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Why is this site named Antipope?

antipope.org

83 points by turadg · 48 comments

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8 threads
gerikson

Maybe the drunken sysadmin had a more classical or historical education than most.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antipope

  • catoc

    Then, since it’s about publishing (emails), they should have picked

    e-mprimatur

    (⌐⊙_⊙)

  • The_Blade

    hell is round the corner where i shelter, isms and schisms

    i really enjoyed Crusader Kings 2, for 3 you need a mod to antipope

Procrastes

I'm having a Mandela Effect moment. I could have sworn it was a typo for "antipode" instead, but that must be a false memory I picked up somewhere.

  • wlonkly

    You mean a mandala effect. A lot of people thought it was Mandela Effect, but it's been the mandala effect all along.

  • shwaj

    Not on my timeline, this has been the name the whole time.

  • neksn

    A Mandela effect is when it happens to a large group of people. I’m afraid you’re alone in this.

    • tgrowazay

      Only when large group of people die and have to be switched to another timeline via quantum immortality.

      This person died independently. Welcome to our timeline!

richardfey

Some reference to Les Technopères by writer Alejandro Jodorowsky?

  • pavlov

    Calling him a writer is somewhat underselling his talent. Jodorowsky was a world-class clown and mime (yes, really) before becoming an award-winning filmmaker, visual artist, and comic book writer.

jmercouris

What does AutoPope mean though? The author glosses over this implying it means to pontificate- however- I have not seen this definition anywhere.

  • AdamH12113

    Automatic Pope, presumably. Offering pontifications (opinions) via technology (automated). “Pontiff” is another word for pope.

  • d-us-vb

    “Pontifications by email” makes it clear enough. Email is an automated message delivery system, and the pope delivers messages from above, soooo…

    Such are many of the names coined by creative minds using the early internet.

  • hammock

    Pontificate in its original sense literally means to perform the duties of a pope or priest (a pontiff). The auto part I guess because it’s email? That part is shakier

    • beardyw

      "to speak or express opinions in a pompous or dogmatic way" is I think the intention.

      • hammock

        Yes. I didn’t bother to mention that part, only the polysemous connection to pope.

    • dfxm12

      Auto as in you get it automatically in your mailbox. No need to ask for it or otherwise seek it out. It's just sent to you.

      ETA: other meanings likely don't fit. It's not about self pontificating (well maybe only from Charlie's point of view), and the motorcar related to the Pope is already called the Popemobile.

    • bombcar

      Pontoon pontification - bridge building.

  • layer8

    Clearly it means self-pontification.

  • geor9e

    look up the word pontiff

darrenf

Disappointed it isn’t to do with Robert Rankin. Oh well.

ineedasername

Typo when it was created.

orliesaurus

"Automatic pope." WAT

Mistletoe

I just assumed he was against the pope and nonsense like that.

  • tialaramex

    Charlie explains why his site is named this, but the word "Antipope" does mean something already and it means specifically a person who says they are the Pope, but you recognise somebody else as Pope instead.

    It's thus sometimes unclear which people are "really" Antipopes until some time passes and you're like OK, Steve was an Antipope, the Roman Catholic Church still exists, the Pope is now this Dave guy, so his predecessor Geoff was also Pope, and Geoff's rival Steve's group died out, so Steve was an Antipope, even though for a few years my church said Steve was Pope, I now know that was wrong because God wouldn't let the One True Church vanish and once Steve died his whole church went back to Geoff.

    • nephihaha

      I think it is a reference to the song by the Damned, but given Stross has lived in central Scotland for decades, you'd think he'd realise by now that it sounds more like someone from the Orange Order (Protestant supremacists) in these parts. There is historically a major issue with the Orange Order and Loyalists in the areas in and around Edinburgh and Glasgow, and they organise anti-Catholic marches in many working class communities as well as violence at football matches. I have met him and doubt this is what he is after, but it comes over like this.

  • nephihaha

    Charles Stross has lived in Edinburgh for years and you would think by now that something like "Antipope" comes off as Protestant supremacist rather than secularist in central Scotland. One of his close friends has a similar background and she had antipope as part of her email back in the nineties when I was acquainted with her... It caused a lot of issues when she was emailing someone who was Catholic, because they thought it was some kind of Orange/loyalist account.

  • mcmcmc

    Which is a terrible assumption given an antipope is just a self-declared pope

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