Aw man. Now I have that section from So Long and Thanks for All the Fish in my head. The one with the flying party that has devastated the planet it's orbiting in a search for alcoholic drinks?
Jon GSV It's late and I'm Slaphappy. Will deal with the deeper ramifications tomorrow. :-) -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Marvin Long, Jr. Sent: Friday, December 06, 2002 5:23 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Open question to the list On Fri, 6 Dec 2002, Jon Gabriel wrote: > Do we really need to go this far? Brin-L was conceptualized with open > transparency in mind. The type of 'big brother' committee you're proposing > is, I believe, overkill. > > What's wrong with a simple majority vote (over a finite time period -- say a > couple of days or more), on whether someone should be moderated for a > pre-specified time period. > > A random member could be selected as a non-voting arbitrator in case of a > tie. > > I'm very curious about how more people (Marvin, Adam, Julia, Ronn, Reggie, > Jim, Nick, Erik etc.,) feel about your idea. I think that we've strayed over time into an error of thinking that a list like Brin-L is comparable to a small "society" governed by a "state" which must be "democratic" in the way it "defines" and "applies" "rules." I no longer lend credence to formal suggestions for fixing the "system" because there is no system. Brin-L is a social milieu, like a big rollicking house party with a few too many drugs and which has been going on for perhaps a bit too long. One does not govern such a thing with democratic votes or councils of elders. Rather, one is grateful for the extreme forbearance of one's host. When things get dull, one cries out for more drugs (threads, in our case). And when things get rowdy, one tries to remember that one is a guest long enough to calm things down. Partygoers who cannot remember that they are guests are, in such contexts, typically asked to leave until they can regain control of themselves. Those who think they have an inalienable right to participate in the party no matter their behavior will *inevitably* be mocked, derided, and chucked out the door. It's not about justice. It's not about "rights." It's about human nature as it manifests in situations like ours. If one remembers that one is a guest, and that it's the kind of party at which *almost* anything is tolerated, one finds little reason for complaint. If one assumes that Brin-L is an entitlement by means of which one is owed some degree of satisfaction, however, then one's lot will be sad indeed. Marvin Long Austin, Texas Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Poindexter & Ashcroft, LLP (Formerly the USA) _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
