I don’t know about your grad school, but this is what mine was like.
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
I just got here, so I’ve had no time to explore, but it looks like it hasn’t changed a bit in 30 years…which is a good thing. Now to collapse for a short night of sleep, before the science starts flowing in the morning.
This is The Mended Drum, the thread for off-topic conversations on Pharyngula. Talk about whatever you want.
I love Eugene — lovely place, great school, good people — and I’m flying back there, leaving tomorrow and staying for the weekend, for a science conference and to meet with old friends. It’s got all the best stuff: copacetic venue, interesting subjects (zebrafish!), nostalgia, wonderful people (the zebrafish community is exemplary that way), and best of all, I don’t have to work! I’m chairing one of the sessions, apparently, but otherwise I have no obligations other than to learn and enjoy myself.
It’s perfection.
I’ve been considering all the suggestions in the commenting changes thread. One thing that is obvious: We have a problem, Houston.
But it is also true that I feel a hesitation to post because I will be considered an outsider and not worthy of acknowledgement or response.
Broken Things
Hi – another extremely-long-time lurker, very infrequent commenter here. I don’t have any solutions, but reading this comment thread made one problem very obvious: when people ask for more charity, less hostility and knee-jerk dismissiveness, several regular commenters respond as if they’d been told to stop saying fuck.
amrie
I’m another very, very longtime lurker who has commented only a few times. I almost always agree with PZ and the majority of usual commenters, but I’m still really afraid to comment here and be ripped to shreds by the very people I admire so much. I commented the other day one minor criticism of something PZ said, and suddenly I’m “ranting” and “slamming” and being condescended to about whether I read the OP. I’m afraid to go back and see what other responses I got. I love reading this blog, but it’s true that it’s not welcoming to people who aren’t regular commenters.
Dingo Abbie
The existing rules aren’t working, so they’re going to get revamped. In particular, everyone pretty much ignores section V, especially this bit:
2. Justice is more important than civility. But aspire to be charitable at first.
That’s been annoying me for some time now, and it’s time to refocus and re-emphasize, so that means the whole thing is going to re-written.
(via little things)
The man I grew up knowing as Dracula, Christopher Lee, is dead. Probably. I know most of you young whippersnappers probably think of him as Saruman or worse, Count Dooku, but I will tell you definitively that you are wrong, and everyone should know he was Dracula, most definitely.
Mostly, of course, he was a guy who brought some class and dignity to even the goofiest role.
This is the lounge. You can discuss anything you want, but you will do it kindly.
Status: Heavily Moderated; Previous thread
Another of my colleagues here at FtB has skidded off the smoothly paved road of life: Ashley Miller has been diagnosed with narcolepsy and lost her job. She’s set up a patreon account — you should go help her out. And don’t forget Dana, too.
