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Who or what should replace the CowboyNeal option in polls? | Log In/Create an Account | Top | 1000 moderator points   | 110 comments | Search Discussion
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  • (Score: 1) by el_isma on Thursday February 20 2014, @10:19PM

    by el_isma (1819) on Thursday February 20 2014, @10:19PM (#3995)

    I'm a bit afraid to ask, and I'll hopefuly get to keep my geek card, but what is Soylent? Why was it so relevant?
    I understand it's a kind of food, but why is it so memorable?

  • (Score: 3, Informative) by GungnirSniper on Thursday February 20 2014, @11:55PM

    by GungnirSniper (1671) on Thursday February 20 2014, @11:55PM (#4060) Journal

    Soylent Green is people! [wikipedia.org] and is the origin of the name SoylentNews, because Dice Holdings simply didn't understand that what made Slashdot wasn't them, or solely the editors and staff there, but the posters. On a community-driven site, the posters are what make the site survive and thrive, not just the owners or editors.

    Think of planting a garden, you may prep the ground and plant the initial seeds, and water them, but the plants themselves do the bulk of the work.

  • (Score: 1) by medgooroo on Friday February 21 2014, @11:38AM

    by medgooroo (466) on Friday February 21 2014, @11:38AM (#4364)

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soylent_Green/ [wikipedia.org]

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 21 2014, @05:12PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 21 2014, @05:12PM (#4547)

    I just posted this above -- I find the name really off-putting precisely because of its cannibalistic meaning (eating human smoothie gruel). Is it really the permanent name?

    Any chance of changing it to something not inherently revolting?

    • (Score: 2, Informative) by SMI on Saturday February 22 2014, @07:50AM

      by SMI (333) on Saturday February 22 2014, @07:50AM (#4788)

      Maybe you aren't looking at it in the right light. Our common benefactor, Okian Warrior [dev.soylentnews.org], chose the name because the "product" is "people". This site is about the same thing, people. It's us people that give value to a site like this, hence the "Soylent News ...is people!". While that last part might seem confusing to someone who is unfamiliar with the original film, I do think that he had exactly the right idea. I hope this gives you a different perspective (and feel free to check out the original film, while a bit dated these days, it is still worth watching).

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 24 2014, @12:20PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 24 2014, @12:20PM (#5924)

        Thank you for the response... Yes, I understand the intended double entendre and the tagline, but the whole point is that if you DO understand it, you're still reminded of the original meaning. It's unavoidable. It's just a pretty gross name, to me.

        So for some of those who DO understand the meaning, it connotes something disgusting.

        And for those who do NOT understand the meaning, their reaction is "wha? what does Soylent mean and what's it have to do with tech?"

        The youngest of all might have only heard of the nutritionally suspect food replacement/kickstarter.

        I wish this altslashdot site nothing but success and was all on board with Fuck Beta. I just think the name is a poor choice.

  • (Score: 3, Informative) by mcgrew on Friday February 21 2014, @05:40PM

    by mcgrew (701) on Friday February 21 2014, @05:40PM (#4564) Homepage Journal

    Ah, to be young again. Soylent Green was a sci-fi movie from the 1960s that revolved around a future dystopia with shortages of food. Soylent Green was the most sought after food. Phere people were forced to suicide by society at a certain age (think Asimov's "The Sixty" or Running Man, same meme) to keep the population down. I have the tape, but alas my VCR died quite a while ago. I wonder where I can get a new one?

    At the end of the movie it's revealed that soylent green is people.

    --
    Free Nobots! [mcgrewbooks.com]

    • (Score: 1) by randmcnatt on Saturday February 22 2014, @12:09AM

      by randmcnatt (671) on Saturday February 22 2014, @12:09AM (#4678) Homepage

      "I have the tape, but alas my VCR died quite a while ago. I wonder where I can get a new one?"

      I don't know where you are, but if you can, try WalMart. Some of them still have tape-to-and-from-DVD player/recorders available.

      --
      The Wright brothers were not the first to fly: they were the first to land.

      • (Score: 1) by Acabatag on Sunday February 23 2014, @08:15PM

        by Acabatag (2885) on Sunday February 23 2014, @08:15PM (#5393)

        Thrift stores! You can get really great VHS machines at thrift stores for under $10.

    • (Score: 1) by StarFall on Monday February 24 2014, @03:51AM

      by StarFall (2894) on Monday February 24 2014, @03:51AM (#5659)

      I hear it's available on DVD and Blu-ray these days, or if your a Prime member just stream it for free.