I especially like the ALL CAPS. I imagine “Fez” holding down the shift key as he types in what he imagines to be a witty comeback. The shift key means extra ridicule!!1

Do you guys have any idea how you look to outsiders?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!

“Are James Randi’s followers a community of newbie-gankers?”

You need easy marks to get your thrills.

Fez, honestly I rarely ever post because honestly, I tend to be a dick, I have autism and use it as an excuse for lacking social graces. I read a lot of skeptic blogs and most skeptics and atheists are like you, patient and respectful in your explaining your point of view. How you could tolerate that discussion of homeopathy for so long actually amazes me.

Thanks David, but in the interest of full disclosure if you happened across the history of my participation here I’m most likely one of those dicks Phil is referring to. I think arensb lets me stick around because typically I don’t turn the snark up to 11 until I’m confident that some commenter has passed the rubicon of moronic behavior and the other, more qualified regulars (as well as arensb) have lost interest.

I also freely admit that there was a lot of rewriting and consideration to specific wording in my above exchanges and it was rather difficult to turn down the dickishness, but thanks in no small part to your comment I guess there is indeed value in toning it down and making an attempt to engage rather than dominate.

I didn’t understand how skeptics were being dicks now I get it. If you don’t believe something without evidence or even contrary to the evidence, your a dick, shoving your opinion down peoples throats when you share your disbelief. it all makes sense now. Bad skeptic! bad! get back in the closet where you belong.

Fez, honestly I rarely ever post because honestly, I tend to be a dick, I have autism and use it as an excuse for lacking social graces. I read a lot of skeptic blogs and most skeptics and atheists are like you, patient and respectful in your explaining your point of view. How you could tolerate that discussion of homeopathy for so long actually amazes me.

Basically what I’m saying is I don’t see the dick thing as being spreading or rampant in the blogosphere. What i see now is that Phil’s speech is going to be used by creationists, homeopaths and every other woo-meister out there to say “see we were right, all skeptics are rude and obnoxious, even Phil plait agrees”.

The “rude Atheist” was a theme and tactic used by the religious right to demonize anyone and everyone who dared speak up about religion. And I think it sucks.