homepage
  roll on christmas  
click here to find out more about ship of fools click here to sign up for the ship of fools newsletter click here to support ship of fools
community the mystery worshipper gadgets for god caption competition foolishness features ship stuff
discussion boards live chat cafe avatars frequently-asked questions the ten commandments gallery private boards register for the boards
 
Ship of Fools
Thread closed  Thread closed


Post new thread  
Thread closed  Thread closed
My profile login | | Directory | Search | FAQs | Board home
   - Printer-friendly view Next oldest thread   Next newest thread
» Ship of Fools   » Ship's business   » The Styx   » FAQs - History of the Ship (Page 4)

 - Email this page to a friend or enemy.  
Pages in this thread: 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10 
 
Source: (consider it) Thread: FAQs - History of the Ship
Chorister

Completely Frocked
# 473

 - Posted      Profile for Chorister   Author's homepage     Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
Miss Monica was one of the first links I ever clicked on from the Ship. Hmmmmm, this is no ordinary Christian website, I thought......

I have been proved right time and time again [Big Grin]

--------------------
Retired, sitting back and watching others for a change.

Posts: 34626 | From: Cream Tealand | Registered: Jun 2001  |  IP: Logged
Ham'n'Eggs

Ship's Pig
# 629

 - Posted      Profile for Ham'n'Eggs   Email Ham'n'Eggs   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
Any chance of some actual history please?

Like a quick summary of Miss Monica's Ship career. Or is that too much to ask?

--------------------
"...the heresies that men do leave / Are hated most of those they did deceive" - Will S


Posts: 3103 | From: Genghis Khan's sleep depot | Registered: Jun 2001  |  IP: Logged
ChrisT

One of the Good Guys™
# 62

 - Posted      Profile for ChrisT   Author's homepage   Email ChrisT   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
Miss Monica scared me. And was rude to me. At the time I thought that Not Very Christian™, but now I'm worse than that a lot of the time.

I can see why Hell was started with her in mind. Her Monkeyboy must have balls of steel - either that or she pays very well.

--------------------
Firmly on dry land

Posts: 6489 | From: Here, there and everywhere | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Alliebellie
Shipmate
# 4383

 - Posted      Profile for Alliebellie   Email Alliebellie   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
quote:
Originally posted by Chorister:
As a teacher I am very envious of people who can access the Ship at work - in my job you have to spend all your time with the kids, and even admin work has to be done out of hours. If you don't have an assistant, you can't even go to the loo when you want! (so I work part-time, to get the best of both worlds)

Mind you, in teaching, it often seems like you are on a real-life, permanent Ship of Fools! you never know what's going to happen next...... [Yipee]

I agree with all of the above. Specially the last bit!!!! Just posting to boast, really.. my classroom has just been networked, and I snuck a sneak peek at the ship while my class did a test yesterday....!!!!!

It's been REALLY interesting reading all of this. Wouldn't have bothered, for quite some time probably, if MM in 'that' hell-thread hadn't mentioned it in derogatory terms. I think there is NOTHING self aggrandising on this thread at all, posted by or on behalf of Erin or any other of the exalted ones. And I've learnt a lot. Enough to know that this is a place I like to be, and feel comfortable in already. (so, what was that story about the frogs in the pot, again??)

Thanks to all who contribute, moderate, host and edit:)
(and anyone else I may have left out)

Posts: 125 | From: Noo Zeeland | Registered: Apr 2003  |  IP: Logged
Janine

The Endless Simmer
# 3337

 - Posted      Profile for Janine   Email Janine   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
Ya left out the lurkers. [Big Grin]

The MM link doesn't work for me.
Erin, is it too old or somethin'?

--------------------
I'm a Fundagelical Evangimentalist. What are you?
Take Me Home * My Heart * An hour with Rich Mullins *

Posts: 13788 | From: Below the Bible Belt | Registered: Sep 2002  |  IP: Logged
Alliebellie
Shipmate
# 4383

 - Posted      Profile for Alliebellie   Email Alliebellie   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
quote:
Originally posted by Janine:
Ya left out the lurkers. [Big Grin]

The MM link doesn't work for me.
Erin, is it too old or somethin'?

Hehe!! bloody lurkers should go get registered!!!
That's weird about the MM link, cos it was working for me about an hour ago!

What wasn't working, tho, were all the links on the first couple of pages of this thread. Especially the ones that started with cargo.ship..... I'm guessing they've all been well and truly buried and no longer cluttering up cyberspace

Posts: 125 | From: Noo Zeeland | Registered: Apr 2003  |  IP: Logged
Jack the Lass

Ship's airhead
# 3415

 - Posted      Profile for Jack the Lass   Author's homepage   Email Jack the Lass   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
quote:
Originally posted by kenwritez way back on page 2:
A few questions for you, Simon and Erin: Where is the Ship headed? What developments do you both foresee in her in the next year or three?

Ancient Mariner replied to this at the time outlining what we now know is the Ark. But, great though the Ark is, and no doubt there'll be other bigger, even better projects in time, I'd be interested to know where you all see the ship more generally going, rather than (or as well as) the specific one-off projects. Thanks [Smile]

--------------------
"My body is a temple - it's big and doesn't move." (Jo Brand)
wiblog blipfoto blog

Posts: 5767 | From: the land of the deep-fried Mars Bar | Registered: Oct 2002  |  IP: Logged
Erin
Meaner than Godzilla
# 2

 - Posted      Profile for Erin   Author's homepage   Email Erin       Edit/delete post 
I can only speak to the community/boards side of things, but... I am heading up a couple of projects that I'm not quite ready to announce yet, but we're really excited about. Of course, the Ark has consumed ever-increasing quantities of time from us since last winter, so they've been put on hold until after this is over.

The Ark itself isn't necessarily a one-off project, either. Will we do this again? Maybe, maybe not in its current state. The Ark has been quite the learning and growing experience for us -- we've broken some significant ground on the Internet, and we'd really like to continue exploring new ideas and opportunities. But after we've all recovered from this, there are many, many things we can take from it and move forward.

It is just the beginning. [Smile]

--------------------
Commandment number one: shut the hell up.

Posts: 17140 | From: 330 miles north of paradise | Registered: Mar 2001  |  IP: Logged
Janine

The Endless Simmer
# 3337

 - Posted      Profile for Janine   Email Janine   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
I suggest renting the Ark out for therapy sessions.

--------------------
I'm a Fundagelical Evangimentalist. What are you?
Take Me Home * My Heart * An hour with Rich Mullins *

Posts: 13788 | From: Below the Bible Belt | Registered: Sep 2002  |  IP: Logged
Chorister

Completely Frocked
# 473

 - Posted      Profile for Chorister   Author's homepage     Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
What will happen to the Ark once the 40 days are up - will it just sit there, blank? will it sink without trace? will we just get an error message when we try to access it, or what?

--------------------
Retired, sitting back and watching others for a change.

Posts: 34626 | From: Cream Tealand | Registered: Jun 2001  |  IP: Logged
KenWritez
Shipmate
# 3238

 - Posted      Profile for KenWritez   Email KenWritez   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
OK, so I'm trying to get a feel for where the Ship is sailing. Where do the Simon, Erin, RuthW and the other Admins see the Ship in a year, two, three?

--------------------
"The truth is you're the weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin', Ringo. I'm tryin' real hard to be a shepherd." --Quentin Tarantino, Pulp Fiction

My blog: http://oxygenofgrace.blogspot.com

Posts: 11102 | From: Left coast of Wonderland, by the rabbit hole | Registered: Aug 2002  |  IP: Logged
Laura
General nuisance
# 10

 - Posted      Profile for Laura   Email Laura   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
quote:
Originally posted by Kenwritez:
OK, so I'm trying to get a feel for where the Ship is sailing. Where do the Simon, Erin, RuthW and the other Admins see the Ship in a year, two, three?

Gee, I'm "other Admins", even though I've been here forever. [Disappointed]

Personally, I see the ship in the British Virgin Islands. Tortola, say.

--------------------
Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence. - Erich Fromm

Posts: 16883 | From: East Coast, USA | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged
Ariel
Shipmate
# 58

 - Posted      Profile for Ariel   Author's homepage     Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
quote:
Originally posted by Laura:

Personally, I see the ship in the British Virgin Islands. Tortola, say.

I once started a game in Heaven where shipmates had to post in order of longitude, just to see if we could really span the globe. We sailed west as I recall, via Exeter and Ireland, right through Colorado and all the other places that don't have coastlines, and got becalmed in Japan and never left it. I don't think the Virgin Islands ever featured on our route.
Posts: 25445 | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
jlg

What is this place?
Why am I here?
# 98

 - Posted      Profile for jlg   Email jlg   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
I remember that thread! The problem was that westward folks jumped in too quickly. About 48 hours after it started, the poor Ship was already leaping across the US and preparing to splash into the Pacific. I was planning a nice little detour north from Boston and/or New York and suddenly the Ship was sailing the Great Plains!

Hmmmmm. I think I have an idea for a more structured version.

Posts: 17391 | From: Just a Town, New Hampshire, USA | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Ariel
Shipmate
# 58

 - Posted      Profile for Ariel   Author's homepage     Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
Go for it. I was just wondering about reviving it but decided I couldn't be bothered.

And I don't think you are going to find Sheep 3. [Devil]

Posts: 25445 | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
dyfrig
Blue Scarfed Menace
# 15

 - Posted      Profile for dyfrig   Email dyfrig   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
quote:
Originally posted by Kenwritez:
OK, so I'm trying to get a feel for where the Ship is sailing. Where do the Simon, Erin, RuthW and the other Admins see the Ship in a year, two, three?

September 2003 - new poster arrives. Within 6 posts she has offended thirteen racial minorities, the gay community and Wood. Four days are lost to the ensuing arguments. 27 Heaven regulars threaten to leave because of the heartache involvde. pyx_e insults Nightlamp.

February 2004 - Simon asks for money

May 2004 - apprentice starts "Mornington Crescent" game in Heaven.

January 2005 - further changes to board software mean Ship is down for two weeks

February 2005 - Ship goes back on line. Fiddleback starts thread in Styx complaining about how things were better befoer the change. His fourteen multiple posts of the same message have to be manually removed because he has managed to crash the system.

August 2005 - Simon asks for money

--------------------
"He was wrong in the long run, but then, who isn't?" - Tony Judt

Posts: 6917 | From: pob dydd Iau, am hanner dydd | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged
Chorister

Completely Frocked
# 473

 - Posted      Profile for Chorister   Author's homepage     Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
nothing new there then [Roll Eyes] [Wink]

--------------------
Retired, sitting back and watching others for a change.

Posts: 34626 | From: Cream Tealand | Registered: Jun 2001  |  IP: Logged
Pyx_e

Quixotic Tilter
# 57

 - Posted      Profile for Pyx_e     Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
Am I that predictable ?

P

(no points for the obvious "yes" answer)

--------------------
It is better to be Kind than right.

Posts: 9778 | From: The Dark Tower | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Gill H

Shipmate
# 68

 - Posted      Profile for Gill H     Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
Just wondered if a good title for the history of the ship would be 'All Gas And Gators'?

[Razz]

--------------------
*sigh* We can’t all be Alan Cresswell.

- Lyda Rose

Posts: 9313 | From: London | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Sparrow
Shipmate
# 2458

 - Posted      Profile for Sparrow   Email Sparrow   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
practising the url thing

BBC

--------------------
For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life,nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Posts: 3149 | From: Bottom right hand corner of the UK | Registered: Mar 2002  |  IP: Logged
Sparrow
Shipmate
# 2458

 - Posted      Profile for Sparrow   Email Sparrow   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
Well it didn't work that time. Let's try again.

BBC

--------------------
For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life,nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Posts: 3149 | From: Bottom right hand corner of the UK | Registered: Mar 2002  |  IP: Logged
Sparrow
Shipmate
# 2458

 - Posted      Profile for Sparrow   Email Sparrow   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
Oops, wrong thread. I thought I was in the "practise your code" thread. That's what comes of trying to surf furtively in an open plan office with people looking over your shoulder to see what you're doing!

--------------------
For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life,nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Posts: 3149 | From: Bottom right hand corner of the UK | Registered: Mar 2002  |  IP: Logged
Wood
The Milkman of Human Kindness
# 7

 - Posted      Profile for Wood   Author's homepage     Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
quote:
Originally posted by ChrisT:
Miss Monica scared me. And was rude to me. At the time I thought that Not Very Christian™, but now I'm worse than that a lot of the time.

I can see why Hell was started with her in mind. Her Monkeyboy must have balls of steel - either that or she pays very well.

Both, actually.

--------------------
Narcissism.

Posts: 7842 | From: Wood Towers | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged
jlg

What is this place?
Why am I here?
# 98

 - Posted      Profile for jlg   Email jlg   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
Checked this thread to get some dates right and figured it wouldn't hurt to bump it up so the apprentices had a chance to trip over it. [Big Grin]
Posts: 17391 | From: Just a Town, New Hampshire, USA | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Amazing Grace*

Shipmate
# 4754

 - Posted      Profile for Amazing Grace*   Email Amazing Grace*       Edit/delete post 
quote:
Originally posted by jlg:
Checked this thread to get some dates right and figured it wouldn't hurt to bump it up so the apprentices had a chance to trip over it. [Big Grin]

Thanks, I was sort of looking for it the other day and was about to make that Helpful Suggestion ... it was very informative to me.

Charlotte (aka Amazing Grace)

--------------------
.sig on vacation

Posts: 2594 | From: Sittin' by the dock of the [SF] bay | Registered: Jul 2003  |  IP: Logged
dorcas

Ship's florist
# 4775

 - Posted      Profile for dorcas   Email dorcas   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
Originally posted by jlg:
Checked this thread to get some dates right and figured it wouldn't hurt to bump it up so the apprentices had a chance to trip over it.

_______________________________________________

Thank you!
Very interesting!
[Wink]

--------------------
"I love large women - they supply warmth in the winter and shade in the summer!" (With thanks to Gort!)

Posts: 387 | From: The Curry Mile, Manchester | Registered: Jul 2003  |  IP: Logged
mrs whibley
Shipmate
# 4798

 - Posted      Profile for mrs whibley     Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
Thank-you!

Tripped over, banged nose and now have to rush to church clutching hankie! [Ultra confused]

--------------------
I long for a faith that is gloriously treacherous - Mike Yaconelli

Posts: 942 | From: North Lincolnshire | Registered: Aug 2003  |  IP: Logged
RuthW

liberal "peace first" hankie squeezer
# 13

 - Posted      Profile for RuthW     Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
Yikes. Sorry about that, mrs whibley! You can have my hanky if you need another - though it's rather wrinkled from all the squeezing.

Glad you've found the Styx. Have a look around at the Ship's commandments, the FAQs, the guidelines for each board, and enjoy your stay aboard the Ship of Fools.

RuthW
Member Admin

Posts: 24453 | From: La La Land | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged
Amazing Grace*

Shipmate
# 4754

 - Posted      Profile for Amazing Grace*   Email Amazing Grace*       Edit/delete post 
Posting to bump this thread up. The newbies are no longer coming fast (and often furious [Roll Eyes] ) but people should be able to find this easily.

Charlotte (aka Amazing Grace)

--------------------
.sig on vacation

Posts: 2594 | From: Sittin' by the dock of the [SF] bay | Registered: Jul 2003  |  IP: Logged
jlg

What is this place?
Why am I here?
# 98

 - Posted      Profile for jlg   Email jlg   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
You could rename yourself "Amazing Grace (Ship's History Thread Bumper)". [Big Grin]
Posts: 17391 | From: Just a Town, New Hampshire, USA | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Sprocket
Shipmate
# 2547

 - Posted      Profile for Sprocket   Email Sprocket   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
[Not worthy!] Of all the people who run this ship! [Not worthy!]

I've just had a fantastic read of SOF's history and trials and tribulations and am glad to be a part of it! [Yipee]

--------------------
In touch with my inner geek

Posts: 513 | From: close to the great glen | Registered: Mar 2002  |  IP: Logged
Amazing Grace*

Shipmate
# 4754

 - Posted      Profile for Amazing Grace*   Email Amazing Grace*       Edit/delete post 
quote:
Originally posted by jlg:
You could rename yourself "Amazing Grace (Ship's History Thread Bumper)". [Big Grin]

Ya know, there really should be a "Raspberry" smilie [Razz] (this one ain't enough for what I'm feelin' here).

I have to say I did wonder about all the posts that just said "*bump*". I wondered, did I need some kind of sooper seekrit shipmate or hostly powers to do this. Was there a BUMP button I wasn't aware of? But no, I just need to find the thread and make a post.

(where's the "D'OH" smilie when I need it... I think I'm getting the hang of these UBB thingies ...)

Charlotte (aka Amazing Grace)

--------------------
.sig on vacation

Posts: 2594 | From: Sittin' by the dock of the [SF] bay | Registered: Jul 2003  |  IP: Logged
Amazing Grace*

Shipmate
# 4754

 - Posted      Profile for Amazing Grace*   Email Amazing Grace*       Edit/delete post 
bump, bump, let's all do the bump ...

is the "future history of the ship" thread still in heaven or did it get moved?

Charlotte (aka Amazing Grace)

--------------------
.sig on vacation

Posts: 2594 | From: Sittin' by the dock of the [SF] bay | Registered: Jul 2003  |  IP: Logged
RuthW

liberal "peace first" hankie squeezer
# 13

 - Posted      Profile for RuthW     Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
As it is truly a deserving thread, it's been moved to Limbo - where it is filed under "Heaven."
Posts: 24453 | From: La La Land | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged
pepper

Ship's doubloon
# 3895

 - Posted      Profile for pepper   Email pepper   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
quote:
Originally posted by Erin:
Usually only between 5 and 10 percent of the membership are active at any given time. Some register to specifically comment on an article, some are lurkers and post very rarely.

I was interested to learn this. Could you tell us what the increase in membership numbers has been like over the past couple of years? Has the growth been continuously exponential?

What about the percentage of active members - is it still the same? Does it fluctuate significantly according to different ship events (eg. the Ark) or media exposure?

Thanks!

pepper

Posts: 511 | From: Wales | Registered: Jan 2003  |  IP: Logged
Jonah the Whale

Ship's pet cetacean
# 1244

 - Posted      Profile for Jonah the Whale   Email Jonah the Whale   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
Shipmate #1000 joined in July 2001
Shipmate #2000 joined in December 2001
Shipmate #3000 joined in July 2002
Shipmate #4000 joined in January 2003
Shipmate #5000 joined in September 2003

So it's a roughly linear increase, about 1000 new shipmates every seven months or so. Hmm, what are you going to do with this info now? Plot how to win the member 6000 sweepstake?

JtW.

Posts: 2799 | From: Nether Regions | Registered: Aug 2001  |  IP: Logged
pepper

Ship's doubloon
# 3895

 - Posted      Profile for pepper   Email pepper   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
Curses!
Rumbled. [Waterworks]

No, honestly, I just wanted to know. I like to lick on the ice cream of trend analysis.

Posts: 511 | From: Wales | Registered: Jan 2003  |  IP: Logged
Amazing Grace*

Shipmate
# 4754

 - Posted      Profile for Amazing Grace*   Email Amazing Grace*       Edit/delete post 
quote:
Originally posted by RuthW:
As it is truly a deserving thread, it's been moved to Limbo - where it is filed under "Heaven."

Thank you Ruth.

Posting on this thread to bring it to the attention of those new to the Ship. I seem to be a bit silly about linking to threads now (must go practice UBB) but I would like to draw people's attention to another truly deserving thread in Limbo, the "Fields of Gold" thread. Should be near the top. It was one of the reasons I decided to stick around.

Charlotte (aka Amazing Grace)

--------------------
.sig on vacation

Posts: 2594 | From: Sittin' by the dock of the [SF] bay | Registered: Jul 2003  |  IP: Logged
Melon

Ship's desserter
# 4038

 - Posted      Profile for Melon   Author's homepage   Email Melon   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
To make the above figures useful, we would also need to know how many people leave, or just stop partipating...

--------------------
French Whine

Posts: 4177 | From: Cavaillon, France | Registered: Feb 2003  |  IP: Logged
Emma Louise

Storm in a teapot
# 3571

 - Posted      Profile for Emma Louise   Email Emma Louise   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
Did the ark bring new members? Have many stayed?
Posts: 12719 | From: Enid Blyton territory. | Registered: Nov 2002  |  IP: Logged
Amazing Grace*

Shipmate
# 4754

 - Posted      Profile for Amazing Grace*   Email Amazing Grace*       Edit/delete post 
*BUMP* so the new folks can see this

Charlotte

--------------------
.sig on vacation

Posts: 2594 | From: Sittin' by the dock of the [SF] bay | Registered: Jul 2003  |  IP: Logged
Chorister

Completely Frocked
# 473

 - Posted      Profile for Chorister   Author's homepage     Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
Reading through this again, I can't seem to find details of when the ship had to go in for maintenance and was closed for 2 weeks (although HoosierNan did kindly provide a lifeboat for those who couldn't swim). It was during this time that I discovered the Wibsite (which has a bulletin board in a similar format to the way Ship of Fools used to be, but much dafter of course [Yipee] ).

Please remind me what actually was done during that time to improve the boards - I'm having trouble remembering what was new and what was there before.

There was also a board called 'Urban Myths' for a while......

--------------------
Retired, sitting back and watching others for a change.

Posts: 34626 | From: Cream Tealand | Registered: Jun 2001  |  IP: Logged
Moo

Ship's tough old bird
# 107

 - Posted      Profile for Moo   Email Moo   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
quote:
Originally posted by Chorister:
Please remind me what actually was done during that time to improve the boards - I'm having trouble remembering what was new and what was there before.

I think that's when we acquired 'Preview Post' and the arrow that will jump you to the most recent posts on each thread.

Moo

--------------------
Kerygmania host
---------------------
See you later, alligator.

Posts: 20365 | From: Alleghany Mountains of Virginia | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Scarlet

Mellon Collie
# 1738

 - Posted      Profile for Scarlet         Edit/delete post 
quote:
Originally posted by Moo:
quote:
Originally posted by Chorister:
Please remind me what actually was done during that time to improve the boards - I'm having trouble remembering what was new and what was there before.

I think that's when we acquired 'Preview Post' and the arrow that will jump you to the most recent posts on each thread.

Best of all, this was when we gained the ability to have avatars and personalized Shipmate titles.

--------------------
They took from their surroundings what was needed... and made of it something more.
—dialogue from Primer

Posts: 4769 | Registered: Nov 2001  |  IP: Logged
Chorister

Completely Frocked
# 473

 - Posted      Profile for Chorister   Author's homepage     Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
oh yes, of course - I forgot the avatars were as recent as that! seems like they've been there for ever..... how would we manage without them now? How would we know what everyone looks like, for a start [Biased] [Big Grin]

--------------------
Retired, sitting back and watching others for a change.

Posts: 34626 | From: Cream Tealand | Registered: Jun 2001  |  IP: Logged
Never Conforming

Aspiring to Something
# 4054

 - Posted      Profile for Never Conforming   Author's homepage   Email Never Conforming   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
Well, you certainly look like your avatar, chorister!

Jo

--------------------
I used to poison Student Minds™ and am proud to have done so
Never Conforming in the Surreal World

Posts: 1419 | From: Oop Norf | Registered: Feb 2003  |  IP: Logged
Talitha
Shipmate
# 5085

 - Posted      Profile for Talitha   Email Talitha   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
A meta-History of the Ship question: why did the guy who started this thread get banned? His posts on this thread seem pretty innocuous - did he go on to do something unforgiveable later?

Also - where did the name Ship of Fools originally come from?

(Oo, I like this thread.)

Posts: 554 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Oct 2003  |  IP: Logged
Simon

Editor
# 1

 - Posted      Profile for Simon   Author's homepage   Email Simon   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
Hi Talitha. The first instance I know of the name Ship of Fools is in a 15th-century allegorical poem by Sebastian Brant, who set his drama on a ship crewed by all the fools of the world. Here are the relevant lines from the poem's prologue...

I have pondered how a ship
Of fools I'd suitably equip -
A galley, brig, bark, skiff, or float,
A carack, scow, dredge, racing boat,
A sled, cart, barrow, carryall -
One vessel would be far too small
To carry all the fools I know...

This site got the name Ship of Fools from a different source, though.

When I was a theology student, I was in the library one day reading a biography of the theologian Karl Barth (like you do) and came across a letter he wrote to a friend. The two of them were planning to launch a journal and the friend had suggested giving it the name, "The Word of God". Barth thought this was a bit over the top and replied: "better to call it 'The Ship of Fools' than burden it with this sacred millstone!"

I looked at that and immediately thought: that's the name of the magazine I want to edit! Ancient Mariner and I launched Ship of Fools as a print magazine a year later, and it floated onto the internet in autumn 1997.

For me, the Ship of Fools name has always been linked with Noah's Ark and the disciples of Jesus in their boat in the storm on Galilee. Both Noah and the disciples were fools in a boat, and yet they proved to be wise, and the world foolish. And I've thought of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians: "God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong."

[ 05. December 2003, 14:41: Message edited by: Simon ]

--------------------
Eternal memory

Posts: 3787 | From: London | Registered: Mar 2001  |  IP: Logged
Erin
Meaner than Godzilla
# 2

 - Posted      Profile for Erin   Author's homepage   Email Erin       Edit/delete post 
quote:
Originally posted by Talitha:
A meta-History of the Ship question: why did the guy who started this thread get banned? His posts on this thread seem pretty innocuous - did he go on to do something unforgiveable later?

This is not the only thread that he posted to. He was warned and suspended on more than one occasion for some pretty rude and blatant racist crap.

--------------------
Commandment number one: shut the hell up.

Posts: 17140 | From: 330 miles north of paradise | Registered: Mar 2001  |  IP: Logged
Tori
Shipmate
# 5207

 - Posted      Profile for Tori   Email Tori   Send new private message       Edit/delete post 
As a new member of this ship I have found this thread really informative about the ethos of the ship. I have to admit that I got frustrated when my first thread was closed down after being opened a few days, but I think I understand why now. Just wanted to say I appreciate all the hard work you all put in, and am looking forward to being more integrated into the ship in the future.

Victoria

[Overused] [Overused] [Overused]

--------------------
"A ship in the harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for"

Posts: 170 | From: Somewhere over there | Registered: Nov 2003  |  IP: Logged



Pages in this thread: 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10 
 
Post new thread  
Thread closed  Thread closed
Open thread   Unfeature thread   Move thread   Delete thread Next oldest thread   Next newest thread
 - Printer-friendly view
Go to:

Contact us | Ship of Fools | Privacy statement

© Ship of Fools 2016

Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM 6.5.0

 
follow ship of fools on twitter
buy your ship of fools postcards
sip of fools mugs from your favourite nautical website
 
 
  ship of fools