Eight Secret Societies (2016) • Hacker News Board

Re: Eight Secret Societies (2016)

#31

Post by RutgerHauer » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 9:39 PM UTC

silisili wrote: post #26

c7b wrote: post #22

Nice that they found a mix, I expected >90% of them to be religious or semi-religious (what you hear about the freemasons sounds quite cult-ish too, eg). But not sure why they decided to include the Molly Maguires. Sounds like a plain mob to me, the Yakuzas and the Cosa Nostra probably have more rituals than those, and both are still very much in existence.

I think there's a strong correlation. For example, there was an Oddfellows chapter near me I checked out a few times. They turned out to be some weird sect of Wiccans. I mean, it's nice that they do good works, and I guess alls as well if they keep them separate, but I didn't intend spending time with people who pray to antlers and host nude religious gatherings. And it felt to me, perhaps in a way, they were using a…

Where is this? Are they still recruiting?

Re: Eight Secret Societies (2016)

#32

Post by pessimizer » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 9:39 PM UTC

gjsman-1000 wrote: post #13

billybuckwheat wrote: post #11

Isn't the whole idea behind a secret society that the general public doesn't know about it? I thought that's what secret meant.

One of the most fundamental characteristics of evil is that the evil person cannot help but desire to gain fame for their crimes. (Just look up how many criminals have been arrested by their social media posts.) A Secret Society might be completely secretive, and yet be unable to resist helping themselves to claiming some credit. Kind of like the Anonymous hacker group in their day. Or Ross Ulbricht adopting the name…

This is almost a paraphrase of the definition of survivorship bias. You would expect a preponderance of bigmouths amongst people who are widely known to have been caught for crimes. It would be bad to assume that this is because people who do crimes love to talk about them, rather than that people who talk about crimes get caught.

Re: Eight Secret Societies (2016)

#33

Post by RutgerHauer » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 9:39 PM UTC

IncRnd wrote: post #18

gjsman-1000 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of the most fundamental characteristics of evil is that the evil person cannot help but desire to gain fame for their crimes. (Just look up how many criminals have been arrested by their social media posts.) A Secret Society might be completely secretive, and yet be unable to resist helping themselves to claiming some credit. Kind of like the Anonymous hacker group in their day. Or Ross Ulbricht adopting the name…

It's a real jump to go from "secret society" to "evil criminals".

it's a real jump to go from "criminal" to "evil"

Re: Eight Secret Societies (2016)

#34

Post by IncRnd » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 9:40 PM UTC

smm11 wrote: post #9

There's 9. I'm "blood brothers" with some kid who was five when I was, and his name escaped me decades ago. Nobody is to ever know this, so I guess I just broke that oath.

Hey! That was me, you oathbreaker - your infidelity against the Art of Sworn Secrets contained in the Ark of Secrets will not go unpunished!

By the powers invested in me as the Head Inquisitor of Occult Secrets I banish you from the Secret Society of Occult Blood Brothers of Hidden Blood Secrets which shall not be named!

FOREVERMORE you are banished and may never enter the Secret Santorum of the Holy Lodge!

Re: Eight Secret Societies (2016)

#35

Post by westcort » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 9:43 PM UTC

I was once tapped to be part of a secret society. It was an interesting experience, but in the end I did not join.

Re: Eight Secret Societies (2016)

#36

Post by kelseyfrog » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 9:46 PM UTC

Some good ones to be sure, but they are leaving out a lot of the really juicy ones.

Re: Eight Secret Societies (2016)

#37

Post by vulcan01 » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 9:47 PM UTC

throwaway_4ever wrote: post #10

criddell wrote: post #2

The article mentions how in the past, the Patriotic Order Sons of America didn't allow black people to join. They eventually changed but I'm wondering if the change was forced. Is it legal to discriminate on the basis of race or sex today?

Don't universities and workplaces have particular sex and race only clubs?

Kind of, but that's why (most of) them have a disclaimer similar to "We welcome people of all races/genders/[whatever characteristic the group is organized around." on their flyers.

Re: Eight Secret Societies (2016)

#38

Post by dhosek » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 9:47 PM UTC

Last month, I had that moment every parent¹ dreams of. My daughter asked me, “what’s ‘the Illuminati’?”

It was fun explaining the whole concept of secret societies and conspiracy theories in terms that would be intelligible to an 8-year-old. My kids (her brother is her twin) had a hard idea with the whole concept of secretly coercing somebody to do something that’s not in their interests.

Re: Eight Secret Societies (2016)

#39

Post by carabiner » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 9:48 PM UTC

throwaway_4ever wrote: post #10

criddell wrote: post #2

The article mentions how in the past, the Patriotic Order Sons of America didn't allow black people to join. They eventually changed but I'm wondering if the change was forced. Is it legal to discriminate on the basis of race or sex today?

Don't universities and workplaces have particular sex and race only clubs?

Sounds like you never went to college. Those clubs aren't allowed to discriminate, so you'll see a Jewish girl as an officer in an Asian students society, or a woman engineers club admitting men.

Re: Eight Secret Societies (2016)

#40

Post by dan-robertson » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 9:52 PM UTC

ss108 wrote: post #3

Well, they're not that secret apparently

I think it’s the existence / private activities that are secret rather than the mere existence. But perhaps it’s just another meaning of secret, eg the ‘secret archives’ at the Vatican would better be described as ‘private archives’ as laypeople may enter and be given access to (some) records.