I firmly believe it is in every growing child’s best interests to take the time to start a cult. Someone has to start them, right? And where better for a cult to be born than in a head that’s still full of nonsense, a head that lacks any real understanding of the world? Honestly… kids: don’t start a cult. Start an after school club instead! Then – slowly, carefully, introduce the core tenants of an alternate belief system (don’t call it a cult). Before anyone realizes it you’re recruiting, and lay the groundwork for a life of bizarre rituals and a devoted followers.
All jokes aside, the name did spring from a high school group I started – one that didn’t have a great deal of thought behind it, but that still managed to attract 300 members by the time I shipped out to college. The Society of the Yak was a tongue in cheek club complete with a Sacred Tome, important holidays, cryptic prophecies, and of course it had to have a ridiculously complicated set of rules that would be impossible for anyone to fully obey.
Everyone got a Yak Number, and I got the title of Ruleryak. Around the same time, I was getting on the internet and set up a HoTMaiL address and an AOL Instant Messenger account with ruleryak, and so far have never had to deal with the name being taken when signing up for something new.
It may not have a great deal of relevance to my modern day-to-day, but it’s a reminder of the early days of the web, and of a few hundred good folks I called my friends.