On Sun, Jul 14, 2002 at 07:17:31PM -0700, Nick Arnett wrote:
> You seem to be equating participation in a thread being involved, and the
> converse -- if one doesn't post in a thread, then one isn't involved in it.

If one doesn't read or post in a thread, then one isn't involved.

> then perhaps the two of you should create a list for that purpose, to which
> anyone interested in it will be free to subscribe.

Perhaps you should create a list just for your suggestions on what other
people should post?

> I've been trying for years to come up with ways to "subscribe" to the
> best of Internet discussions, so I'm no stranger to the fundamental
> idea you're expressing.  But I have yet to see (or invent) a workable
> system.  One of

Maybe you're not trying the right things. Almost every single message
between Jeroen and I that seems to offend you was in a single thread. My
mail reader, mutt, threaded them all and put them contiguously with
arrows indicating the hierarchy. I can just hit "next thread" to skip
the entire thread in an instant.

> Even if I could automate this, intuition tells me that that slicing
> and dicing by a significant portion of the active participants will
> destroy the ineffable forces hold communities together.

So, in order to make your experience better, you require others to avoid
saying things that upset you. Don't you see a problem with that? You are
telling me that I am selfish because I am not interested in discussing
the same things in the same way that you want. I am telling you that
you are being selfish because you are asking me to stop doing something
that I want to do because it offends you. 

The difference is, your way is hardly feasible in a diverse group since
just about everything will offend someone.  My way, tolerance, will work
with everyone who accepts that they should force their will on others as
minimally as possible.  I guess you are saying you want a homogeneous
group where everyone agrees on what is offensive and everyone has the
same opinions, whereas I prefer or diverse group of tolerant people who
can discuss anything.

-- 
"Erik Reuter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>       http://www.erikreuter.net/

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