Perhaps you could add the _ultracrepidors_ to the list of Alliances....... (Man, I've been dying to use that word in a message ---hehehehe...) I'll let you add the description of the _Ultracrepidors_ in the group... (You can include me in the roll for this Ideological class ) in the style you do pretty dang good.... Nerd From Hell > -----Original Message----- > From: Matt Grimaldi [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Monday, October 30, 2000 3:13 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Uplift vs. Culture > > > I've been kicking this idea around for a while, and with > all the Culture ship names that have been appearing here > lately, I figured the time is right :-) > > -- Matt Grimaldi > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > Major Brin-L Ideological Alliances > > ( Adapted from Trent Shipley's "Alliance for Progress > Encyclopedia", found at: > http://www.u.arizona.edu/~tshipley/Encyclopedia/index.html ) > > > > Abdicators: > > Anglic term used to describe a quasi-religious Brin-L grouping that > believes in the existence of ancient ethereal members that > occasionally take physical form and undergo regular subscription > procedures, without ever revealing their true nature. It is > thought that these members --known as Great Ghosts-- intervene > during Brin-L emergencies, with the Brin being the eldest, most > aloof, and powerful of them. This belief system dates back to > the time of Eythain Lazh, more than 60 million seconds ago. > > In other words, the Great Ghosts might be posting under assumed > names... > > > > Awaiters: > > Superficially similar to the Inheritors, the Awaiters think > that Brin will one day return bringing wisdom and justice > back to Brin-L. > > > > Inheritors: > > Believe that when Brin returns they will be chosen to rid > Brin-L of all unworthy posters. Members of this "alliance" > not infrequently tend toward social Darwinism or xenophobia. > Others are retiring, largely non-violent, survivalists. > > Inheritors are not noted for cooperation among themselves, > and "alliance" is something of a misnomer. > > > > Obeyers: > > The Obeyers have often met the Abdicator Alliance in > ritual battle. Abdicator and Obeyer doctrines are quite > similar, and both are rooted in the Tarseuh Alliance. > > The essential difference seems to be that Obeyers believe > not only in the principle of "abdication," but also insist > that the Traditions of the Great Ghosts must be rigorously > (and usually rigidly) followed. A plurality of Obeyers believe > that when a Great Ghost "incarnates" as a listmember (like the > Goddess), the wicked (non-Obeyer members, especially Abdicators) > will be scourged, and the righteous (the True Obeyer members) > will inherit the listserver for the next mega-cycle. Many Obeyer > members who hold this doctrine of "redemption" have developed > puritanical and exclusive ethical systems that converge with > those of many Inheritors. > > Both Obeyers and Abdicators see the other "alliance" as corrupting > the memory of the Great Ghosts, hence the periodic warfare between > these two groups. > > > > Transcendor (also known as Affirmer): > > This group believes that posts evolved naturally early in the > history of the Listserver. However, this happened once, or at > most a handful of times. ALL subsequent (on-topic) posts have > resulted from the infinitely more productive procedures of topic > drift. Consequently, almost all members of this "alliance" see > new-listmember claims to new topic creation as either egregious > arrogance or pitiable superstition, or (most frequently) both. > The most charitable members of this group regard the new-listmember > self- (or spontaneous-) topic creation story as "most improbable > indeed." > > Transcendors (as a rule) believe that self-improvement and > self-enlightenment are the meaning of life, both on a Brin-L and > civilizational level. > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. > http://im.yahoo.com > >
