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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!think!pbear!peterb
From: peterb@pbear.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re: Orphaned Response
Message-ID: <2700001@pbear.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 14-May-85 13:17:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: pbear.2700001
Posted: Tue May 14 13:17:00 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 16-May-85 21:37:03 EDT
References: <1299@reed.UUCP>
Lines: 45
Nf-ID: #R:reed:-129900:pbear:2700001:000:2086
Nf-From: pbear!peterb    May 14 13:17:00 1985




Its funny how a computer terminal can make communicating very
impersonal. I think it leads one into a false sense of security knowing
that face-to-face confrontation is unlikely, and therefore can "let loose"
without worrying about consequences.

I flamed Ardnt for using the net to have a yelling contest. After reading
the results (including a very nice flame review by inmet!mazur) I started
digging around and requested opinions about Ardnt. The replies varied from
wishing death upon him to praise for his antics.

Remember, newsgroups such as net.flame need some instagators to start
conversations otherwise things would get quite BO-RING. Ardnt has that
knack by starting some serious discussions using the minimuim amount of
words. (His "mokey-brains" article started a whole series of conversations
about cannablism, survival, morality, morals, etc).

Williams' postings make him look like Ardnt's protoge, and I thought that
he was following in Ardnt's footsteps. And after reading some of the
articles that he wrote, I too came around to realizing that what he has to
say does have value.

You really can not judge a person's mind from his style of writing. Some
persons have a terse style that conveys the most meaning with the least
amount of words. Some others actually convey more meaning, but NOT in the
words themselves, but rather in what is in between. And from a terminal,
it is all to easy lose a portion of the thought just in the mechanics of
communicating.

I just wish that people would include more than is necessary in order to
assure the thought proper interpretation.

Keep it in mind, it makes it easier when trying to cunjure up a psychological
profile based on just the words that you see coming off the net.

Yes I agree that using the net to tell someone to kill themselves is
inexcusable, but all of us are guilty of implying our opinions on others.
Next time don't flame, just smolder a reply (by mail) and point the
offender to net.announce.newuser where articles covering "netiquette"
live.

Peter Barada
{ihnp4!inmet | harvard!ima}!pbear!peterb