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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!princeton!astrovax!fisher!tim
From: tim@fisher.UUCP (Tim Snyder)
Newsgroups: net.math
Subject: Re: Non-mathematics on net.math
Message-ID: <1367@fisher.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 27-Jan-86 13:51:14 EST
Article-I.D.: fisher.1367
Posted: Mon Jan 27 13:51:14 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 28-Jan-86 06:28:33 EST
References: <11510@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Organization: Princeton University.Mathematics
Lines: 38

> .... Tim announced that many people believe that such problems
> are in fact mathematical. Unfortunatly, these people are wrong. I
> suspect a lot of us would support the efforts of Bob Silverman or anyone else tokeep such submissions *off* of net.math, especially when the person posting
> seems to be well-supplied with places to post. If the "people who post" don't
> know or don't care what mathematics is, what is wrong with telling them so,
> instead of "letting them decide"...
> 
>       Gene W. Smith

Gene:

As I mentioned before, we have more than one definition of what mathematics
is.

Moreover, if ANY article is posted by somebody to net.math since they
believe it is mathematical in nature, one of two things can happen:

	     (1) the other net.math subscribers will find it either 
		 non-mathematical or uninteresting and the topic
		 will die, leaving the "net.police" happy and not 
		 wasting their time; or
             (2) net.math subscribers will find it to be worthwhile
		 and will respond appropriately.

In this latter case, if one becomes upset with the given topic, he can
use the "n" or "u" (unsubscribe) keys.

For those who believe this "meta-discussion" is not mathematical,
forgive the posting.  I deem it necessary to retain the integrity 
of the net.

Let us allow people the freedom of discussing mathematics without
fear of being blasted by others.  Without this, the entire purpose
of the net is destroyed, no?

                               ...in the eye of the beholder...

			       Tim Snyder