It’s a good time to be a good young skeptic. We’re working to make some of them heard, but a number of blog networks/group blogs are coming together to give them a platform like they’ve never had.
I’ve linked to The Heresy Club before, lots of times on Twitter and Facebook, where I do much more linking (hint). They’re an impressive, diverse bunch who manage to hold positions that are both strong and nuanced while still remaining open to debate. This network has a strong atheist bent, but the inclusion of Hayley Stevens (ghost hunter) and Rhys Morgan (anti-homeopathy activist) means the skepticism here isn’t limited to religion.
Originally organized as a group blog with space for students to blog occasionally, Skeptic Freethought has recently reorganized as a blog network. It is still very much centered on students, and it is still eager for guest posts from students who have something to say but don’t necessarily want to start a blog to say it. You’ll see familiar writers there like Dave Muscato and Ellen Lundgren. I expect they’ll grow quickly as they find out how supportive a network can be.
The Young Australian Skeptics have been around for quite a while, but more recently, they’ve been the home of The Pseudoscientists podcast and not a lot more. They’ve just changed this, however, with their relaunch yesterday. You will once again find regular, written science and skeptical content on their site.
These bloggers are the future of our movements. Go pay them some nice attention.
Update: Heh. Following this blog post and some funny chatter on Twitter, representatives from all three of the networks featured here are doing a Google hangout to talk about the current skeptical and atheist communities and about being our future. Alex has the details at The Heresy Club.
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Jack Scanlan
January 2, 2013 at 6:04 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Stephanie, thank you so much for giving the Young Australian Skeptics shout out! We’re in good company with The Heresy Club, but I hadn’t heard of Skeptic Freethought, so cheers for that! Always eager to find more young people voicing their opinions and getting stuff out there.
Cheers,
Jack Scanlan
Head Editor of the Young Australian Skeptics
Luke Freeman
January 2, 2013 at 6:13 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Nice! Great to see
Stephanie Zvan
January 2, 2013 at 7:39 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Happy to, Jack. Good to see the site revitalized.
Miriam, Professional Fun-Ruiner
January 2, 2013 at 8:30 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Aww, thanks for the shout-out and also for linking to these other awesome things.
johnrael
January 2, 2013 at 10:27 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thanks for the shout out, yo! I’m excited to see where the year takes us.
ellenlundgren
January 3, 2013 at 1:11 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thanks for the notice, Stephanie! I have so much hope in the future of our movement, I couldn’t just wait around for it to happen. It’s my hope that all these networks can be a part of building it together. /mushyfeels
Cheers to all!
Kate Donovan
January 3, 2013 at 9:37 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Eep! All my favorite people hanging out!
Also, Teen Skepchick collects young skeptics too
Stephanie Zvan
January 3, 2013 at 9:40 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Yes! http://teenskepchick.org/
And the CFI on Campus blog. http://www.centerforinquiry.net/oncampus/blog/archive/
I tend to think of both as institutions everyone knows about, but I shouldn’t take that for granted.
Ellen Lundgren
January 3, 2013 at 12:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Haha, more updates. Thanks for your inadvertent pot-stirring, Stephanie!!
http://skepticfreethought.com/blog/2013/01/international-meeting-of-the-networks/
Coming this weekend: a young skeptics’ hangout from across three continents | The Heresy Club
January 3, 2013 at 9:04 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[...] at Almost Diamonds, Stephanie Zvan posted yesterday about this site and two others – Skeptic Freethought and Young Australian Skeptics. We all [...]
The Jewel of Terceira » Skeptics: The Next Generation
January 3, 2013 at 11:21 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[...] Skeptic Freethought network got a mention yesterday on Stephanie Zvan’s Almost Diamonds blog, also listing Heresy Club and Young Australian Skeptics. Fantastic! It’s so good to see a new [...]
Skeptic Freethought » International Meeting of the Networks
January 3, 2013 at 12:42 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[...] Zvan of Almost Diamonds at Freethought Blogs has caused an inadvertent hurricane with her recent post featuring student blog networks including your very own Skeptic Freethought, The Heresy [...]
International Young Skeptics Hangout – This Weekend! | Young Australian Skeptics
January 3, 2013 at 6:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[...] to the inadvertent rallying power of Stephanie Zvan at Almost Diamonds — who very kindly wrote about our relaunch the other day — the Young Australian Skeptics is thrilled to announce that [...]