To the "lurkers" here ... re: CS, etc.
First, don't cringe at being called a lurker. Tim, in his earlier, gentler, incarnation, built a strong following on this thread. As with all SI threads, lurkers were far more numerous here than posters. Far from being a negative factor, that great mass of lurkers supported Tim's picks and helped to make them successful. Most definitely, in the case of CS.
For his own reasons, Tim has come to denigrate lurkers as unworthy persons. That is certainly his privilege. But the lurkers who linger on here (for the time being) need to evaluate his public posts with a more critical and skeptical eye from now on. CS had a bad day today. While Tim communicated with his select group in secret code throughout the day, he continued to make public posts urging those in CS to hold on. Lurkers who own CS should think carefully about what that might suggest.
I stand by my characterization of a cult mentality evolving here. One of the common characteristics of a cult is mind-numbing, accomplished by speaking in a different tongue, chanting, or meditation. (Sound familiar?) Another characteristic is polarization into an "us" versus "them" mentality. (Sound familiar?) Yet another is punishment, banishment, or other sanctions for disagreeing with the leader. (Sound familiar?)
Note that I use the word "evolving." Cults don't start with the Kool-Aid. But, unfortunately, that's where some have ended. When we read about such things, the question that puzzles most people is why some persons were willing to be the followers. The answer seems to lie somewhere in low self-esteem and a lack of confidence in one's own abilities and perceptions.
Hmmmm ... it really doesn't seem so bad to be called a "lurker," does it? |
