RE: virus: META: a rule for the list

Tadeusz Niwinski (tad@teta.ai)
Tue, 14 Oct 1997 16:11:12 -0700


David McF wrote:
>I don't think it is fair for person B to be able to hold spelling
>(or any other criticism) against person A if person B doesn't think
>spelling is important. If you criticize based on X then you should
>be able to receive criticism based on X. If person A doesn't think
>spelling is important, they will just ignore the criticism (but
>it wouldn't be fair for person A to criticize someone else for
>spelling then).

Nonsense. It all depends who those A and B are. You cannot have the same
rules for Powerful L3 Players and unwashed masses!

(That was an L3 answer :-))

I like your idea. Another question is why would we criticize each other
rather than criticize out ideas? The hostility level is very high here.
This maybe something which attracts people to this list. Reed asked a very
important question if we were going anywhere in particular. There is no
clear agenda, I think. Should there be?

This is great to watch how this list is going into a self-organizing stage
now. It will take a while, but eventually it will have some more rules.
It's like a living organism, a better organization is needed to go to a
higher state. It looks like a Western movie now: whoever can shoot, shoots.
Eventually there will be time for a sheriff. I appreciate your efforts to
organize this group.

I'm not sure if it's quite possible right now and if we are going anywhere
as a group. Everybody has his/her own agenda, but eventually organization
will kick in, I hope. I am curious if a charismatic leader is the only way
or the group "somehow" will organize itself. How can we weed out little
lies of unwashed mind-flippers? How can we get rid of degrading personal
remarks? How can we introduce consistency in what person B requires from
others and not requires from himself?

Is it possible for an organism like this group to organize itself if
an "A is no A" meme (aka. "I am always wrong") is spreading.
I don't think so, but let's see. For now... as long as you can soot, shoot!

Again, I think you are doing a great job and I admire your patience.

Regards, Tadeusz (Tad) Niwinski from planet TeTa
tad@teta.ai http://www.teta.ai (604) 985-4159