From: Harvey Newstrom (newstrom@newstaffinc.com)
Date: Tue Nov 30 1999 - 14:12:43 MST
Lee Daniel Crocker <lcrocker@mercury.colossus.net (none)> wrote on Tuesday,
November 30, 1999 2:54 pm,
> > Unfortunately, this is a common pattern for Extropians. We cannot
debate
> > any area of serious disagreement... How useful can this list be if
debate
> > fails upon any real difference of opinion?
>
> Since when is debate a "failure" just because none of the combatants
> switch sides? That's not the goal: the debate is a value in itself.
> Lots of lurkers get to hear the opposing points of view, the views
> themselves are clarified and developed, lines are drawn, terms
> defined, brains are exercised. That sounds pretty productive to me.
I was not referring to the situation where nobody switched sides. My
objection is when a topic becomes so heated or repetitive that it is banned
or shunned. That is when further debate becomes impossible.
-- Harvey Newstrom <mailto://newstrom@newstaffinc.com> <http://harveynewstrom.com> Author, Consultant, Engineer, Legal Hacker, Researcher, Scientist.
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