On 2/21/01 11:17 AM, "Bernie Cosell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> One thing that's nice about analogies is that they're like standards -
> - there are so many to choose among.
To me, that's true, but secondary. Analogies are nice because they not only
illuminate a situation in where they work, but also where they don't.
> Where, exactly, are the analogy boundaries of the 'virtual parking
> lot' and to what extent does an analogy argument have to start "in
> the bar" for the problem to be on our watch?
For you -- I don't know, and don't pretend to. These are all subjective
judgments. It depends on the admin, the list, the people involved, the
subject matter, the organization running it. It's not programming C++: there
are no arguably or provably right answers.
I don't pretend to have answers -- I have perspective from my experience
doing this stuff, and I know what works for me. I put my perspective out,
because if it works for you, that's great. If it doesn't, maybe it'll make
you think of something that'll work for you, and that's great. And maybe
you'll say something that'll make me think of something that works for me,
and that's great.
I don't know how big your parking lot is, or how many security cameras you
ought to put on your parking lot. I don't think you should do background
checks on all your users, and I don't think that if two of our users get
mugged walking home that it's your problem. Id o think that if one of your
users hides in your parking lot and beats up another user out there because
of an argument that started inside this virtual bar, there is
responsibility, if only to clean the guy up and help them get home safely --
and that only if they wander back in the bar and ask for help.
But how you build, define and manage your virtual space, I can't say. I can
offer perspective, advice and suggestions, but few hard answers. Because few
exist, and it all depends on how my thoughts mesh with your style.
That's what makes doing this so much fun, and so challenging.
--
Chuq Von Rospach, Internet Gnome <http://www.chuqui.com>
[<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> = <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> = <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>]
Yes, yes, I've finally finished my home page. Lucky you.
I tried to get a life once, but they were out of stock.
