Matt,
the name won’t change, it hasn’t from after the first sixty posts when I asked Ben to permanently change it to ‘Magnanimous’, so whether I have 1 post or 10,000 doesn’t make a difference. The reason I asked him to change it is because I don’t like being part of a hierarchy, furthermore, one may sometimes feel like posting just to get that last post instead of posting because they really have something to say. Ie. If someone has 99 posts, they may feel inclined to just quickly look for something to say about anything. Lastly, I’m a creative person and like to do things my own way, I thought that adding ‘Magnanimous’ was a creative twist to my Nick and avatar. It actually rhymes when you say the two names together “Magius Magnanimous”. Moreover, I believe myself to be courageously noble in mind and heart, so the word ‘Magnanimous’ is also fitting to who I am(atleast most of the time).
Sorry, no surprise…then again, I may one day choose to change it to something else. Maybe I will come up with some hierarchial name for my 1000th post, maybe something like Philosopher King, although anyone with any knowledge of philosophy and what a Philosopher king is will know that I am full of it, since I do not meet the criteria of one.
As for my lack of posts lately, well to be honest I haven’t been able to find any posts that I could contribute to. Either the topic was something I knew nothing, or very little about, or there was too many posts to go through and the last one didn’t strike any ideas in me, and finally, my time has been kept restricted because of university life. Had it not, I would be indulging in the Descartes thread and the most recent Philosophy of Law thread which has led in a direction that is of interest to me - the problem being is that I need to go through some notes from my personal philosophy book about ideas that I had, but there is no time for that(for now). I also have many email buddies that I try to keep track of, even though my responses are almost always fashionably late, I also keep in touch with one of my cousins in Slovakia via email, and one of my good friends who lives in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
I’m more inclined to think of it as a hierachy like Magius. However, I’m perfectly comfortable with this. I’ve always found myself more comfortable in a structured situation, (probably why I joined the cadets). I wonder why you don’t like being part of a hierachy, Magius?
Alas Skeptic we’re obviously not considered big league enough to be philosophers anymore. Ben can’t have liked us being in the same category as us! I shall have to slink off to another site , sob. You guys wish, huh .
To each his own. But ILP is not school, in school we are rewarded because we are there to learn which is generally accepted to be a positive thing that will help us and the world in general (I tend to agree). But ILP is a message board on the internet, one should be coming here and posting because they want to and not because they are part of some hierarchy. I think there is much for all of us to learn here, but what if you were a part of a really boring, naive, redundant, uninformative, uncreative messaging board…would you feel rewarded if they changed your nick because your sub-nick got changed? Would you feel happy for sticking at it?, personally I would wonder to myself what the hell I was doing there for that long.
Don’t you think that it is exactly because of this bowling off to another philosophy site that helps one to figure out what they like and to find a happy niche where they feel they belong? Don’t you think that would be kind of thwarted if each message board you go through you would have a moral dillema in your head about how long you should stick it through before you feel confident in escaping the hierarchial tension within yourself?
I can’t help but think that you make it sound as though posting was a nuisance, a bother, something we feel compelled to do. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is exactly what some are experiencing. Coming and posting more out of habit or responsibility than of their will of wanting, contributing, sharing, and opening up their minds to the people on the internet with enjoyment. This is why I find myself coming back again and again, I enjoy it. Don’t get me wrong, there are times when I am doing homework and just need a break and I find myself on ILP without even realizing it. But I would say the majority of the time I come here with curiousity, wonder, and a willingness to share and learn.
nope i dont see it as a chore i probably just didnt explain myself sufficeintly. I just think that you can think yay ive been posting for a while contributing to the site and enjoying myself and as a little extra on the side im now X rating wooo type thing. But its just my take on it if you see it as a heirachy then full respect to you for not wanting to be a part of it,
No more problems. I’m back to my old self again. I think either Ben or HVD must have reset the mark to 250 posts rather than 100.
Seriously, I think you guys are taking this subject too seriously. Its not really much of a hierarchy. There’s only two levels, thinker and philosopher. Who really cares how many posts you have! It only matters that you are enjoying yourself and learning something.
Of course, for those of you whom are not “Philosophers”, I really feel for you, while I bask in the glory of my meaningless title.
I’m so close to changing all of your titles to ‘irritating whingers’.
Yes I raised the number of posts needed for thinker, yes i raised the number of posts needed for philosopher and yes I deleted the Guru title. You shall have to find some way of consoling yourselves, ben and jerry’s ice cream usually helps.
And if you hadn’t guessed my feelings on the subject. I think it’s all bollocks and just a cheap way of making people feel good about themselves it’s all about the meaningless assigning of value based labels.
Yea I agree, it’s quite pathatic really they’re just titles people get over it! Like I mean common… hey how come I don’t have a cool title like Magius’s Magnanian…manmious… ? That’s unfair. I want a cool one too, like Slademanimous… wait! No I don’t want that one. ‘Slade the Mighty’. No ‘Slade the Philosopher of DOOM’. With astericks like: ‘Slade the philosopher of DOOM’ Yea! Oh yea that’d be sooo cool can I Ben Can I?! (ahem) (leaves room with head lowered)
Thanx, you just made me realize how distressing my number of posts are in contrast to the work i am putting forward to my degree. Actually, I’ve been getting better marks than I ever expected, but my social life has been seriously lacking lately. My school work afterburners are on full throttle. Its all about balance, the best means of finding balance is organization, and it is organization that to me makes up two thirds of school life. If your organized than you will get good grades, most of the time, and you will have time for a social life. I’m still working on it.
The shame of being a “thinker” is unbearable. 
.
I once was a guru… 
.sadly 
this no longer means anything… 
it’s all about the meaningless assigning of value based labels.