From: Adrian `Guru Zeb` Harper (guruzeb@blueyonder.co.uk)
Date: Mon Sep 03 2001 - 07:59:28 MDT
At 13:10 02/09/01, you wrote:
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>------------------------------
>
>Date: Sat, 01 Sep 2001 18:29:17 -0700
>From: "E. Shaun Russell" <e_shaun@extropy.org>
>Subject: Re: Herding Extropycats [was Shame on Australia]
>
>The esteemed Russell Blackford wrote:
>
> >So my question remains. Why does the extrolist show the same mentality as
> >one sub-set of sf fandom, whereas the sf-related lists I've been on have
> >shown a totally different mentality?
>
>One thing that is important to point out, in my opinion, is that with a few
>exceptions such as Russell, Damien, Max, Natasha etc., the extropians list
>does not attract a lot of people who are actively pushing extropic
>technologies etc. forward...because they are actively pushing extropic
>technologies etc. forward, rather than spending time on reading and writing
>to a mailing list. The extropians list is essentially a forum for people
>who are interested in the progresses made by the Kurzweils, Minskys,
>Merkles, Drexlers, Moravaecs et al of the world, and while I do agree that
>there is an aspect of "fandom" to the list, that is partially the purpose
>of the list in the first place: to discuss ideas pertaining to
>transhumanism. Since the progenitors of those ideas are largely off-list,
>the movers and shakers are generally somewhat deified, or at least looked
>upon in a different light.
>
>Interestingly enough, this mentality isn't reflected at the Extro
>Conferences, where both list members and ExI members readily have
>conversations (and often dinner) with the likes of Drexler, Greg Bear,
>Ralph Merkle, David Brin and the like.
>
>So the answer to your question, Russell, is this: because the doers do, and
>those who are interested in what the doers are doing talk about what is
>being done. Both kinds are necessary, and the extropians list generally
>attracts the latter.
>
> Best,
>
> E. Shaun Russell
> (Pre-exodus mode...)
Hi ppl
Thanks Shaun. I just joined this forum hoping to get some
interesting, broad minded, conceptual, and philosophical,
debates/discussions on current Transhuman and Extropian ideas. I expected
the discourse to possibly include some general debate on related issues,
science and technology, rational methodologies for examining the
World/Universe, global issues, current affairs,etc.
What i find IMHO is mostly ppl who seem to have extremely fixed viewpoints,
very limited ability or desire to project themselves into other ppl's
perspectives ( even those on this list, who probably share much with each
other in terms of education, social class, etc ), and hardly any interest
in discussing ideas. More an egotistical desire to achieve some kind of
somatic intellectual ascendancy over the ppl they argue with.
By the time i reached your post. I had begun to wonder exactly what this
list existed for .......... Thanks for the perceptive, and succinct
description of the motivating forces behind this list. Not only have you
answered my mental query but pretty much proposed a crushing
hypothesis that has served only to reinforce my initial reaction, which is
to un-subscribe from this forum.
Hope this post is not, too irate, too scathing, or too reactionary, for any
established list users. I'll probably continue to monitor this list, but
unless the general tone changes, a concept which am not going to spend much
time hallucinating about, i doubt i'll ever post again.
Happy mental Antialiasing
Zeb
"FURIOUS GREEN DREAMS, LAY SLEEPING IN STATE,
BUT SOON THE GREAT JELLY SHALL RISE FROM THE
DEPTHS,
AND ALL THOSE WHO MOCKED SHALL KNOW THEIR FATE
IS SEALED"
Guru Zeb,
Hacienda,
Manchester, 1989
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