Re: A FAQ for the list

[Hal Ruhl]

Hi George:

That is something along the lines of what I was looking for.  One problem 
with my current effort is the length of time for me to become sufficiently 
familiar with alternate threads as I called them to be able to fairly 
represent them in a FAQ .

My suggestion is that we cooperate as the first two to participate.  I can 
work on mine and you on yours.  We compare efforts until we are satisfied 
that our respective contributions meet some minimal useful standard.  We 
then mutually post the combined result to our web sites.

In the meantime I am going to continue work on the list of acronyms etc in 
my current effort.

Hal


At 3/21/01, you wrote:
Hi Hal

The purpose of my post of september 99 was to clarify some of these issues and
terminologies. I am still not an expert except for my own position... I 
certainly
could not speak for others.

A possible method for performing the tasks I outlined below may be to
decentralized them... In effect assign each one of us to present in his 
own web
page the documents I have outlined below...and simultaneously have each 
web page
linked to the other ones... thus providing the appearance of a coordinated
system. If somehow, we could use the same presentation software, then the
ensemble would really look like a single system. Each site could even 
include an
index for the whole system as well as a section for the owner of the site 
where
he could expound his own TOE. This approach has the advantage of being 
absolutely
egalitarian as well as of  providing each author with the appropriate 
credit and
blame.

This approach leaves many questions open such as who will be the 
administrator of
the network... could there be no administrator, with all decisions based on a
democratic process?

George

Re: A FAQ for the list

[George Levy]

Hi Hal

The purpose of my post of september 99 was to clarify some of these issues and
terminologies. I am still not an expert except for my own position... I certainly
could not speak for others.

A possible method for performing the tasks I outlined below may be to
decentralized them... In effect assign each one of us to present in his own web
page the documents I have outlined below...and simultaneously have each web page
linked to the other ones... thus providing the appearance of a coordinated
system. If somehow, we could use the same presentation software, then the
ensemble would really look like a single system. Each site could even include an
index for the whole system as well as a section for the owner of the site where
he could expound his own TOE. This approach has the advantage of being absolutely
egalitarian as well as of  providing each author with the appropriate credit and
blame.

This approach leaves many questions open such as who will be the administrator of
the network... could there be no administrator, with all decisions based on a
democratic process?

George


Hal Ruhl wrote:

 Dear George:

 Back in Sept of 99 as part of a post you said:

 ---
 There is a need for the following:

 1) An index of acronyms and ideas such as ASSA, RSSA, COMP, COMP2,
 observer-moments and the published ones such as QS, MWI etc..
 2) Short definitions of these ideas with the author or champion of these
 ideas maintaining such definitions.
 3) Posting a set of FAQs related to each idea
 4) A (preferably short) paragraph *for* the idea written by one or several
 champions
 5) A (preferably short) paragraph *against* the idea written by one or
 several challengers.
 6) A (preferably short) rebuttal paragraph by the champion
 7) A (preferably short) rebuttal paragraph by the challenger
 8) A list of references such as the obvious articles by Tegmark and the book
 by Deutsch with short synopsis (couple of lines) of what these references are
 about.

 The first step is to compile the index, and have volunteer to champion them.

 Any suggestions regarding the mechanization of such scheme?

 It will make it much easier to argue about positions when we understand
 exactly where we stand and where the other participants stand. This would
 avoid a lot of repetition and needless arguing.

 -

 Is there any chance you might be willing to help me on the FAQ project I
 started?

 Yours

 Hal