Peter Nyikos dies 18 Feb, Google kills Usenet 22 Feb. Coincidence?

[pzm...@gmail.com]

I mostly abandoned TO many years ago, in part because of the noise problem, exemplified by obsessives like Nyikos and the persistent creationist idiots who had nothing to say but disrupted every conversation. Now that we're finally free of one obnoxious twit, Google decides to end its support?

There is no god.

Some of us old people have moved on to blogs (mine for instance, https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/, or Larry Moran's, https://sandwalk.blogspot.com/, or the Panda's Thumb, https://pandasthumb.org/ ) where you can continue the good fight. Unfortunately, blogs are in decline, too (I blame google for that, too -- they killed easy RSS access). The battle continues!

[erik simpson]

At least for now, TO has lost its classic reason to be. Who knows
what's ahead. At least check in from time to time. Nothing is
off-topic now.

[MarkE]

PZ, I concede that Peter could be (was) obsessive and worse, but is there a moment for grace and mercy, rather than always "being hated and hating"? Not intended judgmentally, but to offer another way:

"Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:1-7)

[pzm...@gmail.com]

You will not persuade me by quoting the Bible at me. Quite the contrary.