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What Does It Mean to Be a 'Fortean' ?

*Sets phaser to 'maim'*

I've been there, seen that, done that, chatted to so-and-so star ... and I still don't give a toss about being called either Trekkie, Trekker or geek. Only the truly sad cases really bother with it. Still, it's been some time since my last convention and I'll have to air off my costume.

*ahem*

Fortean or fortean - does it really matter? It remains an artificial and ultimately pointless label.
 
Assuming a single Fortean method is non-Fortean. Method for subject, horses for course...
 
:)
(an excerpt from some magazine or other)
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We forteans could be characterized as benign sceptics, taking nothing on trust but tolerating the surreal fringes of explanation until they are supplanted by more convincing evidence. We use 'sceptic' in this sense and distinguish it from the word skeptic (with a 'k') which can usefully be employed to cover the militancy (exemplified by CSICOP) which starts from the premise that most unexplained phenomena are a priori impossible. Of course, current dictionaries don't make this distinction; perhaps we need a new word.
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(and you can find poetry hidden in almost anything) ;)
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Fuzzy System, Approach!
contemporary tools
for handling
uncertainty
in geospatial, and
gis-based
analyses
(E. A. Shyllon)

fuzzy system modelling
provides a
strict
mathematical
environment in which
vague conceptual
phenomena
can be
vigorously studied
It exploits the tolerance
for uncertainty
imprecision
and partial truth
of various types
(fuzzy logic)
to achieve
tractability
low solution cost
and
better rapport
with reality.
--------------------
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"I don't believe in anything, but I have many suspicions."
-- Robert Anton Wilson
 
Thanks for that, dreeness!

What's been missing from this debate is acknowledgement that being a Fortean is fun. Fort's own dry sense of humour is very evident in his work.

So enjoy your Forteanism, however you define it, and don't be too upset when other Forteans disagree with you.
 
Tried to explain to my sister at 3 o'clock this morning what forteanism meant, don't think I was terribly articulate, but she summed it up beautifully this afternoon:
"So, it's a bunch of geeks sitting around talking about weird crap and not coming to any conclusion?"
Er...yes, I suppose it is.
 
She's only jealous because she doesn't have in-depth discussions with erudite friends, beak!

Carole
 
I'd be more worried about a bunch of geeks, sitting around and talking about wierd crap ... and coming to an agreed, definite conclusion. Science wins the day, religion ends, our world becomes grey and boring!
 
I've given up trying to explain to people at work what Uncon is all about, or Weird Weekend, and why I'm going :roll:

They just call it weird shit, and look mystified :D

Why do we bother trying to define Forteanism anyway? It's rather like jazz; if you need to ask, you'll never know. ;)
 
Almost ironic: The people on this thread on the other message board are complaining about being moderated on this thread.

(The other thread is a thread about a thread about a thread!)

From the other thread:
thank gawd we can snipe and be as uncivilised as we like here eh?
Click to expand...

(After reading the 'fluffies' thread on the other board) I'd like to make absolutely clear that I haven't complained to anybody. Which seems to be the suggestion on the other board.

The fact is that I'm in favour of people being able to say more or less what the heck they want.
 
alb said:
Almost ironic: The people on this thread on the other message board are complaining about being moderated on this thread.
Click to expand...

We do tend to avoid discussing the doings of other message boards on this one. If you have an issue with things said in that thread then feel free to bring it up over there.
 
Emperor said:
We do tend to avoid discussing the doings of other message boards on this one. If you have an issue with things said in that thread then feel free to bring it up over there.
Click to expand...
Spot on :).

One point of order though, as it refers to the other thread mentioned above: fluffy woo-woos are those who believe anything (the weirder the better), skeptics those who believe nothing (either it's mundane, or it just didn't happen and you're stupid). Nowt to do with kittens or associated tweeness.
 
I'd certainly like to start again with you. And I mean that in a nice way.
 
*rubs sore calf muscles*

Yes, I did, when I was walking on the beach.
 
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