From: Rick Knight (rknight@platinum.com)
Date: Wed Jul 23 1997 - 10:13:55 MDT
Perry Metzger wrote:
Yes, I'm an elitist of sorts. I'd rather hear Carl Feynman woolgather
about ways to build craft to explore the Sun's atmosphere than hear
the empty-headed wannabes mumble along. Why? Because Carl is a better
thinker and his speculations are thus far more interesting to read,
that's why. I'd say that Carl is, in fact, "better" than "Danny", at
least at informed speculation on scientific topics of interest to me.
(And no, I wouldn't mind at all if the fuzzy-headed crowd felt
insulted and left. In fact, I highly encourage them to do so.)
Rick Knight responds:
I don't know if I fit into your last sanctimoniously-declared category
but if so, my skin is far thicker. While I'm not here to duel with
such negative opinions as your recent post, I am here to learn about
things (and I've assimilated plenty) AND discuss possibility however
improbable. Even something far-fetched has (for me) an amusing
appeal. While you regard a contributor such as Danny as some sort of
gnat-like nuisance, I regard him as simply someone in the process of
discovery.
We can discuss Star Trek-style replicator technology (presumably
because there's some potential science-qualifying banter that can be
squeezed out of it) but not pole shift. This is a digest for goodness
sake! It amazes me that people get irked by the extra few seconds to
download something they would eventually judge unworthy or the extra
pressure they have to exert on the finger they apply to the page down
key.
If the Extropian Digest of yore was filled with this kind of
pontifical grandstanding, then apparently a great many of its
contributors have discovered the wonderous benefits of a good
laxative. Check with your local Walgreens. There's help available.
<G>
Incidentally, I would say that most of us on this list are elitist
about one thing or another. Humility and benevolence, as I have thus
far observed, are not particularly Extropian traits, at least not in
any explicit sense. That's okay. The ideas are high octane. I'm
sure there's a list elsewhere for Mother Teresa and Gandhi fans.
Rick
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