HAF entered the world on the the 22nd June 2006.
Leave your congratulations here to Whitney and many many others members and staff!
But mostly to this little bit of insane sanity that is Happy Atheist Forum.
Honestly this forum has been such a huge part of my teen years that I cannot imagine how my life would be if I hadn't found it almost 5 years ago. This place is full so so many different an amazing people.
I love you all, even you Siz.
Cool...
HAF began a little after I switched careers.
Quite a special place. Always interesting and entertaining...
Happy HAFDay!
I think I joined this place in 2012 or so..? Maybe earlier? I was mainly on my mobile phone. I just got my first smartphone ever (some cheap android) and I made a post. I made that typo that Tank will hold over my head to my grave. I remember googling atheists after attending a meeting irl, but the people were so hostile to me. I thought to myself "Not all people who don't believe in God can be this rude and cranky, surely."
So I ended up here via google. I was immediately grateful. I never realize it was possible, since my forum days never last, but this is my family. I realized more than ever than you don't need to be related by blood or even live in the same state or country to be a real family. I love you all so much. You have helped me through hard times, like losing my jobs, of my mom dying in the hospital. Everyone is pretty bold and honest here. I like tough love and don't beat around the bush. I've become the angry New yorker here and I don't mind.
I like that even though many of us have varying opinions, we all try our best to respect one another. I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm glad this forum is here.
Quote from: Tank on May 20, 2016, 12:49:08 PM
HAF entered the world on the the 22nd June 2016.
And to think today is only May 20, 2016.
That, is a real neat trick.
Quote from: No one on May 20, 2016, 06:19:48 PM
Quote from: Tank on May 20, 2016, 12:49:08 PM
HAF entered the world on the the 22nd June 2016.
And to think today is only May 20, 2016.
That, is a real neat trick.
Shhhh, don't let Tank know that he screwed up.
Quote from: No one on May 20, 2016, 06:19:48 PM
Quote from: Tank on May 20, 2016, 12:49:08 PM
HAF entered the world on the the 22nd June 2016.
And to think today is only May 20, 2016.
That, is a real neat trick.
No one read what I wrote!
Well spotted!
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on May 20, 2016, 06:47:40 PM
Quote from: No one on May 20, 2016, 06:19:48 PM
Quote from: Tank on May 20, 2016, 12:49:08 PM
HAF entered the world on the the 22nd June 2016.
And to think today is only May 20, 2016.
That, is a real neat trick.
Shhhh, don't let Tank know that he screwed up.
Too late :)
I've been here, on and off, for a better part of a decade myself (VERY rapidly closing on eight years)
This place has seen me get an education, a couple of careers, make friends, lose friends, change my views, my style, my purpose... And in many ways, it has evolved in its own directions while I evolved in mine.
...People came and left and came back. Things have changed, and others stayed the same. In the end, HAF is the people who visit here. A half-insane cauldron of opinions and ideas ranging from militancy for reason to lunacy for religion. "Everyone" half-serious about their opinion gets heard here - then gets his nose rubbed thoroughly in the dirt of his own ignorance if such rubbing is warranted. That right there, I think, is something worth keeping.
Happy Decade of HAF Day!
I signed on 4.5 years ago. At the time, I was just looking for an outlet because I was pissed off over an incident where my wife was pressured to say "So help me god" during her citizenship oath. Never really cared much about atheism or my lax secularism before that. Ended up staying and having lots of fun discussing, arguing, and clowning with all of you. Got lots of great book recommendations, you motivated me to finally watch Cosmos, which has reignited my interest in astronomy, and you've all really helped me discover more about myself and what I believe in than I thought possible.
You are all awesome and I feel privileged to be part of this place.
Wow, it's been almost 6 years since I've been posting here. 8)
Back then I registered for accounts in various atheist forums, but HAF is the only one I stuck to, being the great small forum it is. :grin:
I'm terrible at speeches so I would just like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all who make this forum what it is. :blahblah:
5 1/2 years I have been here. I think I have more real friends through the forum then I have in real life.
Some amazing people in here. Thank you for helping me maintain my tenuous grasp on my sanity.
I have been around this forum for quite a while, it has given me much satisfaction and pleasure. Here is a special thank you for all the good people who keep the forum going. You know who you are.
I like to think of the members as family even when we disagree. Actually I am old enough to be every one else's father or grandfather or even great grandfather. In the interest of full disclosure: June 27th I will be 76 years older than the forum. .....Wonder of wonders, you still let me participate. Thank you everyone for that kind consideration.
I'm glad Tank sorted out that time paradox, those things make me nervous.
I'm only new here but it doesn't seem too bad a place, compared to reality anyway.
Quote from: Bad Penny II on May 21, 2016, 10:38:04 AM
I'm glad Tank sorted out that time paradox, those things make me nervous.
I'm only new here but it doesn't seem too bad a place, compared to reality anyway.
Thank you Doctor.
In the beginning Asmo created the internet and the HAF.
Then Asmo said, "Let us make atheists in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over all the cute doggies and evil kats, and all the silly creationists, and over all the evolution deniers that move along the ground."
So Asmo created human beings in his own image, in the image of Asmo he created them; male and female he created them.
Now the internet was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the world wide web, and the Spirit of Asmo was hovering over the forums.
And Asmo said, "Let there be HAF," and "Lo" there was light, and intelligence and good humor spread over the web.
Asmo saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning – the sixth day, so he partied heartily and got stone drunk on "cheap ass brandy".
Then Asmo blessed the seventh day and made it somewhat holy, because on it he rested from all the drinking he had done the night before as he was such a lightweight and much hungover...
Thanks to those who got HAF started, and to all of you who work to keep it going. I'm very happy I stumbled upon this site 2 years ago...
Holy shit has it been two years already Bruno? Time really flies.
I joined eight years ago and have been posting most of the time since. HAF has changed greatly, but it's still a friendly place.
This was the site that caught my eye when I needed help to get over the realisation and shock that I'd lost my faith. It was the name that did it, and I have never felt the need to go elsewhere. It has been a pleasure and a revelation, and a help in coping with the deep anger I still feel about being duped for so long. You are all so different from the people I associated with all my life and what I think most is that you are all real in your dealings with each other, not struggling continuously to conform to an impossible ideal for a cruel and bullying tyrant while trying to convince yourselves he's a God of love. HAF for ever, or at least till the sun gets us.
I started 'lurking' here, 2009. I signed on 2010.
I thought Tank, OldGit, and Asmo were hilarious, and I wanted to be their friend.
After that, Icarus, Amicale, BooksCatsEtc, and Davin caught my eye.
Then it was Ali, Claireliontamer, Buddy, Crow, Pasta Chick, Ihateyoumike, hismikeness, Niya, Joeactor, Guardian 85, Siz, Bluenose, Ecurb Noselrub, Recusant, jumbojak, Bruno de la Pole, TWC, xSilverPhinx, Tom62, Dobermonster, Essie, Velma, MariaEvri, Firebird, Stevil, hackenslash, The Magic Pudding, viocjit, Sweetdeath, markmcdaniel, NHBA, God, Eugeny Anatolievich, Hector Valdez, MLA, Gerry Rzeppa, LeKatt, Lee, Nam, (I spoke with Animated Dirt and En_Route, only once). I also remember all the 'time travelers' we've had here. :snicker:
The new ones are:No one, Apathy, Harmonie, and Bad Penny, solidsquid, and Pahu.
Am I missing anyone? :headscratch:
Anyways, I like it here. I don't think I could be as happy in another forum, as I am here with all of you.
Atheist are great! :headbang:
Thanks for the past 6 wonderful years!
:hug:
Huh, I had no idea your account was that old Mags. I thought you came after me.
You should make the virtual meetup sometime!
Quote from: Buddy on May 21, 2016, 06:49:13 PM
Holy shit has it been two years already Bruno? Time really flies.
I was surprised myself, had to look at my own profile to confirm my registration date...god I was so young and naive.
Quote from: Buddy on May 22, 2016, 03:18:40 AM
Huh, I had no idea your account was that old Mags. I thought you came after me.
You should make the virtual meetup sometime!
I don't know if I'm ready for that... :grin:
...But knowing this:
Quote from: Tank on May 16, 2016, 06:37:03 AM
What happens in a meet-up stays in a meet-up. :foottap:
...Is very encouraging. ;D
:secrets1:
Did you hear that, Bruno?
Quote from: Bruno de la Pole on May 22, 2016, 03:35:28 AM
Quote from: Buddy on May 21, 2016, 06:49:13 PM
Holy shit has it been two years already Bruno? Time really flies.
I was surprised myself, had to look at my own profile to confirm my registration date...god I was so young and naive.
I liked you the minute you walked in here. :daisies:
Quote from: Magdalena on May 22, 2016, 04:08:31 AM
Quote from: Buddy on May 22, 2016, 03:18:40 AM
Huh, I had no idea your account was that old Mags. I thought you came after me.
You should make the virtual meetup sometime!
I don't know if I'm ready for that... :grin:
...But knowing this:
Quote from: Tank on May 16, 2016, 06:37:03 AM
What happens in a meet-up stays in a meet-up. :foottap:
...Is very encouraging. ;D
:secrets1: Did you hear that, Bruno?
All I can do is try, no guarantees...as us great apes aren't known for our ability to keep a secret.
Quote from: Magdalena on May 22, 2016, 04:30:02 AM
Quote from: Bruno de la Pole on May 22, 2016, 03:35:28 AM
Quote from: Buddy on May 21, 2016, 06:49:13 PM
Holy shit has it been two years already Bruno? Time really flies.
I was surprised myself, had to look at my own profile to confirm my registration date...god I was so young and naive.
I liked you the minute you walked in here. :daisies:
No you didn't...remember that one time we were all dancing and partying down by the boardwalk and I nailed your flip-flops to the deck?
You got so mad you beat me on the head like an angry mother with your flip flop.
^^^
:lol:
I remember when you walked in and said, "Hello" to me. :grin:
(https://66.media.tumblr.com/c43eb7059b443e6a3449e76d9d722e52/tumblr_ngaoc3unjj1qaqx8xo1_500.gif)
I wish I never found the damn place. Spent way too much time reading stuff here.
I was looking for a small friendly atheist forum after I left the WWGHA. What I found was HAF. Since I joined in July 2006, HAF grew and grew, people came and went; we had our differences and some epic battles were fought, but the spirit of being a happy atheist forum always remained.
It's a thing to speak of "internet years." I've seen an internet year equated to a "dog year" (1 calendar year = 7 internet years), also a fellow did some calculations and decided that one calendar year was 4.7 internet years (http://www.fatdux.com/blog/2009/09/22/calculating-the-length-of-an-internet-year/). Going by the lower number, HAF is well into middle age. The horror! :mb lol: << That's one of the original custom smileys for this site, by the way.
Seriously, I'm glad it's still around. Maybe Whitney ("Mysteriously Absent - Like God") will even stop by in the next month or so to regale us with a tale or two from HAF's childhood. Or not. :blue smiley: << Another "vintage" HAF smiley.
Quote from: Recusant on May 22, 2016, 08:30:25 PM
:blue smiley: << Another "vintage" HAF smiley.
Were they really
that blue? :o
Quote from: Asmodean on May 22, 2016, 10:24:46 PM
Quote from: Recusant on May 22, 2016, 08:30:25 PM
:blue smiley: << Another "vintage" HAF smiley.
Were they really that blue? :o
They were varying shades.
Whitney had made a point of collecting a set of blue smileys because the original theme color (pre-SMF) was blue, but they weren't a matching blue set like you can find these days. I looked at some of those when putting together the current custom set (still a work in progress, by the way), and decided they were all pretty poor, aesthetically. A lot of
Whitney's set can't be found anymore. I've never seen the "lol by Miss Bangles" (:mb lol:) used on any other site, for instance, but I had it and a few others saved for my own use.
I think the original theme was a more intense blue than the current SMF theme (which I think is a good look), as well.
10 years? Damn. Has it been that long. I suppose 2006 was a few years ago. I had just turned 30, just graduated with my bachelors and was gearing up for grad school and a move. I was still somewhat young and full of hope for the future. Now, I'm older and deal with others who...dedicate their lives to running all of his. He tries to please them all, this bitter man he is. Throughout his life the same, he's battled constantly. This fight he cannot win. A tired man they see no longer cares. The old man then prepares to die regretfully. That old man here is me..... 8)
Should have went with something from Puppets.
It's been good fun for the time I've been here.
Good going HaF, even I can't stop you. Well technically I don't exist anyway ;D
2011 - bit the bullet to read Dawkins which ignited a new outward-looking, proud atheism for me. HAF was my first internet love... well, after porn and buying shit for cheap, anyway...
Love some of the characters here - people from places and communities I'd never otherwise have had contact. I've learned a lot. I've laughed. I've ranted. I've annoyed and been annoyed. I've been red-modded, prodded, abused and amused, accepted, rejected, neglected, argued with, pwned, metaphorically stoned, and loved it all (apart from when Tank called me a cunt - that was really hurtful...). But I especially like the bits where I get to be really rude to people without feeling bad about it - love the internet for that!
Bless you, HAF, for the shits and giggles!
The date approaches...
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on June 20, 2016, 03:28:40 AM
The date approaches...
..... As the prophecy is written.