Re: A challenge to non-SRians

From: greywolf42 (mingstb_at_marssim-ss.com)
Date: 08/04/04 

Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2004 11:04:50 -0700

"Myxococcus xanthus" <mold-guardian@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:ce5e7813.0408031506.1b4afb6a@posting.google.com...
> "greywolf42" <mingstb@marssim-ss.com> wrote in message
news:<10gvgrlbde3ss88@corp.supernews.com>...
> > "Myxococcus xanthus" <mold-guardian@comcast.net> wrote in message
> > news:ce5e7813.0408020936.2473435a@posting.google.com...
>
> > > That sounds great! I'd even be willing to chip in a modest amount of
> > > money, maybe $20, to see this done. There should be enough interest in
> > > this newsgroup to collect the funds in $10-$20 increments to help set
> > > up the experiment. Of course, Greywolf needs to put up $1000.
> >
> > Sure. I also expect some investment costs.
> >
> > > We need an escrow agent and money handler, somebody who could be
> > > trusted by both sides.
> >
> > Whaddya mean 'we' Myxo? You aren't playing. Though you are welcome to
> > offer sage advice. ;)
>
> As I said, I'm willing to chip in a few bucks just to see this
> through. As would, I expect, dozens of other people on this newsgroup.
> So collectively, EVERYBODY willing to chip in would be part of "we".

Hey, great. If the 'newsgroup' wants to foot the hardware costs, that will
be fine with me. However, at this point, I'm still waiting for Paul Miller
to show he's not just trolling. I'm willing to negotiate any concerns he
might have, and ready to start the actual design of the experiment. But
first, I need to find out what level of precision he's expecting -- as this
affects the design. And he's off 'thinking about it.' (With 100K possibly
at stake, I don't blame him for thinking.)

> > > > though
> > > > I doubt I'll ever really have to worry about anything materializing.
> > >
> > > There are several problems, besides the obvious ones, that need to be
> > > overcome.
> > > 1) First of all, I doubt that Greywolf has the electronics expertise
> > > to conduct the experiment himself, so he'd have to trust somebody like
> > > you to set up and perform the experiment. Would he be willing to trust
> > > you?
> >
> > Why would I trust Bilge? If I need assistance, I'll ask my Dad. He
> > designed communications gear for the US Navy ... including satellites
> > and time standards.
>
> Ahem. Do you think Paul would be so stupid as to have the experiment
> 100% under your control? With your history?

What has my access to electronics expertise for the design got to do with
who actually performs the experiment? If David wishes to have third parties
watch the clocks take the measurements, he can request that. And I'd be
happy to oblige.

> > > 2) "Secret identities" need to be revealed. People like Greywolf and
> > > you have been very careful to hide your true identities.
> >
> > LOL! I freely provide my name to whoever asks. My name is Barry
> > Mingst. And a trivial effort by Google will provide this.
>
> Yes, if you would recall, I've addressed you by Barry on quite a
> number of occasions in the past. However, I always considered there to
> be perhaps a 1% chance that that would not be your actual name. Thanks
> for reducing the 1% uncertainty to 0%.
>
> > Now Bilge (David Semon) is a different matter. But he's also irrelvant,
> > as he's not a party to the bet.
> >
> > > However, I
> > > don't see how a contract could be written up without revealing your
> > > identities to Paul and to at least one other person who would need to
> > > act as witness.
> >
> > So, who is the fruiting bacterium?
>
> My identity is a pretty open secret. Nearly a dozen people on this
> newsgroup already know who I am, from email correspondence.

Another 'secret' identity -- just like Bilge.

> And I'm
> pretty free with leaks that would allow google searching. I maintain
> my handle mostly from a sense of fun, and because myxos are important
> to me. My Ph.D. dissertation was on myxos, and many current
> publications continue to cite fundamental research that I conducted
> nearly two decades ago, on an unusual genetic element now known to be
> widely present in gram-negative bacteria.
>
> Wanna google?
> :-)

Not particularly. I really don't care what your 'real' name is. But you
made an issue of it -- all the while avoiding mentioning your 'secret'
identity. Which I find rather hypocritical. 

--
greywolf42
ubi dubium ibi libertas
{remove planet for e-mail}