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From: donn@utah-gr.UUCP (Donn Seeley)
Newsgroups: news.misc
Subject: Re: Abuses of the net
Message-ID: <1864@utah-gr.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 6-Dec-86 04:21:32 EST
Article-I.D.: utah-gr.1864
Posted: Sat Dec  6 04:21:32 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 7-Dec-86 03:07:21 EST
References: <8612040701.AA14267@jade.berkeley.edu>
Organization: University of Utah CS Dept
Lines: 31

Eyal Mozes complains that the Berkeley Mafia wants to censor the
Objectivists in talk.philosophy.misc, and this makes them hypocrites
when they themselves complain of censorship in other groups.

I gave up reading net.philosophy/talk.philosophy.misc years ago, mainly
because it seemed rather like Vacation Bible School for Objectivists.
I went over to look at the group just now to see if it has changed, and
it has -- it's become more interesting, and mainly because of the
Berkeley Mafia's postings.

As I read Ellis's objections to Objectivism in the philosophy group,
he is merely claiming that many of the Objectivist postings belong in
talk.religion.objectivism.  Of course the way Ellis phrases his
objections is not very polite; but as he says, the people who write
these articles, like street-corner evangelists or door-to-door
missionaries, don't seem to respond unless one's objections are crude
and pointed.  At the time I stopped reading the philosophy group, the
Objectivists had succeeded in eliminating all opposition through sheer
force of bone-headedness.  I suppose all that missionary zeal is good
for the souls of those who write these articles, but it's dreadfully
boring to read, and all the interesting people left the group.  It
seems to be getting more interesting now -- perhaps I'll resubscribe.

I note that Ellis has publicly welcomed discussion in the philosophy
group from Objectivists who could concede that other systems of thought
were worthy of interest.  I doubt he'll find any takers.

At least Scientology had the decency to call itself a church,

Donn Seeley    University of Utah CS Dept    donn@utah-cs.arpa
40 46' 6"N 111 50' 34"W    (801) 581-5668    decvax!utah-cs!donn