5 ms·

This website looks like a cult's homepage

by outadoc 7y ago

linguistbreaker 7y ago
Can you be more specific about this feedback? What makes it feel cult-like to you?
- Jestar342 7y ago
  The most prominent feature on that page is labelled with "become a member starting at $8/month". It's reminiscent of an MLM page, and MLMs are arguably (hell, demonstrably) cult-like.
  - smabie 7y ago
    Salvation or triple your money back!
    - ohithereyou 7y ago
      Praise "Bob" or kill me!
  - rectang 7y ago
    For those not in the know: MLM = Multi-level marketing, also known as a "pyramid scheme". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-level_marketing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-level_marketing
  - lukifer 7y ago
    I read it as more of a PBS tote-bag / Patreon kind of thing. MLMs tend to promise fantastic riches, which LongNow certainly does not. (Not a member, but I've been following their talks for roughly 15 years now.)
- strbean 7y ago
  I think the "antiquities" theme, though appropriate, plays into it. Mainly, the "graying old man deep in thought surrounded by beams of blue light" really sets it off though.
- asveikau 7y ago
  My guess is because it seems to share people and terminology with some 60s and 70s counterculture and new-agey stuff. I say that with total respect for said movements, but I see why cynical analysis would say cult-like. And there are a few people and groups in similar categories that are cult-like.
femiagbabiaka 7y ago
it is pretty much cult-like, and the rabbit hole gets deeper the longer you look. highly recommend going to the related bar when/if you're in SF ever: https://theinterval.org/ https://theinterval.org/
lukifer 7y ago
Long Now was founded by Stewart Brand, the environmentalist behind the Whole Earth Catalog: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_Earth_Catalog https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_Earth_Catalog While they do have some active projects, like the 10K-Year Clock, it's mostly just a series of monthly-ish talks with a variety of ecologists, engineers, etc., themed around long-term thinking. It's all quite grounded.
205guy 7y ago
Some might say the best way to preserve knowledge and culture for the long term would be to establish a successful cult. It seemed to work for the Egyptians and the Christians (experiment still ongoing). Just look at how we count years in the Western world.

This website looks like a cult's homepage

linguistbreaker 7y ago

Can you be more specific about this feedback? What makes it feel cult-like to you?

Jestar342 7y ago
The most prominent feature on that page is labelled with "become a member starting at $8/month". It's reminiscent of an MLM page, and MLMs are arguably (hell, demonstrably) cult-like.
- smabie 7y ago
  Salvation or triple your money back!
  - ohithereyou 7y ago
    Praise "Bob" or kill me!
- rectang 7y ago
  For those not in the know: MLM = Multi-level marketing, also known as a "pyramid scheme". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-level_marketing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-level_marketing
- lukifer 7y ago
  I read it as more of a PBS tote-bag / Patreon kind of thing. MLMs tend to promise fantastic riches, which LongNow certainly does not. (Not a member, but I've been following their talks for roughly 15 years now.)
strbean 7y ago
I think the "antiquities" theme, though appropriate, plays into it. Mainly, the "graying old man deep in thought surrounded by beams of blue light" really sets it off though.
asveikau 7y ago
My guess is because it seems to share people and terminology with some 60s and 70s counterculture and new-agey stuff. I say that with total respect for said movements, but I see why cynical analysis would say cult-like. And there are a few people and groups in similar categories that are cult-like.

femiagbabiaka 7y ago

it is pretty much cult-like, and the rabbit hole gets deeper the longer you look. highly recommend going to the related bar when/if you're in SF ever: https://theinterval.org/ https://theinterval.org/

lukifer 7y ago

Long Now was founded by Stewart Brand, the environmentalist behind the Whole Earth Catalog: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_Earth_Catalog https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_Earth_Catalog While they do have some active projects, like the 10K-Year Clock, it's mostly just a series of monthly-ish talks with a variety of ecologists, engineers, etc., themed around long-term thinking. It's all quite grounded.

205guy 7y ago

Some might say the best way to preserve knowledge and culture for the long term would be to establish a successful cult. It seemed to work for the Egyptians and the Christians (experiment still ongoing). Just look at how we count years in the Western world.