the answer.  Let's face it, if a number of people get together and are genuinely interested in something (whether they actually believe in it or not), then discussion will flow naturally.  The fact there is little to no discussion of FET on a FES web site suggests that few, if any, "members" have any genuine interest in FET.

Or they do, but they got tired of arguing the same topics with people like you repeatedly.
Are you saying that there are no aspects of FET left for FE'ers to discuss among themselves?  Have all the mysteries of FET been solved?  Do all FE'ers agree on the same FE model? 
Yes, you can leave now. Show's over.

Thork

Re: Membership suggestion
« Reply #22 on: July 17, 2014, 09:43:51 PM »
The T-shirt idea comes up every now and then. When we last discussed it, everyone seemed to think it's a good idea. The main reason we're somewhat reluctant is that, frankly, we don't want people to think we're doing this for money, and the easiest way to guarantee we never get this accusation is by not having anything that costs money. But maybe it's time to give those a trial run? I have some friends at TeeGlobe - one of those companies that offer a new t-shirt every day for a period of 48 hours, they're dirt cheap, and they deliver worldwide. I could get in touch with them and see if they'd be willing to put up a design of ours. That way we could at least partially satisfy the initial need for tees among members and potentially get a little bit more attention from the outside world, and depending on how that goes, we could then decide whether or not we want to set up something long-term.

What do people think?
Can you not get your friends at teeglobe to charge their part and not add any extra commission for FES? And if not, could we not donate the money to a worthwhile charity? Save the penguins or some other kinda FES related thing? Maybe a kids charity. That would probably be better.

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Offline Tom Bishop

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Re: Membership suggestion
« Reply #23 on: July 19, 2014, 04:23:37 PM »
I support opening up membership as Thork suggests. Membership isn't meaningless because it's freely given. It is meaningful because that person deliberately chose to become a member of the Flat Earth Society.

Re: Membership suggestion
« Reply #24 on: July 20, 2014, 03:15:58 AM »
There should be three grades of membership:

Bronze £100 - basic. Discourage anyone from taking this through social manipulation/isolation etc
Gold £500 - standard. Fine for most members.
Platinum £5000 - the best. All members should strive for this even though most of them are too weak to ever be able to afford it. Anyone who has an ugly wife will be refused Platinum.

I am already Platinum. I will be in charge of revenue collection.

Ghost of V

Re: Membership suggestion
« Reply #25 on: July 20, 2014, 03:34:27 AM »
I will PayPal you a platinum membership.

Re: Membership suggestion
« Reply #26 on: July 20, 2014, 03:57:16 PM »
Do you have an ugly wife?

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Offline Tau

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Re: Membership suggestion
« Reply #27 on: July 20, 2014, 05:04:35 PM »
I think a membership register should be voluntary.  Perhaps one of the council members can volunteer to keep up with it and people can send him/her a PM with their choice of information to add to it, such as initials, city, first and/or last name, country, or what ever information that member wants to be displayed on his/her membership.  That council member would then just have to transfer the information from the PM to the list.

I'd be willing to do this. It's a good idea.

I also support opening up membership. Which makes it a majority vote from the council. I'll go make it official in the board.
That's how far the horizon is, not how far you can see.

Read the FAQ: http://wiki.tfes.org/index.php?title=FAQ

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Offline Tom Bishop

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Re: Membership suggestion
« Reply #28 on: July 22, 2014, 01:47:39 AM »
The certificate should be in an Old English font and read something in line with the following:


The Flat Earth Society

By the Authority and Approval of the Zetetic Council

Be it known on this day of ___________ that


_______________________________

Being of Sound Mind and Moral Character,
Having fulfilled all the Society's Requirements
And having Sworn Solemnly to Combat
the Globularist Hersey and all its Dupes and Hirelings
Has been admitted Full Membership and Official Standing in

The Flat Earth Society
 
With all the Rights and Privileges that attach thereto

SOCIETY SEAL                             COUNCIL SIGNATURES

Rama Set

Re: Membership suggestion
« Reply #29 on: July 22, 2014, 01:54:47 AM »
I know you are trying to make it sound officious and dramatic, but maybe the word heresy will not help unwanted associations with religious extremism.

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Offline Particle Person

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Re: Membership suggestion
« Reply #30 on: July 22, 2014, 01:57:42 AM »
What about the word hersey?
Your mom is when your mom and you arent your mom.

Rama Set

Re: Membership suggestion
« Reply #31 on: July 22, 2014, 02:22:16 AM »
What about the word hersey?

It's a word with decidedly religious connotations. I am pretty confident in saying the the FES prides itself on not deriving its belief from religion, so using the word heresy seems to be a mixed signal.

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Offline Tau

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Re: Membership suggestion
« Reply #32 on: July 22, 2014, 02:36:06 AM »
I'm inclined to agree with Rama. The biggest complaint about the old Official Membership Certificate, as I remember, was its religious connotations. I think we should try to distance ourselves from religion as much as possible. Can we replace Heresy with something else?
That's how far the horizon is, not how far you can see.

Read the FAQ: http://wiki.tfes.org/index.php?title=FAQ

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Offline Particle Person

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Re: Membership suggestion
« Reply #33 on: July 22, 2014, 02:37:43 AM »
I would change "dupes and hirelings" as well. That just seems immature.
Your mom is when your mom and you arent your mom.

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Offline Tau

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Re: Membership suggestion
« Reply #34 on: July 22, 2014, 02:45:08 AM »
How about

The Flat Earth Society

By the Authority and Approval of the Zetetic Council

Be it known on this day of ___________ that


_______________________________

Being of Sound Mind and Moral Character,
Having fulfilled all the Society's Requirements
And having Sworn Solemnly to Promote
Flat Earth Theory to the Best of [preferred pronoun] Ability, And
To Combat Globularism in all its Forms,
Has been admitted Full Membership and Official Standing in

The Flat Earth Society
 
With all the Rights and Privileges that attach thereto

SOCIETY SEAL                             COUNCIL SIGNATURES
That's how far the horizon is, not how far you can see.

Read the FAQ: http://wiki.tfes.org/index.php?title=FAQ

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Offline Tom Bishop

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Re: Membership suggestion
« Reply #35 on: July 22, 2014, 02:59:33 AM »
Here is a picture to sway the audience:



And a quote! --

"We are more gullible and superstitious today than we were in the Middle Ages, and an example of modern credulity is the widespread belief that the Earth is round.  The average man can advance not a single reason for thinking that the Earth is round.  He merely swallows this theory because there is something about it that appeals to the twentieth century mentality."

- George Bernard Shaw
in Everybody's Political What's What (1944)

« Last Edit: July 22, 2014, 04:40:37 AM by Tom Bishop »

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Offline markjo

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Re: Membership suggestion
« Reply #36 on: July 22, 2014, 03:08:00 AM »
Just out of curiosity, what exactly are "all the Society's Requirements" that need to be fulfilled in order to be granted membership?  Also, just what "Rights and Privileges" are attached?

And what's wrong with this one:
« Last Edit: July 22, 2014, 03:12:06 AM by markjo »
Abandon hope all ye who press enter here.

Science is what happens when preconception meets verification.

Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge. -- Charles Darwin

If you can't demonstrate it, then you shouldn't believe it.

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Offline Tom Bishop

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Re: Membership suggestion
« Reply #37 on: July 22, 2014, 02:38:31 PM »
Just out of curiosity, what exactly are "all the Society's Requirements" that need to be fulfilled in order to be granted membership?

A working computer with at least 64MB of RAM, 233 Mhz Processor, 1.5 GB Disk Space, and 28.8k Modem with internet access.

Quote
Also, just what "Rights and Privileges" are attached?

Members of The Flat Earth Society are granted the privilege of announcing to friends, family, and all who can hear that they are now a standing member of an exclusive group of intellectuals who believe that the earth is flat.

Quote
And what's wrong with this one:

Everything.

Thork

Re: Membership suggestion
« Reply #38 on: July 22, 2014, 04:36:35 PM »
I quite like Tom's version.

Heresy (let's spell it right guys) was exactly the charge levelled at Galileo. He was found guilty and subsequently confessed to this crime. Its exactly the right term to use. In fact, we may be able to lift some of Galileo's retraction into part of the certificate wording.

Quote from: Galileo
I ... abandon the false opinion that the Sun was the centre of the universe and immoveable, and that the Earth was not the centre of the same and that it moved, and that I was neither to hold, defend, nor teach in any manner whatever, either orally or in writing, the said false doctrine. I have been judged vehemently suspected of heresy, that is, of having held and believed that the Sun is the centre of the universe and immoveable, and that the Earth is not the centre of the same, and that it does move.

I abjure with sincere heart and unfeigned faith, I curse and detest the said errors and heresies, and generally all and every error. And I swear that for the future I will neither say nor assert in speaking or writing such things as may bring upon me similar suspicion; and if I know any heretic, or one suspected of heresy, I will denounce him.

I Galileo Galilei aforesaid have abjured, sworn, and promised, and hold myself bound as above; and in token of the truth, with my own hand have subscribed the present schedule of my abjuration, and have recited it word by word. In Rome, at the Convent della Minerva, this 22nd day of June,

So the wording is kind of olde wurlde, but it says the things we should be asking. That you renounce your globular assertions, will cease to teach these false opinions and that you pledge to uphold the beliefs of the society. The society is built on tradition, we inherited it. The wording should hark to the core histories of Flat Earth Theory.

Boom. Job done. Lets face it, for a lot of people, its meant to be a bit of fun, and its the kind of thing they expect from a bunch of nut-jobs anyway.

I quite like Tom's first draft. The wording could be tweaked, but the sentiment is about right. :)
 

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Online Lord Dave

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Re: Membership suggestion
« Reply #39 on: July 22, 2014, 05:03:42 PM »
What if I join then tell everyone the earth is round?
If you are going to DebOOonK an expert then you have to at least provide a source with credentials of equal or greater relevance. Even then, it merely shows that some experts disagree with each other.