this post was submitted on 03 Jul 2023
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[Outdated, please look at pinned post] Casual Conversation

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Curious to know, I'd heard "lemming" used in a semi derogatory way, since "a person who unthinkingly joins a mass movement, especially a headlong rush to destruction" is the dictionary definition. It seems to be the first thing to come to mind as to what you'd call a Lemmy user.

This platform certainly is embodying a mass movement to get off of reddit, and I'm definitely all for it! But I can't help but feel this could be one of those baby names that sounded cute and catchy but could be bullied later into life. What are your thoughts?

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[–] clay830ee@lemm.ee 25 points 2 years ago (1 children)

The lemming Wikipedia entry states lemmings seek out new habitats whenever population density gets too large. Kinda fitting to the reddit migration. Also loosely related to federations in terms of multiple habitats.

I like it because it's like communal but with a limit, so not herd mentally.

[–] toasteranimation@lemmy.world 9 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)
[–] Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world 10 points 2 years ago

🤷‍♂️

[–] Candelestine@lemmy.world 18 points 2 years ago (3 children)

I appreciate it as a self-aware jab at the nature of online communities in general, and it amuses me. Every human is a lemming in some way, shape or form, there's just nothing new under the sun so-to-speak. But by being aware of this tendency we can control our own behavior more consciously and effectively.

Gotta be able to laugh at yourself though, which is a capability that not everybody possesses.

[–] DeadNinja@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] Candelestine@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I like self sorting systems. Let the easily offended become offended and go somewhere else. They do have the right to be offended, after all.

[–] netvor@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Which group of easily offended people is going to be the largest?

  • Those who get offended and therefore leave,
  • or those who get offended but stay, because their curiosity won't let them go,
  • or those who get offended and stay to troll and throw 💩 around and watch the world burn.
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[–] SwallowsDick@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 years ago

It does kind of lack the same embarrassment that comes from self identifying as a Redditor

[–] Hank@kbin.social 3 points 2 years ago

Just thinking about how at some point in the future the lemmyverse will be replaced over some dumb shit and the tremendous amount of absolutely trash memes about lemmings jumping off a cliff that follow fills me with joy.

The internet is a cycle and it's fun to witness a new cycle now.

[–] JakenVeina@vlemmy.net 13 points 2 years ago

It's the only sensible option.

[–] OtakuAltair@vlemmy.net 9 points 2 years ago (3 children)

That definition comes from a false myth; a documentary made a bunch of lemmings fall to their deaths and purposefully misrepresented it iirc, fucked up.

It's time we reclaim our name and honour!

Loaf-shaped black-orange lemming sitting on shallow water surface

[–] TwilightVulpine@kbin.social 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I feel like there is some analogy to be made over how other social media platform leadership are all too willing to ruin our communities and run us out of them for their short-sighted goals.

[–] Rhaedas@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Totally. They are Disney creating a scenario where the logical response ought to be to stop at the cliff (aka play by their rules). Lemmings "choose" to confront the unknown future and go over the cliff, as that's better than obedience to the overbearing corporate entity.

[–] Domille@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 years ago

plus they are cute af

As a resident of Scandinavia I knew it was a myth, but I had to look up a source:

https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=wildlifenews.view_article&articles_id=56

[–] ConstipatedWatson@lemmy.world 9 points 2 years ago

I dig it!

We can all start building ladders, digging holes, blocking others to reverse directions or simply self destruct!

[–] Twentytwodividedby7@lemmy.world 9 points 2 years ago (1 children)

There is also something called irony, which could be embraced and that would quell the bullying. Own it. It's funny, stop taking things so seriously. Also, who cares?

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 3 points 2 years ago

Expanding on this, this is how language builds. Terms are often ironic or late take on different meanings than intended. I for one like lemmings, and I think it's unlikely another term would stick even if we wanted it to.

[–] Selgauth@lemmy.world 8 points 2 years ago

Also people will think we’re stupid if we let a group of scientists throw us off a cliff. Which is fair.

[–] doctorplasmatron@lemmy.ca 8 points 2 years ago

Call me whatever you want, when I hear "Lemmy" I think Motorhead, so maybe we're "Kilmisters"

[–] smoll_pp_operator@vlemmy.net 7 points 2 years ago

Lemmings are cute and I don't mind at all.

[–] FlihpFlorp@lemm.ee 7 points 2 years ago

I saw someone say we should go by lemmons

[–] Stinkywinks@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

When I used reddit, I hardly ever felt the need to call anyone redditers? Do people that use Twitter call themselves twats? Cause they should. Damn the Faceboomers too.

[–] DopamineDaydreams@kbin.social 4 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Ah, I see. You never truly savored the Redditor experience - the Fedora, the bliss of basement living, the Cheetos-inspired physique. Without such rites of passage, how can you claim the title?

As for Twitter users being "Twats" or Facebook users "Faceboomers", that's an interesting proposition. But remember, le Redditors bear our stereotype with pride. The basement always has room for one more. ;)

/s <- do we still do this?

[–] doctorplasmatron@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 years ago

instead of fediverse perhaps it should be fedoraverse

[–] keeeener@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

I always used to do /j for joke/joking but I like to differentiate myself so YMMV

also fuck you

-basement dweller

/j

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[–] SapienSRC@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago

I like it for two reasons. 1) I love that game and it gives me nostalgic memories. 2) It's ironically funny since a Lemming is the exact opposite of what we are just by being here.

[–] GutterPunch@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago

lemurs > lemmings

[–] razza856@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago
[–] UdeRecife@geddit.social 3 points 2 years ago

I bet that somewhere, at any given time, I'm being called something. It's a simple byproduct of anyone falling into the universalization trap.

[–] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 years ago

I don't know, what are your thoughts? Should we care? How does everyone else feel about this?

[–] xodiak@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago
[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

While I know that the origin of the stereotypes is false, the stereotype still remains. So I'm not fond of the term for that, but it's not a super big deal. I might joke about it because it's pretty fucking funny (c'mon... Redditors coming to Lemmy on a leap of faith? Like lemmings off a cliff is analogous as hell), but I mean... People who would use it to talk shit, would end up turning anything used to describe a group as a slur so there's not really a point in caring too much.

[–] neutron@thelemmy.club 1 points 2 years ago

Much better to be able to laugh to ourselves and show awareness of the matter. I never liked when people used membership of a community as a badge of honor, 'redditor' included.

[–] topperharlie@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

IDK, I'll probably wait until the majority makes a decision and go with it..... oh, wait

[–] TerribleJokes@lemm.ee 1 points 2 years ago

That’s definitely the first nickname that I thought of when I started using lemmy so I’m all in for it my fellow lemming

[–] Kerandir@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago (3 children)
[–] Ni@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago

Same, this is what I think of as well. So a cute and nostalgic connotations for me (even if they didn't have a great sense of self preservation).

[–] QuarterlySushi@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago

This is what I think of every single time I hear the word lemmings - a little line of those 8 pixel dudes trotting along.

That's one of the things that this platform's name is appearently based on. Just FYI; so you and the main developer have something in common :)

[–] papajohn@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 years ago

I’ll just follow the rest of you and not think about it.

[–] DJKJuicy@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 years ago

Lemmings? Yup, I'm in.

[–] Confuzzeled@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

As far as I know it was a disney "documentary " that perpetuated the falsehood of lemmings committing mass suicide so it seems only fitting that we rehabilitate the name that was so besmirched by that filthy corporate behemoth.

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