Re: The Kooks Have it. Bye

Timo Nieminen wrote:

> On Thu, 7 Jul 2005 mmeron@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>
> > In article <20050707130140.Q72098@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Timo Nieminen <uqtniemi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
> >> On Wed, 6 Jul 2005 mmeron@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> >>
> >>> I'm about ready to follow you. It is a waste of time.
> >>
> >> But isn't that the whole point of usenet?
> >>
> > It is. But does it beat procrastinating playing solitaire or
> > free-cell? By now I'm not sure.
>
> Well, solitaire is pretty mindless, free-cell takes real concentration,
> nethack takes too long; usenet divvies up the time into tiny brain-free
> soundbites. I suppose I could get a teevee for the office instead ...

Well, for me it was always bi-valent: both a waste of time and a
serious outlet for intellectual discussion. Not necessarily mutually
exclusive. Bold plans for investigation were founded, and abandoned:
but at least a few neurons preserved their worthless lives for a space.
But then I am, as Mati once categorized me, a professional amateur --
which means, among other things, that I don't have the benefit of
walking down the hall and knocking on somebody's door to have
intelligent discourse. Usenet has been, and always will be, both a
stimulant for doing and an empty substitute. I have learned much and
accomplished little.

But it remains in any individual's power to improve the quality of
conversation.

Did anybody else happen to notice, by the way, that Michael Jackson's
accuser's self-characterization on the witness stand was a perfect
match for a Usenet troll? He admitted -- or bragged -- that he liked
to argue, and especially like to argue with his teachers and show them
up (in his own mind) in front of the other students. I think he was
really Spaceman.

.

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