The Styx — Ship of Fools http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/ Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:29:00 +0000 en The Styx — Ship of Fools National Anthem After Mattins thread... http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6969/national-anthem-after-mattins-thread Thu, 02 Jul 2026 15:26:33 +0000 The Styx Caissa 6969@/index.php?p=/discussions "Patriots" Hell thread http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6951/patriots-hell-thread Thu, 18 Jun 2026 10:50:12 +0000 The Styx WhimsicalChristian 6951@/index.php?p=/discussions
What would you like me to do.]]> Looking for a PM address http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6954/looking-for-a-pm-address Sat, 20 Jun 2026 20:42:46 +0000 The Styx Gramps49 6954@/index.php?p=/discussions

]]> Using AI in Ship forums http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6890/using-ai-in-ship-forums Fri, 17 Apr 2026 16:01:59 +0000 The Styx Sipech 6890@/index.php?p=/discussions
Without focusing on the Shipmate, but rather on the issue, what are our views about using AI to either generate or refine posts on the Ship's forums?

Obviously, it was not a possibility back when the Ship first set sail and the 10 Commandments were uttered.

I personally take a very dim view of it, but if one does deem it necessary, it should be disclosed. ]]> AI generated content http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6936/ai-generated-content Wed, 27 May 2026 18:34:40 +0000 The Styx Caissa 6936@/index.php?p=/discussions
May I remind people that the Ship has a policy of no AI generated content.

Dafyd Hell Host

]]> Extent of confidentially to be expected in pms http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6891/extent-of-confidentially-to-be-expected-in-pms Sun, 19 Apr 2026 11:46:27 +0000 The Styx Doublethink 6891@/index.php?p=/discussions 2026 Software Questions Thread http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6745/2026-software-questions-thread Thu, 01 Jan 2026 15:19:30 +0000 The Styx Doublethink 6745@/index.php?p=/discussions here. In addition, here is the link to the old Forum Functionality thread.]]> Whose voice? http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6883/whose-voice Sun, 12 Apr 2026 17:39:22 +0000 The Styx pease 6883@/index.php?p=/discussions
Louise wrote: »
I think a working definition of ' indigenous' or defining 'colonialism' are big questions of their own and would need to be a separate thread with a lot of own voice content - what do the people most affected say? How do they define it?
Would it need significantly more own-voice content than a thread predicated on a report about philosemitism (and antisemitism)?

And why did the Styx thread on recent planking / fascism / Nazism that contains over 100 mentions of Nazi, Nazis and Nazism (but excluding neo-Nazi, neo-Nazis and neo-Nazism) not require own-voice content from the people in the 20th Century most affected by Nazi atrocities?]]> Recent plankings http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6842/recent-plankings Thu, 19 Mar 2026 07:54:12 +0000 The Styx KarlLB 6842@/index.php?p=/discussions
There's a pattern.

Is there something about our rules that makes it particularly difficult for Conservative posters to remain within them? I mean, you know me, clueless lefty, not sure whether God exists and hoping he's not the guy Fundies believe in, so my life is much smoother without political or religious conservatives, but oughtn't we be able to accommodate them for, you know, actual debate?]]> 2026 Coding Practice Thread http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6744/2026-coding-practice-thread Thu, 01 Jan 2026 15:17:16 +0000 The Styx Doublethink 6744@/index.php?p=/discussions Rolling Policy Update Thread http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/4004/rolling-policy-update-thread Sat, 01 Jan 2022 19:28:02 +0000 The Styx Doublethink 4004@/index.php?p=/discussions
Every so often the forum guidelines and FAQs get updated and items will no longer need to be listed here. We’ll try to keep this rolling thread updated.

(ETA Quotes are inevitably taken out of their context for this thread, so if you are quoted - but would prefer to be just identified as shipmate, host or admin - please pm an admin and the edit will be made.)]]> Ship of Fools History http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/4528/ship-of-fools-history Sun, 31 Jul 2022 21:48:55 +0000 The Styx Doublethink 4528@/index.php?p=/discussions Introduction

The Ship has been sailing a long time and has been through many changes & challenges, some times have been more unrestful than others.

The Ship of Fools was first launched in 1977 as a studenty print magazine, but sank in 1983 after ten issues. It was raised again on April Fool’s Day 1998 as a website, and quickly grew into an online community as well as a webzine.

“We’re here for people who prefer their religion disorganized,” said the Ship’s editor and designer, Simon Jenkins. “Our aim is to help Christians be self-critical and honest about the failings of Christianity, as we believe honesty can only strengthen faith.”

To date the forums have been part of the webzine site, and a manifestation of the community that has grown around it.
History

In the beginning, there was one forum and one Editor. As the place began to grow, an Administrator was drafted and given the same the powers as the editor, but focused solely on the forum. When the forums didn't stop growing, it was clear that (a) one forum was not enough and (b) one Administrator couldn't handle everything. So the forum split into various discussion forums, and teams of Hosts were drafted to oversee the day-to-day running of each forum.

There used to be a tradition of H&A days. This was a day when Hosts & Admins got to enjoy themselves and anything could happen in the next 24 hours or so. Stories are still told of Heaven versus Hell wars and other shenanigans, but many records of them are lost to the entropy of the internet. We know of events held when certain posters passed 1000 posts, and in May 2009, on 12 Feb 2013 - the day the Pope resigned though the two events are probably not related and 18 Sept 2014 for Spike’s 50th birthday.

Penumbra

The Ship of Fools webzine has a Twitter account, as do many Shipmates. There is also an official Facebook page, and another unofficial Facebook group. Many Shipmates maintain blogs, and some have met each other in offline and online shipmeets - some have even married each other.
]]> Forum Guidelines & Crew Manifest http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/3997/forum-guidelines-crew-manifest Thu, 30 Dec 2021 22:42:26 +0000 The Styx Doublethink 3997@/index.php?p=/discussions
]]> How to Start An 8th Day Project http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/4111/how-to-start-an-8th-day-project Wed, 19 Jan 2022 20:28:30 +0000 The Styx Doublethink 4111@/index.php?p=/discussions
"Ruth wrote: »
Want to experiment with an idea for a new Ship of Fools forum? 8th Day is the place. Read the policies below and the examples threads on 8th Day itself, and then pitch your idea in the Styx.

1. All submissions for an experimental run in on the 8th Day must be sponsored by at least two shipmates who have been posting regularly on the Ship of Fools forums for at least six months. Sponsors will serve as 8th Day hosts for the run of their topic.

2. Submissions for 8th Day topics must include a name for the forum, a one-line description that will function as the forum introduction (admins reserve the right to edit for style and brevity), and a discussion of no more than 500 words of what the shipmates hope to see happen on the forum. (Optional: a listing of posting guidelines, if that seems like it would be helpful.) When you have all of these items together ask in Styx which Admin to contact.

3. Topics for the 8th Day should be clearly differentiated from existing forums. If the topic is already discussed on the Ship, you should say why it deserves its own forum, even if only temporarily.

4. Admins will consider submissions on an ongoing basis. Approved topics will be launched in the 8th Day in the order they are received.

5. Barring unforeseen circumstances, each topic will run in the 8th Day for one to three months. If a topic has not seen regular traffic after one month, the admins reserve the right to pull the topic, and will do so if there is a queue of approved topics waiting. At the end of three months, if the temporary 8th Day hosts wish to continue, they may petition the admins to make their topic a permanent forum. A new experiment in the 8th Day will start every three months, as long as there are approved topics in the queue.

6. 8th Day hosts must commit to reading their forum every day. A private forum to discuss issues that arise and a brief edition of the regular hosting manual will be available. They will also be supported by the admins, who will monitor both the 8th Day and the private hosts forum.

7. In the extreme and, we trust, rare case of an 8th Day host abusing hosting privileges, the admins will terminate that person's ability to act as a host before the experiment has concluded. If there is only one remaining host, that person will have the choice to recruit a new co-host or end the experiment.
]]> The 10 Commandments: questions and discussion http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/181/the-10-commandments-questions-and-discussion Sun, 25 Feb 2018 12:41:32 +0000 The Styx Simon 181@/index.php?p=/discussions the 10 Commandments. Unlike the original 10 Commandments, our rules aren't chiselled in stone but are open for debate, although please bear in mind there are good reasons why we have the rules we do. They've been developed over several years by members of this community and reflect our experience in belonging to these forums.

Also see the 10 Commandments thread on our previous bulletin boards.]]> The 10 commandments http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/139/the-10-commandments Fri, 02 Feb 2018 21:02:09 +0000 The Styx Simon 139@/index.php?p=/discussions
1. Don’t be a jerk – Lively, intelligent discussion is what we’re about. Jerkish behavior includes racism, sexism (and all the other negative -isms), plus trolling and flaming.

2. Engage brain before posting message – Read the words you’ve written before you post them. Once they’re out there, you can’t take them back.

3. Attack the issue, not the person – Personal insults are only allowed in Hell. Attacks outside Hell are grounds for suspension or banning.

4. If you must get personal, take it to Hell – If you get into a personality conflict with other shipmates, you have two simple choices: end the argument or take it to Hell.

5. Don’t easily offend, don’t be easily offended – Disagreement is normal here. Try not to nurse hurt feelings. Conversely, if you know you’ve screwed up, admit it without excuse. We’ve all had to at some point.

6. Respect the Ship’s crew – If you disagree with an admin, host or editor in their Ship role, raise the issue in the Styx, our board for in-house stuff. Personal attacks on crew members for their official actions aren't tolerated.

7. Don’t post illegal material – Posting libellous material, copyright violations or links to sites advocating illegal activities puts us in legal hot water, which makes us very unhappy.

8. Don’t crusade – Don’t promote personal crusades. This space is not here for people to pursue specific agendas and win converts.

9. Don’t advertise or spam – Don’t advertise your site or product, or lift email addresses to spam our members.

10. Only one identity per member – We do not allow sockpuppets (multiple usernames).

Please read the FAQs for information about the admins, hosts and the way the forums operate. Your comments and suggestions on our house rules are welcome – simply post your ideas on our permanent 10 Commandments thread in the Styx.]]> Styx Guidelines http://forums.shipoffools.com/index.php?p=/discussion/99/styx-guidelines Wed, 22 Nov 2017 10:14:45 +0000 The Styx Marvin the Martian 99@/index.php?p=/discussions
This forum is the information clearinghouse for the whole Ship of Fools site. Please read these guidelines in conjunction with our FAQs & the ships 10 commandments. Here is a list of the subject areas covered on this forum...

1. Technical problems and suggestions

This is the place to raise technical issues about Ship of Fools and these discussion forums.

2. General questions and idea-sharing

This includes the 10 Commandments (our in-house forum rules), better ways to run the whole site, ideas for new features, and pointers to websites and stories you think we ought to know about.

3. Media reports

If you know Ship of Fools has been mentioned in the media, please use this forum to share what info you have. We often only get to know that we've been covered when someone lets us know by email.

4. Practice makes perfect

Feel free to use the BBCode practice thread if you're planning to astound people with bold letters or pictures of your Mum. Nothing says "laugh at me" like mucking up your BBCode, particularly in the middle of a Very Serious Post. Please take advantage of this area. It makes the job of running the rest of the forums so much easier.

5. Concerns about H&A rulings

If you are concerned about any H&A ruling or statement, the Styx is the place to bring that up. Start a new thread and quote or link to the H&A post(s) you are concerned about and explain why. We will try to ensure meaningful discussion happens, and correct mistakes if necessary - but inevitably the resolution reached on these threads will not always be satisfactory to all Shipmates. We prefer to avoid the same issues being raised again within a very short period of time, unless there has been a significant change of circumstance.

Please note, Commandment 6 applies to the Styx as much as to other forums. H&A are unpaid volunteers who work in public and behind the scenes to help keep the Ship afloat. Abusive behaviour toward the Crew will not be tolerated. By that we mean direct personal attacks, or repeated multiple posts or threads without waiting a reasonable time for a crew response or other patterns of harassment. Behaviour of this kind may lead to restriction of posting privileges in the Styx, suspension or banning.

Any discussion of reinstatement to the ship following a suspension should be between the affected shipmate and the SoF crew, rather than via a third party.

6. Ship developments

This forum is also used to announce the launch of new features and other bits of news. Therefore, watch this space...

===

The Styx is hosted by Admin @Doublethink, and the rest of the admin team as circumstance may require.]]>