Pontificate in its original sense literally means to perform the duties of a pope or priest (a pontiff). The auto part I guess because it’s email? That part is shakier
Auto as in you get it automatically in your mailbox. No need to ask for it or otherwise seek it out. It's just sent to you.
ETA: other meanings likely don't fit. It's not about self pontificating (well maybe only from Charlie's point of view), and the motorcar related to the Pope is already called the Popemobile.
Calling him a writer is somewhat underselling his talent. Jodorowsky was a world-class clown and mime (yes, really) before becoming an award-winning filmmaker, visual artist, and comic book writer.
Charlie explains why his site is named this, but the word "Antipope" does mean something already and it means specifically a person who says they are the Pope, but you recognise somebody else as Pope instead.
It's thus sometimes unclear which people are "really" Antipopes until some time passes and you're like OK, Steve was an Antipope, the Roman Catholic Church still exists, the Pope is now this Dave guy, so his predecessor Geoff was also Pope, and Geoff's rival Steve's group died out, so Steve was an Antipope, even though for a few years my church said Steve was Pope, I now know that was wrong because God wouldn't let the One True Church vanish and once Steve died his whole church went back to Geoff.
I think it is a reference to the song by the Damned, but given Stross has lived in central Scotland for decades, you'd think he'd realise by now that it sounds more like someone from the Orange Order (Protestant supremacists) in these parts. There is historically a major issue with the Orange Order and Loyalists in the areas in and around Edinburgh and Glasgow, and they organise anti-Catholic marches in many working class communities as well as violence at football matches. I have met him and doubt this is what he is after, but it comes over like this.
Charles Stross has lived in Edinburgh for years and you would think by now that something like "Antipope" comes off as Protestant supremacist rather than secularist in central Scotland. One of his close friends has a similar background and she had antipope as part of her email back in the nineties when I was acquainted with her... It caused a lot of issues when she was emailing someone who was Catholic, because they thought it was some kind of Orange/loyalist account.
What does AutoPope mean though? The author glosses over this implying it means to pontificate- however- I have not seen this definition anywhere.
“Pontifications by email” makes it clear enough. Email is an automated message delivery system, and the pope delivers messages from above, soooo…
Such are many of the names coined by creative minds using the early internet.
Pontificate in its original sense literally means to perform the duties of a pope or priest (a pontiff). The auto part I guess because it’s email? That part is shakier
"to speak or express opinions in a pompous or dogmatic way" is I think the intention.
Pontoon pontification - bridge building.
Auto as in you get it automatically in your mailbox. No need to ask for it or otherwise seek it out. It's just sent to you.
ETA: other meanings likely don't fit. It's not about self pontificating (well maybe only from Charlie's point of view), and the motorcar related to the Pope is already called the Popemobile.
Automatic Pope, presumably. Offering pontifications (opinions) via technology (automated). “Pontiff” is another word for pope.
Clearly it means self-pontification.
look up the word pontiff
Maybe the drunken sysadmin had a more classical or historical education than most.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antipope
Some reference to Les Technopères by writer Alejandro Jodorowsky?
Calling him a writer is somewhat underselling his talent. Jodorowsky was a world-class clown and mime (yes, really) before becoming an award-winning filmmaker, visual artist, and comic book writer.
I'm having a Mandela Effect moment. I could have sworn it was a typo for "antipode" instead, but that must be a false memory I picked up somewhere.
Not on my timeline, this has been the name the whole time.
what does that even mean
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_memory#Mandela_effect
"I reject your reality, and substitute my own."
They retconned it as a typo for antipode in their headcanon.
A Mandela effect is when it happens to a large group of people. I’m afraid you’re alone in this.
Only when large group of people die and have to be switched to another timeline via quantum immortality.
This person died independently. Welcome to our timeline!
Disappointed it isn’t to do with Robert Rankin. Oh well.
I'm disappointed that it isn't to do with Zlad! <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxxhAS16vB0>
Like the center of a cantelope...
"Automatic pope." WAT
Typo when it was created.
Not at all sure why this is downvoted, since this is essentially a five-word tl;dr of the article.
I just assumed he was against the pope and nonsense like that.
Charlie explains why his site is named this, but the word "Antipope" does mean something already and it means specifically a person who says they are the Pope, but you recognise somebody else as Pope instead.
It's thus sometimes unclear which people are "really" Antipopes until some time passes and you're like OK, Steve was an Antipope, the Roman Catholic Church still exists, the Pope is now this Dave guy, so his predecessor Geoff was also Pope, and Geoff's rival Steve's group died out, so Steve was an Antipope, even though for a few years my church said Steve was Pope, I now know that was wrong because God wouldn't let the One True Church vanish and once Steve died his whole church went back to Geoff.
I think it is a reference to the song by the Damned, but given Stross has lived in central Scotland for decades, you'd think he'd realise by now that it sounds more like someone from the Orange Order (Protestant supremacists) in these parts. There is historically a major issue with the Orange Order and Loyalists in the areas in and around Edinburgh and Glasgow, and they organise anti-Catholic marches in many working class communities as well as violence at football matches. I have met him and doubt this is what he is after, but it comes over like this.
Which is a terrible assumption given an antipope is just a self-declared pope
Charles Stross has lived in Edinburgh for years and you would think by now that something like "Antipope" comes off as Protestant supremacist rather than secularist in central Scotland. One of his close friends has a similar background and she had antipope as part of her email back in the nineties when I was acquainted with her... It caused a lot of issues when she was emailing someone who was Catholic, because they thought it was some kind of Orange/loyalist account.