One of the places I like to hang out on the internet is fark. Fark is an irreverent website that collects news stories of various stripes together, gives them new funnier headlines, and lets people discuss them. In addition to just funny/odd/bizarre stories, there are discussions about politics, science, technology, and other serious things. It's kind of like a less serious version of slashdot, but with a lot of the same demographic of younger, smarter, more tech-savvy people than the average population. So I like to hang out there and be an advocate for science and logical thinking, and make some jokes, too. Sometimes I go too far and get very upset over threads on "intelligent design" or the erosion of civil rights, but the site is addictive and it keeps me aware of what's going on, especially some of the more interesting and fun things in the world.
Last week, I was farked.
I was initially shocked they'd pick up on the story about the $800k NASA had given to me and my postdoc Zhaohui Shang to study quasars over the next few years, but also very pleased. I mean, grant money like that is a big deal in Wyoming, but not so much in other parts of the world. But I suppose it was in part because I post regularly on fark, and an excuse to talk about science funding issues (which should be talked about) and quasars, which I think are just plain cool.
It's nice to be part of a community, even one so large and diverse as fark, and "farkers" tend to support their own, and you even begin to feel a strange sort of affection for the trolls who show up again and again. They become familiar, like old friends, even if all they do is spout bible verses in science discussions or complain about how everthing is still Clinton's fault.
Anyway, check it out sometime and find your own niche there.
Posted by Mike at January 16, 2005 01:30 PM