Pike's ghost

Gerry Quinn · 29 Nov 2011, 22:16 · from 2011-November.txt.gz

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From: gerry at bindweed.com (Gerry Quinn)
Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:16:58 -0000
Subject: (urth) Pike's ghost
In-Reply-To: <SNT123-W38678D0E0477E8124E2A3CFB30 at phx.gbl>
References: <SNT123-W38678D0E0477E8124E2A3CFB30 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <84A58C1B141645229F0FB21A9970FB14@Rover>

From: Lee Berman 

> > Gerry Quinn: If you can show an interpretation is wrong, you save others from 
> > being misled by it.  Seems a good reason to point out the problem.

> But is it possible "others" don't really need saving? Are not "others" fully 
> capable of deciding for themselves which interpretations have merit? Do 
> "others" really need Gerry Quinn to do this work for them? What qualifies you
> for this position as saviour?

You might as well argue that nobody should post their interpretations, as others could think them up for themselves.

If people have already worked out my reason or another reason why an interpretation must be wrong, of course I do not save them time.  But I?d say on balance I am their saviour of time, if you want to used such a perverse sense of the word ?saviour?.  

What qualifies me for the position of saviour of their time is merely a post that saves them time.

> Gerry is it possible your contributions are actually more self-serving than in
> the service of others?  I do appreciate your honesty in posting such a revealing 
> and candid statement of your intentions.  And I apologize for the rhetorical 
> questions. But perhaps they are worth asking.      

<Shrug> It?s hard to see what I gain from pointing out flaws in theories, except what everyone gains, i.e. a better feel for which theories are viable.  Whatever my motivations, what you seem to be doing is implicitly calling for the censorship of posts that point out flaws in theories, or perhaps only in your preferred theories.  Such censorship is rarely conducive to progress.

- Gerry Quinn

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