Where the "Oh fuck, the internet is here" came from | Hacker News Reader

Where the "Oh fuck, the internet is here" came from

deathboy.livejournal.com

Todays much needed "laugh out loud" moment:

How do you, ideologically speaking, defeat a crowd that is enthusiastically demanding that you "DO A BARREL ROLL! DO A BARREL ROLL!!" ?

I know this wasn't your point, ErrantX, but to answer the quote:

You don't need to. By ignoring or laughing at their juvenile antics, and by not engaging them as adults, you win. Not to defend Scientology, but as absurd as the gathering was it is not going to impact much of anything. The world is a bigger place than internet memes.

True perhaps. Although I think there is a distinction here, where the crowd is being deliberately absurd.

Such absurdity garners undue attention, which also highlights the criticism (of Scientology) they are supporting. And what does Scientology do to respond? Call them trolls, they look petty. Take them seriously, they look silly. Confront them, they look violent. Ignore them, they look like they have something to hide. And all the while the camera is rolling.

So it is a two pronged sword; you're drawing attention to the cause. And there is simply no response your opponent is able to give that benefits them.

Maybe next time Anon should simply shout "When did Tom Cruise stop beating his wife?"

More seriously, you raise a good point: there's no response that's good for them. Not responding is probably the best, but even it's not a great option.

They could have joined in. Made a fake announcement that they were basing the highest level of Scientology on anonymous or wearing masks or Rick Astly or something. Thats what I would have done if it were my cult.

Tom Cruise seems to have a sense of humor at least. Tropic Thunder made me chuckle.

aka, 'Don't feed the trolls.'

It was figured out long ago. Yet those newer to the internet still don't understand, and even us hold hats slip up every now and then...

The world is a bigger place than internet memes.

I live around the corner from a Scientology chapter and often see a motley crew of kids standing across the street from the place picketing. Their appearance, their slogans, and their actions don't seem to invite what they're looking to happen, which is either to engage/educate passers-by or enrage Scientology.

Their behavior only seems to say "ignore us, we're just some loons with nothing better to do on a Saturday afternoon than to wear some cliched Guy Fawkes masks and carry posters with internet slogans."

Anonymous as a whole isn't juvenile, though many members certainly are.

The point, as ErrantX replied, is that they are being deliberately absurd, and this is a powerful one, as it calls out the absurdity in Scientology that is not deliberate. This is likely too subtle a point to actually impact anything, sadly.

You don't need to. By ignoring or laughing at their juvenile antics, and by not engaging them as adults, you win.

I have to disagree. You would win if your position was not absurd. But if you, like Scientology, or for that matter politics and most religion are yourself preaching something quite absurd, then ignoring them is not an effective defense.

If you are a naked king, and there's a crowd that keeps shouting LOL, you gots no clothes on, they are winning.

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