Interesting People mailing list archives
more on editorial comment
From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2003 05:17:19 -0500
Stef is an old friend and is, most likely, considerably more to the right than I am on many issues (not all). I strongly believe in the right to have strong disagreements and still remain friends. Dave ------ Forwarded Message From: Einar Stefferud <Stef () thor nma com> Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2003 02:07:59 -0800 To: dave () farber net Subject: Re: [IP] editorial comment It is extremely hard to openly state that I disagree with Dave's tendencies to bias in his choices of what to include and what to exclude from his IP mail flows. I know he believes he is properly biased to what he finds to be "the" center between the right and left, up and down, etc. The problem is that there is no knowable reference point as to where the left ends and the right begins. or up ends and down begins. The only reference points available are all personal and subjective, or inter-subjective, because there is no objective universal truth to any individual claims to know where The Center is. So, I (along with many others) send stuff to Dave for inclusion, knowing that he will make his choices subjectively, which I know is his right, and I have no complaints about his choices, because IP is Dave's thing to which he is faithfully devoted, for which I am grateful for what it is. But, I like most of you, I am sure, make up your own mind, message by message, as to what you think about IP messages. My point is that Dave's Center is not my center, so I must always discount opinions for the offsets. Facts are one thing, but opinions are just opinions, and are not facts. Also, as Dave has taught me, false facts exist, because a fact is defined to be a widely held belief, which might in fact be false. Perhaps Dave can repeat his dictionary definition as he explained it some years ago. So, this is not a complaint, but is an observation by someone with a different finding of fact that Dave uses a different "center" than I use, and so I see bias where Dave does not. But, I must repeat, it is his right and obligation to be faithful to his perceptions of where the "center" really is, or might be. If not his own, then whose is it? I trust that Dave's editorial comment was not intended to be a declaration that his judgement as to where his center is should supercede our judgements as to where our centers are found to be. What I see happening here and everywhere that discussion is occurring, is contributing with the intention to either find where the real center is, or move the perceived centers of others in an effort to relocate the group's collective perceived center. The center does move about from time to time. Please note that I have not indicated here any notion of which way I might like to shift Dave's IP center, because that is not for me to choose, or even comment about. So, I am pro-Dave, in response to his editorial comment, and I positively state that I strongly support his rights and privileges to serve as editor of his discussion forum, to which I try to contribute, and from which I read and learn on a daily basis. But this is not a vote for the accuracy of his judgements regarding the location of "THE" Universal Global Center. And I do not advocate that he replace his with mine. The so called "center" is actually some kind of global average, or national average, or IP average, which results (if determinable) from arithmetic kinds of calculation and which may not actually exist in any actual mind. This also follows from the observation that there is no actual average person, or automobile, but only a calculated average for comparing with specific real individuals or automobiles. Etc... Cheers...\Stef ------ End of Forwarded Message ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
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- more on editorial comment Dave Farber (Mar 30)