Roeland M.J. Meyer a �crit:
>
> At 01:45 AM 1/10/99 -0500, Michael Sondow wrote:
> >Dave Crocker a �crit:
> >>
> >> At 04:49 PM 1/9/99 -0500, Dave Farber wrote:
> >>
> >> > I have stayed out of this for a while recovering from the trial.
> >> > We are drug pushers. We tout our technology but don't ever use it. What
> >> > is wrong with live mbone, real video, real audio -- pick your poison, so
> >> > all can at least attend the meetings if not the coffee breaks. If you
> >> > tell me it is no god and does not work , may I quote you to the NY Times
> >> > in an article about the smashing of the hope for the Internet :-)
> >> >
> >> > So why not??!!
> >>
> >> Because they don't work well enough in the current Internet.
> >>
> >> Let's be a little careful about demanding immediate, large-scale,
> >> production use of technologies that, at best, are currently useful only as
> >> demonstrations.
> >
> >Are these two writing in some sort of code, or are they just both ready for
> >the looney bin?
>
> They were speaking symbolically, each symbol being heavily over-loaded in
> technical terms, which, if translated into terms familiar to you, a
> non-technical user, would probably fill a book-shelf with the required
> background material. Each paragraph alone could be the basis for a
> technical paper.
Well, I think you are exaggerating. It's part of this techno-mystique
surrounding the Internet, which technical people who feel insecure about
their social and linguistic skills are often pulling. In any case, there was
nothing technical in this dialogue that was so far above a user like me.
What I was questioning was the intentionally opaque, "in-group" manner of
expression, and what the purpose of using such artificial language could be
on this supposedly open mail list. To impress others? To use the list for a
private conversation? Or, unwittingly, a mistaken appreciation of their
audience?
I received a private response from Mr. Farber which contained such
expressions as "wave hop", which seems to indicate that the correct
explanation is a combination of all three above. I should also add that in
Mr. Farber's brief messages to me he employed language in such a way as to
demonstrate that his linguistic skills are about on the level of a truant
ten year-old, which probably explains his penchant for slang and in-group
patter.
So, while his and Dave Crocker's little dialogue was amusing for its
refreshing and childlike pretentiousness, I suggest it's embarrassing to
have to read things like that when people are having serious discussions,
and I'm relieved to see that they've removed their nonsense to another
venue.
__________________________________________________
To receive the digest version instead, send a
blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To SUBSCRIBE forward this message to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
To UNSUBSCRIBE, forward this message to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Problems/suggestions regarding this list? Email [EMAIL PROTECTED]
___END____________________________________________
