a new atheist and marriage

[FatAndFaithless]

I just don't think he is being serius about his account and persona here. I think he's trolling and this is a poe account.

That's the way I've been leaning the past couple days as well.

[Jackie]

I just don't think he is being serius about his account and persona here. I think he's trolling and this is a poe account.

Loony does not equal "troll". Mystic our resident Muslim posted some really dreamy eyed romance posts while quoting the Koran. Nobody could get through to him not even Atlass our other Muslim here. I never hated MK but after reading his posts I did wonder if he need to get a better support structure in his outside life. He really reminded me of when I was obsessed with Pat Benatar. 

I have seen this same behavior even outside religion with other males in my past about dating or attempting to date women. I have seen guys obsess over them or when in a relationship, ignore all the toxic exchanges because they confused attraction and hormones with love. MK was a nice guy, but he was in love with the Koran, just like I was "in love" with Pat Benatar. 

"trolls" for the most part hit and run and don't stay long. He is annoying to me, but I am not sure he fits the definition of a troll. I think the admins here do a great job of policing this forum and at the same time allow everyone a voice, even when we don't like each other. They've got an eye on him.

[Astonished]

What exactly is a poe? Is it distinct from a troll or just a synonym? I've heard them mention it on the Atheist Experience show but had no idea what they were talking about, and forgot about it til now.

[FatAndFaithless]

What exactly is a poe? Is it distinct from a troll or just a synonym? I've heard them mention it on the Atheist Experience show but had no idea what they were talking about, and forgot about it til now.

A Poe is someone who fakes certain beliefs or viewpoints in order to make people who genuinely hold those viewpoints look bad.  It comes from Poe's Law, which states that any parody of fundamentalism is impossible to distinguish from genuine fundamentalism, because there are actual people who hold those views.  That's why it's always a question of whether or not someone is a Poe.  For example, someone comes onto the forum, parroting the most oversimplified, ridiculous versions of theistic arguments.  Option 1) they honestly believe those arguments, option 2) they are faking it to make theists look bad.  Option 2 would be a Poe. The problem is that it's hard to tell the difference, since we've all met theists who actually believe those wacky things (I'm sure you can think of a handful on this forum alone).

A troll is just someone who wants to stir shit up without adding anything to a discussion, just being a douchebag.   They aren't mutually exclusive either. I'd say all Poes are trolls, but not all trolls are Poes.

[Astonished]

What exactly is a poe? Is it distinct from a troll or just a synonym? I've heard them mention it on the Atheist Experience show but had no idea what they were talking about, and forgot about it til now.

A Poe is someone who fakes certain beliefs or viewpoints in order to make people who genuinely hold those viewpoints look bad.  It comes from Poe's Law, which states that any parody of fundamentalism is impossible to distinguish from genuine fundamentalism, because there are actual people who hold those views.  That's why it's always a question of whether or not someone is a Poe.  For example, someone comes onto the forum, parroting the most oversimplified, ridiculous versions of theistic arguments.  Option 1) they honestly believe those arguments, option 2) they are faking it to make theists look bad.  Option 2 would be a Poe.  The problem is that it's hard to tell the difference, since we've all met theists who actually believe those wacky things (I'm sure you can think of a handful on this forum alone).

A troll is just someone who wants to stir shit up without adding anything to a discussion, just being a douchebag.   They aren't mutually exclusive either.

As soon as I finished reading that first sentence, I was like, "Oh, is that like when they say that it's impossible to tell if someone who says something stupid in the name of religion is actually legitimately that batshit or if they're just faking?" But then you immediately followed it up with that. Why is it called Poe's law? Did Edgar Allan Poe have a satirical anti-religious bent or is it named after someone else called Poe or was there just no other better one-syllable name to give it?

[FatAndFaithless]

A Poe is someone who fakes certain beliefs or viewpoints in order to make people who genuinely hold those viewpoints look bad.  It comes from Poe's Law, which states that any parody of fundamentalism is impossible to distinguish from genuine fundamentalism, because there are actual people who hold those views.  That's why it's always a question of whether or not someone is a Poe.  For example, someone comes onto the forum, parroting the most oversimplified, ridiculous versions of theistic arguments.  Option 1) they honestly believe those arguments, option 2) they are faking it to make theists look bad.  Option 2 would be a Poe.  The problem is that it's hard to tell the difference, since we've all met theists who actually believe those wacky things (I'm sure you can think of a handful on this forum alone).

A troll is just someone who wants to stir shit up without adding anything to a discussion, just being a douchebag.   They aren't mutually exclusive either.

As soon as I finished reading that first sentence, I was like, "Oh, is that like when they say that it's impossible to tell if someone who says something stupid in the name of religion is actually legitimately that batshit or if they're just faking?" But then you immediately followed it up with that. Why is it called Poe's law? Did Edgar Allan Poe have a satirical anti-religious bent or is it named after someone else called Poe or was there just no other better one-syllable name to give it?

It was coined within the last decade-ish, believe it or not.  It's one of those "internet laws" like Godwin's law or Cunningham's law, that only came about because of the internet and the mass communication it allowed.  A guy called Nathan Poe coined it on a Christian forum during a debate about creationism, which is extremely apt.

[Catholic_Lady]

It's someone pretending to be something they are not and acting extreme in that role for the sake of satire.

Example:

An atheist coming on here posing as a Christian and acting like a total weirdo and filling the role of a stereotypical uber conservative Christian.

---

What exactly is a poe? Is it distinct from a troll or just a synonym? I've heard them mention it on the Atheist Experience show but had no idea what they were talking about, and forgot about it til now.

A Poe is someone who fakes certain beliefs or viewpoints in order to make people who genuinely hold those viewpoints look bad.  It comes from Poe's Law, which states that any parody of fundamentalism is impossible to distinguish from genuine fundamentalism, because there are actual people who hold those views.  That's why it's always a question of whether or not someone is a Poe.  For example, someone comes onto the forum, parroting the most oversimplified, ridiculous versions of theistic arguments.  Option 1) they honestly believe those arguments, option 2) they are faking it to make theists look bad.  Option 2 would be a Poe.  The problem is that it's hard to tell the difference, since we've all met theists who actually believe those wacky things (I'm sure you can think of a handful on this forum alone).

A troll is just someone who wants to stir shit up without adding anything to a discussion, just being a douchebag.   They aren't mutually exclusive either.  I'd say all Poes are trolls, but not all trolls are Poes.

Yes, this^

[Dropship]

[FatAndFaithless]

yeah, this is just getting embarrassing.

[Jackie]