Comments on: Clever Co-Pilot drinks the koolaid http://librariansmatter.com/blog/2007/08/21/clever-co-pilot-drinks-the-koolaid/ It is and we do. Musing, enthusing, libraries, emerging technologies, balancing, being mum. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:33:37 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com/blog/2007/08/21/clever-co-pilot-drinks-the-koolaid/comment-page-1/#comment-9612 Kathryn Greenhill Wed, 22 Aug 2007 15:44:52 +0000 http://librariansmatter.com/blog/2007/08/21/clever-co-pilot-drinks-the-koolaid/#comment-9612 So...by using the phrase "drinking the koolaid" I'm actually drinking the "drinking the koolaid" koolaid? Or maybe not. Thanks everyone for your opinions. I'm going to revist this post in another 6 months or so and see whether usages of "drink the koolaid" have changed in that time. Should be interesting. So…by using the phrase “drinking the koolaid” I’m actually drinking the “drinking the koolaid” koolaid? Or maybe not.

Thanks everyone for your opinions. I’m going to revist this post in another 6 months or so and see whether usages of “drink the koolaid” have changed in that time. Should be interesting.

]]> By: Steve Lawson http://librariansmatter.com/blog/2007/08/21/clever-co-pilot-drinks-the-koolaid/comment-page-1/#comment-9489 Steve Lawson Tue, 21 Aug 2007 18:23:46 +0000 http://librariansmatter.com/blog/2007/08/21/clever-co-pilot-drinks-the-koolaid/#comment-9489 FWIW, I'm old enough to remember Jonestown, and think of "drinking the koolaid" as "giving oneself over to the charismatic leader" which stretches neatly to "believe the hype." The Merry Prankster association never occurred to me, and it is interesting how similar yet different the connotations are. FWIW, I’m old enough to remember Jonestown, and think of “drinking the koolaid” as “giving oneself over to the charismatic leader” which stretches neatly to “believe the hype.” The Merry Prankster association never occurred to me, and it is interesting how similar yet different the connotations are.

]]> By: Aaron the Librarian http://librariansmatter.com/blog/2007/08/21/clever-co-pilot-drinks-the-koolaid/comment-page-1/#comment-9473 Aaron the Librarian Tue, 21 Aug 2007 17:14:50 +0000 http://librariansmatter.com/blog/2007/08/21/clever-co-pilot-drinks-the-koolaid/#comment-9473 Regarding th Kool-aid reference, I remember Jonestown (though I was rather young) and better remember the Heaven's Gate insanity. To me, though, the Kool-aid reference has always been a reference to the apocryphal acid-spiked Kool-aid stories of the 1960's and 1970's experience. Lately, my impression has been that Kool-aid references refer to yet another person trying on (and becoming an advocate for, usually) social software / Web 2.0 / Library 2.0 technologies. Regarding th Kool-aid reference,

I remember Jonestown (though I was rather young) and better remember the Heaven’s Gate insanity. To me, though, the Kool-aid reference has always been a reference to the apocryphal acid-spiked Kool-aid stories of the 1960’s and 1970’s experience.

Lately, my impression has been that Kool-aid references refer to yet another person trying on (and becoming an advocate for, usually) social software / Web 2.0 / Library 2.0 technologies.

]]> By: Jenica http://librariansmatter.com/blog/2007/08/21/clever-co-pilot-drinks-the-koolaid/comment-page-1/#comment-9459 Jenica Tue, 21 Aug 2007 15:36:11 +0000 http://librariansmatter.com/blog/2007/08/21/clever-co-pilot-drinks-the-koolaid/#comment-9459 At the risk of raising generational issues again, ... "drinking the koolaid" to me and my friends means buying in to the hype. Jonestown, if you're my age and thus were 2 when it happened, doesn't have much resonance. Which might explain the Twitter hivemind's response, actually. :) Koolaid aside, very cool project, and congrats to the copilot! At the risk of raising generational issues again, … “drinking the koolaid” to me and my friends means buying in to the hype. Jonestown, if you’re my age and thus were 2 when it happened, doesn’t have much resonance.

Which might explain the Twitter hivemind’s response, actually. :)

Koolaid aside, very cool project, and congrats to the copilot!

]]> By: Kathryn Greenhill http://librariansmatter.com/blog/2007/08/21/clever-co-pilot-drinks-the-koolaid/comment-page-1/#comment-9455 Kathryn Greenhill Tue, 21 Aug 2007 15:09:15 +0000 http://librariansmatter.com/blog/2007/08/21/clever-co-pilot-drinks-the-koolaid/#comment-9455 Hi Walt. Funny you should mention it. I was very cautious about using the phrase, as to me it seemed like an import from the US and with its Jonestown connotations rather gruesome and disrespectful to those who lost loved ones in Guyana. A couple of days before I wrote the post, I checked with the hive mind that is twitter - not an authoritative source, however it did provoke quite a discussion. The origin was traced back to Tom Woolfe's "Electric Koolaid Acid Test", which I believe involved a mob of Merry Pranksters in a bus travelling the countryside blowing the minds of a generation with acid. Another twitterer claimed to associate it with a sugar high - and that you get a buzz when you finally succumb. I guess I feel a bit like I do toward the word "dyke". I know a few lesbian women who reclaim the language and wear the term proudly. I know some others who find it abhorrent. In the last six months or so, I have seen the term used more often to describe someone who begrudingly and bemusedly succumbs to groupthink....often a new technology. I don't know whether the term has evolved enough to be used without offense. I hope so, as I meant to cause none. Hi Walt. Funny you should mention it. I was very cautious about using the phrase, as to me it seemed like an import from the US and with its Jonestown connotations rather gruesome and disrespectful to those who lost loved ones in Guyana.

A couple of days before I wrote the post, I checked with the hive mind that is twitter – not an authoritative source, however it did provoke quite a discussion. The origin was traced back to Tom Woolfe’s “Electric Koolaid Acid Test”, which I believe involved a mob of Merry Pranksters in a bus travelling the countryside blowing the minds of a generation with acid.

Another twitterer claimed to associate it with a sugar high – and that you get a buzz when you finally succumb.

I guess I feel a bit like I do toward the word “dyke”. I know a few lesbian women who reclaim the language and wear the term proudly. I know some others who find it abhorrent.

In the last six months or so, I have seen the term used more often to describe someone who begrudingly and bemusedly succumbs to groupthink….often a new technology.

I don’t know whether the term has evolved enough to be used without offense. I hope so, as I meant to cause none.

]]> By: walt crawford http://librariansmatter.com/blog/2007/08/21/clever-co-pilot-drinks-the-koolaid/comment-page-1/#comment-9452 walt crawford Tue, 21 Aug 2007 14:56:00 +0000 http://librariansmatter.com/blog/2007/08/21/clever-co-pilot-drinks-the-koolaid/#comment-9452 I'm a little surprised to see this use of "drinking the koolaid." I guess Jonestown didn't register the same way everywhere...for some of us, the phrase means drinking something poisonous that seems to be sweet and nice. I doubt that's what you intend. But then, language does change... I’m a little surprised to see this use of “drinking the koolaid.” I guess Jonestown didn’t register the same way everywhere…for some of us, the phrase means drinking something poisonous that seems to be sweet and nice. I doubt that’s what you intend. But then, language does change…

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