Sorry to interrupt the regular proceedings here with an off-topic post, but I have just discovered the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen: A bunch of Redditors are talking about getting their own motherfucking island! Reddit Island! Where they will live, and farm algae, and give each other massages, and all the other things you do on an island of your own.
Naturally, the discussion is extremely Reddit-tastic. Here, after one Redditor says he may have found them a perfect island, PlutoISaPlanet asks the obvious question:
girls? are there girls there?
You need to read the entire discussion that follows, which will also help to explain why they may have trouble getting girls to sign up.
Bludstone, meanwhile, raises some practical questions:
As there is -still- no reddit island business plan, there is no real reason to be looking for physical islands yet. We need a comprehensive mathematical analysis on how to make a profitable (or at least sustainable) island living.
And ive said that since day 1.
Later in the discussion – which you also need to read in its entirety — he accuses his fellow Reddit Island enthusiasts of being a bunch of unserious dabblers in the fine art of island-utopia-making:
You need a comprehensive plan, contracts vetted by lawyers on both sides, etc.
Honestly this whole project has screamed AMATEURS from the start. Its a real shame since its a cool as hell idea.
One enthusiastic newbie has some questions, including:
Property buying and selling, rights, early adopters, etc’, what’s the current consensus on that? If I “donate”/”pledge” $100 right now, will it assure anything for when the time comes? Will I get a small place where I can build my hut? or will I get a 2 bedroom apartment in a 50 stories high sky scraper?
In still another thread, Reddit Islanders reject one island in Florida – on sale for $42,000 — as too small, though one suggests they could build a tall tower on it to accommodate more Redditors.
Another frugal Redditor suggests they could start out by building houses out of old shipping pallets!
But if you’re going to need a shipping container just to get the pallets out there, another asks, why not just live in the shipping container?
People, I cannot tell you how enthusiastic I am about the prospect of a bunch of Redditors moving to some tiny island in the middle of nowhere to live in a shipping container.
EDITED TO ADD: ArchangelleDworkin of SRS is on the case, and it turns out this post isn’t quite as off-topic as I thought. In fact, it’s totally on-topic, as she shows with this collection of horrible shit the Reddit Islanders have been saying about women (while lamenting the fact that their never-going-to-happen island project would be a total sausage fest).
If you follow her links you’ll discover even more poop that she didn’t even bother to link to. On Reddit, there is literally too much poop for ordinary humans to catalog.
Also, I totally stole her Reddit island graphic.
@Argenti Aertheri, yes the numbers I found were specifically for cargo containers. I found the stats at a container homes FAQ
I suppose if they buried the cargo containers, they would also be more storm resistant, but then they’d have the problem of how to keep them from flooding. They could install a sump pump for each one, but that would require a source of energy. If they had solar powered sump pumps, they’d still have the problem of what to do in case the pump has a mechanical failure. Someone on the island would need to be a repairman with the equipment necessary to fix things. Zie would also have to teach other people how to do it, too, in case zie dies or is unable to work any more. Ha ha, is it wrong that I’m putting so much thought into such a ridiculous scenario? For some reason, I’m having fun with this.
Kendra, sorry, that question came off as curt didn’t it? They scare me like nothing else and perks of being in new england include being able to generally ignore them — I’ve been through one tornado, an F4 when I was 4, terrifying, absolutely terrifying, I’ll take a blizzard any day.
I think it would be ideal if they built dome houses. Monolithic domes are virtually indestructible, safe from fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and termites. A monolithic dome can be usable for centuries. They are also extremely energy efficient. Now I have no idea how any of the island Redditors would actually build these domes, but they would certainly meet their needs.
“Ha ha, is it wrong that I’m putting so much thought into such a ridiculous scenario?” — eh, maybe? I think F4+ may kinda break one’s brain a bit though, actually seeing just what nature can dish out for no reason at all is goddamned terrifying after all. (See, even the words “after all” seem odd in context, as in “you mean once everything lands?” >.< )
I’ve seen the domes done with balloons basically — blow the balloon thing up and then concrete around it…they’re weird, and kind of cute in a hobbit-esque way.
Oh no, that didn’t come off as curt at all. No worries. 🙂
I’ve never been in a blizzard, so I can’t compare the two disasters. In Joplin, we consider anything over 6″ of snow a “blizzard” lol. I haven’t been through any other disaster but last year’s tornado, and it was enough. I feel for you going through such a thing as a small child. I know it was hard on my own children, too, because they’re too little to understand.
I think that weather disasters are yet another thing the Redditors aren’t planning for. They’re too busy planning on how to get laid on their island. Ha ha ha, got to keep their priorities straight!
When I said “ridiculous scenario”, I meant the scenario of the Redditors even moving to an island at all, not planning for a disaster. That’s just a good idea for everyone, since it’s impossible to know what the future holds.
Kendra — I’m from CT, we’re used to waking up to the car being covered (as in “shit, where’s the car, I think it’s that lump?”) — not used to tornadoes of any size, so it was weird. Strangely not as bad as you’d think though, no one died from the tornadoes and one person died from the thunderstorm winds. Nothing compared to what Joplin went through, took til I was a teenager to not spend thunderstorms on tornado watch, so I feel for your kids (and you and the rest of Joplin).
“I think that weather disasters are yet another thing the Redditors aren’t planning for.” — yeah definitely, and if they’re looking at islands that aren’t 10+ above sea level, the tsunami risk is high. This could go terribly bad in so many ways, if they ever get it to remotely work that is.
This storm if you’re curious (and look, I wasn’t 4, I was 10 days shy of 4, happy-fucking-birthday eh?)
“When I said “ridiculous scenario”” — I figured, it’s why I replied about tornadoes, because apparently even new england gets F4’s once every couple of decades. (meanwhile “snowpocalypse” was bad planning, not an usually bad storm)
That 1989 outbreak looked terrible. I’m glad there were no casualties, and that you didn’t get hurt, either. That’s really amazing considering how strong the tornadoes were in populated areas.
Yeah, they stand out a bit in the US, where most houses are built of studs. If it weren’t for that, I think they’d be more prevalent, considering how durable and ecologically friendly they are. Another drawback is that it’s hard to plumb when pipes leak, because the pipes are in concrete, but that’s a problem for houses built on slabs, too. At least with slab houses, a plumber can reroute pipes through the attic, but you can only use certain types of pipes that expand instead of freeze. Then again, this wouldn’t be a problem for the island Redditors, since they plan to live without running water and sewers anyway.
Would the Redditors bring a supply of vaccines, too? Don’t some vaccines also require refrigeration? If they won’t have doctors or medicine, then they should at least vaccinate. Then again, the UN or Rotary might vaccinate the Redditors against polio anyway, because they’re trying to eradicate it worldwide. What if they vaccinate ahead of time but don’t get booster shots? Then they’d be at risk for tetanus every time they got injured.
Re: the ’89 tornadoes — the CT governor called it a miracle no one was killed, and I’m inclined to agree (despite my usual atheist bend even — the “highly improbable” part certainly fits)
Re: dome houses — it’s partly the zoning laws, as I have actually considered trying get a cargo container home zoned and there’s just nothing for non-standard construction in many places. The interior walls could be wood/steel studs, so the plumbing doesn’t seem too impossible. I still say outhouses on an island is just asking for trouble though, they need some sort of sewage system (and this should probably be concern #1 considering how important it is for the medical issues).
Re: vaccines — I’d thought they all required refrigeration, but I could be wrong there. MSF certainly makes a big deal out of the issues of vaccinating populations in remote areas because of this issue though. And you’ve just reminded me to check how the 2012 polio rate is looking, because it really looks like they’re going to do it.
Wow…67 cases so far this year, versus 195 year-to-date for 2011, that’s a third…and all in four countries — Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Chad. Polio is actually going to go the way of smallpox.
Polio is actually going to go the way of smallpox.
Really? Awesome!
Making and maintaining a proper outhouse involves a lot more more than just a hole in the ground. My grandparents paid a guy to maintain my great grandfather’s when he was very old (he had indoor plumbing at that point that the Adult Services people insisted he have put in, which he refused to use, because apparently indoor plumbing is a rich snobby city people conceit e_e). I’m imagining the methane explosions and ammonia inhalation deaths on top of issues around the water table, pit filling, proper use of lime/ash/sawdust, etc, from redditors improperly building and maintaining outhouses.
I grew up in a rural poor area. The reality looks nothing like rich suburbanite fantasies. And we weren’t the worst off people I knew, and I grew up after the institution of federal programs to expand electricity, running water, and medical care further out, but I still have more than my fair share of stories that upperclass suburban people think are too outrageous to actually be true.
Dear island utopia fantasizers, the reality is less like this:
and more like this:
(I think I’ve linked that song to survival fantasy mras before too)
Making and maintaining a proper outhouse involves a lot more more than just a hole in the ground.
There’s been a lack of enthusiasm for even a hole-in-the-ground level of effort. One guy argued that they wouldn’t need a sanitation system because they’d agree to produce “a minimum of waste.” If only the rest of the world had been smart enough to think of that…
On a related note, two things I haven’t seen mentioned at all: garbage collection and bathing.
One guy argued that they wouldn’t need a sanitation system because they’d agree to produce “a minimum of waste.”
Redditors are the last people on Earth I’d believe were voluntarily producing less crap.
“One guy argued that they wouldn’t need a sanitation system because they’d agree to produce “a minimum of waste.”
So, like…they’re just going to try really hard not to poop very much? Yeah, this is going to work out great.
@darksidecat, How I love that song. Now you’ve started me off on a Dolly Parton binge…
This is just epic — they can’t decide now on weapons, but don’t think they’ll have disputes in person?!
Like the armchair libertarians they are, they seem to believe that if they can engineer the perfect constitution/contract ahead of time, it will eliminate all future problems. Similarly, there are members trying to work out a permanent division of property and income. Like, if you contribute 10% to the purchase of the island now, you’ll own 10% of the island and its income in perpetuity. This will cause no arguments down the road, because they’ll have a contract.
katz — really
NOOOO! The only upside of them secluding themselves to their own island is so that they can leave everyone else alone. If they have the internet they’re still bothering people.
That dome thing is cool. I would be interested in making one that was really nice to look at on top of being super safe, because that thing is ugly. The lack of windows is a bummer too. I’d need to figure out a way to build windows into it without compromising the integrity of the structure, and dome house here I come. Def interested in making it shire-style in like, the woods up in Maine. That would be awesome.
And yeah Argenti, winter sucks but it’s better than tornadoes and stuff. The worst thing we’ve had to deal with living here is long, drawn-out power outages. When we lived in a super rural area of New Hampshire (I’m talking dirt road off a dirt road) there was a time when we lost power for over a week. It was then that we finally caved and got a generator.
Then last October that random snow storm that took all the power lines down because the trees still had so many leaves left that the branches were too heavy so it took at least a week in some areas to get power back. It’s bizarre that the people who plan New England towns don’t consider moving trees away from power lines to avoid this stuff.
I feel bad for the people out in WMass. They keep getting hit with tornadoes. WTF is going on out there?
Like the armchair libertarians they are, they seem to believe that if they can engineer the perfect constitution/contract ahead of time, it will eliminate all future problems.
Because last time people in the US came up with a constitution, it eliminated all disagreements forever.
And if this magical Eutopian Island ever eventuates? How long till they find a conch, start killing the wildlife, and eventually each other?
I’m not a betting woman, but them odds look good to me. $100 on the Fielding version of this island.
Argenti: Kendra, sorry, that question came off as curt didn’t it? They scare me like nothing else and perks of being in new england include being able to generally ignore them — I’ve been through one tornado, an F4 when I was 4, terrifying, absolutely terrifying, I’ll take a blizzard any day.
I hate tornadoes… I’ll take earthquakes, any day of the week. (I’ve lived through both).
Eh, as long as you mean the <6 kind? Otherwise my vote remains on blizzards — have you done a nor'easter? They're not nearly as bad as anything that tries ripping off or caving in your roof (I guess they could cave it in, in theory, but I've never known it to happen)