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From: wombat@nmtsun.nmt.edu (Chris Conway)
Newsgroups: misc.misc,news.admin,news.groups
Subject: Re: Dedication
Message-ID: <3719@nmtsun.nmt.edu>
Date: 6 Jan 90 19:25:46 GMT
References: <$`J9$$@masalla.fulcrum.bt.co.uk>
Reply-To: wombat@nmtsun.nmt.edu (Chris Conway)
Organization: none
Lines: 46

In article <$`J9$$@masalla.fulcrum.bt.co.uk> igb@fulcrum.bt.co.uk (Ian G Batten) writes:

>There are (presumably) intelligent people making wild threats,
>insults and assertions amongst themselves about things that
>ultimately just don't matter.  

>As chuq@apple.com said, people then start using words like
>rights, fascism, rape et cetera to make their point.  People
>accuse other people of dastardly deeds, dishonesty, immorality.
>As if it mattered.

YES!  Absolutely!!!  How important can this stuff be?

>In the end, the net just does not matter.  Sure, it's fun.  Sure,
>it passes the time whilst your neat kernel hacks are compiling.
>Or the machine is rebooting after the panic().  But is it going
>to change the world?  Or even make you happier?  I doubt it.

As a lot of people pointed out, the net *is* an information technology, 
and as such, it may eventually matter.  If nothing else, the 
structure and etiquette of the net may be adopted for a later, more
serious version.  BUT, it is *not* the be-all and end-all of
existence.

>Someone a while ago got flamed for saying ``Get a Life!''.  It
>seemed a pretty good statement to me.

It is -- except that the only people who appreciate it are the ones
who already *have* a life! ;-)

>Before you launch into some flame-war about the next newsgroup,
>or even a flame war against me, just think.  Couldn't you be
>doing something WORTHWHILE?  Do you have a better use for your
>life?

If they did, you wouldn't be worrying about a flame war, now would 
you? ;-)

>Just cynical.

Just realistic.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER:   This is Not Chris Conway, |   Philosophy is useless,
this is Lily-Rose using his login.      |   Theology is worse.
wombat@jupiter.nmt.edu                  |    -- Dire Straits