Xref: utzoo news.admin:8274 news.groups:17593 Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uflorida!mephisto!mcnc!ecsvax.uncecs.edu!dukeac!ggw From: ggw@dukeac.UUCP (Gregory G. Woodbury) Newsgroups: news.admin,news.groups Subject: Re: Flames Message-ID: <1746@dukeac.UUCP> Date: 9 Feb 90 21:15:39 GMT References: <38193@apple.Apple.COM> Reply-To: ggw@dukeac.UUCP (Gregory G. Woodbury) Followup-To: news.admin,news.groups Organization: Center for Demographic Studies, Duke University, Durham, NC Lines: 35 chuq@Apple.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) writes: >peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) writes: >> [commentary about what constitutes a "flame"] >>jeffd@ficc.uu.net (jeff daiell) writes: >>> I would like to point out some legitimate reasons for flaming: > >>There are no legitimate reasons for flaming. The only reason for flaming is >>to let off steam, and there are better ways to do that. > >I agree. I note only my current .signature: > > There is one difference between a discussion and a flame. A discussion > is about an issue. A flame is about someone involved in a discussion. This seems to be degenerating in to semantic quibbling about what constitutes a "flame". In the early days of the net, one of the original "flame wars" errupted over an unthinking gender-based stereotypical comment about how "even my sister hacks computers for a living." The resulting flame war still persists with sporadic flare-up to this day (even though the original progenitors are relativly quiet on the net). I don't recall that the "flames" were particularly aimed at the personalities of the people involved, but instead were intended to raise the conscience of the participants about their unconscious sexist attitudes. That is to say, that a flame is constituted by a discussion that a reader/poster chooses to label (explicitly or implicitly) as a flame. A particular topic thread can be a flame and still be quite rational and devoid of personal attacks. The definition of a flame is ultimatly up to the reader. -- Gregory G. Woodbury ggw@dukeac.ac.duke.edu ...!mcnc!ecsgate!dukeac!ggw System Manager - dukcds Center for Demographic Studies, Duke University also at: ggw%dukcds@cs.duke.edu dwolfe@tucc.tucc.edu dwolfe@tucc.BITNET The Line Eater is a Boojum Snark! 2117 Campus Drive; Durham NC 27706