From: Calvin Ashmore (coa@andrew.cmu.edu)
Date: Sun Sep 22 2002 - 13:28:37 MDT
Normally I'm not a poster, but I feel like I need to say something...
I used to reccomend Virus as an intellectual discussion group which was
insightful, engaging, and very brilliant. I realized yesterday, I was about
to refer someone to the list and then thought better of it.
This mailing list has become childish, venomous, and pitiable. It is a sad
sight to see when great arguers and posters lower themselves to insult each
other with such rage and hostility. This isn't the fault of one of Hermit or
Joe, this is become absurd by the encouragement of both of you. What's worse
is how you blame the degredation of the list on each other, both launch into
attacks on each other's character, and no matter what direction the list
starts to veer by anyone else's hand, it continues to be brought back to
politics.
I in no way am saying that US politics and foreign policy and stance towards
Iraq is not important. But for the list now, what good has the discussion of
it accomplished? Have any of the posts made, and challenges of theories
actually resulted in anything positive? Each vantage point has such weight
and passion invested into it, that it is frightful. Both sides defend
themselves and attack each other, and never budge. The memetic resolve here
remains unshaken.
That saddens me, and I see no way around it, so I propose to leave it alone.
No one has convinced anyone else on this of anything insightful in months.
The bullshit I've been reading through this time has been absurd. No one of
you can excuse yourself though any means, I've lost a great deal of respect
for this list, and the only way for it to come back is to move on.
The other great posters have vanished... Where have Zloduska, Walter, Casey,
Bill and others gone? Thank you Sebby for staying here...
And I don't care who blocked who in the past, as I understand it, all bans
seem to have been removed now...
Please someone post something about the NewScientist competition, or about
the antigravity propulsion thread from a couple of days ago, or something
worthwhile hearing about...
I miss the list as I remember it.
And if this post is followed up by another series of political garbage, or
another slew of venomous attacks from *anyone's* hand, I'm going be just
another one who walked away.
Thank you.
--- Calvin Ashmore http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/~coa "Don't worry, the worst is yet to come!"
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