Text 21377, 166 rader
Skriven 2006-01-08 08:00:00 av FRANK SCHEIDT (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av FRANK VEST
Ärende: Frank to Frank
======================
-=> Quoting Frank Vest to Frank Scheidt <=-

 FV> Hello FRANK,
 
 FS> (I feel like I'm talking to myself for some reason.)

 FV> Tis a feeling *and* confusion at times. :)
 
 FV> I have no real problem with opinions. They are like assholes.
 FS> I, too, have no problem with opinions however when those opinions
 FS> are lies about what they claim I said, I'd rather not even read
 FS> them.  When I realize that, though, it's too late.

 FV> I have had discussions with people of different nationalities,
 FV> beliefs, languages and other such things. Barriers are difficult. When
 FV> used as an excuse, it becomes even more difficult. Fortunately, it
 FV> takes a lot before I consider someone as using a barrier as an excuse.
 FV> I'm sure it happens, but I try to ignore it and be polite.

 FV> I hope I don't upset you with my long reply. I don't think I have told
 FV> any lies about you in it. :)

If you have, I'm too thick-headed to have spotted any.  But, 
after all, how could someone with as distinguished a name as 
"Frank" tell lies?   That would boggle the imagination!!!  
Besides, as someone I knew used to say when given some 
dirty deal:  "They aint caught no virgin." ... heh heh heh ... 

 FV> I usually don't divert off of a conversation in order to answer a
 FV> reply from someone else, so count yourself lucky.

 FS> I'm so grateful ... heh heh heh ... of course the Europeans seem
 FS> to have a lot of respect for *you* so this might poison the well
 FS> for you ...

 FV> I highly doubt it. Even so, I've been disrespected before. I have a
 FV> "next" key and I'm not afraid to use it. :)   Since no real battles
 FV> will be won here, ignore is a long way from ignorance. I can ignore
 FV> someone in the forums that I could/would/might not be able to ignore
 FV> in a face to face or in battle. In some cases, I'd wager that some of
 FV> these people would be totally different in a "face to face". ;)

True ... else there would be a raft of lawsuits.

 FV> Also, "yanking chains" is a good method to gain information from
 FV> someone. That happens in here and other echos. A person that is pissed
 FV> will sometimes tell you things that s/he would not normally tell.
 FV> Unfortunately, this can also escalate rather quickly into something
 FV> that is beyond control... especially in a message forum where control
 FV> is delicate to begin with. 

The current situation with my use of the word "there" WRT my 
service in WWII is a good example of that.  People are using that 
trivial incident as a basis of argument.  They think I'll quit 
responding.  They apparently don't know my history ... heh heh 
heh ... I was a moderator in the "Politics" conference on RIME 
many years ago.  Prior to being appointed moderator I was a 
participant.  The moderator at the time once gave me hell saying 
something like, "Frank, it's OK to read all of the messages but 
do you have to *comment* on each and every one of them?  You're 
destroying this conference."  I pointed out to him that since I 
had arrived, the number of participants had actually *increased*.  

 FV> In a physical interrogation, one would
 FV> probably not care since one would not be known to the person that one
 FV> is interrogating. This is why, imho, the Internet newsgroups are so
 FV> laden with garbage.. and other Internet forums suffer that same fate.
 FV> Being able to use an alias gives people a sense of "power", "safety"
 FV> or some such. They assume that they can not be found or located and
 FV> will "live down to the lowest levels". One of the, soon to be former
 FV> strengths of Fidonet imho, was that all of the people used real
 FV> names... or at least real sounding. And the ones that used an alias to
 FV> gain entrance and/or cause(d) trouble were quickly removed. This is
 FV> becoming less and less the case and more and more open feelings are
 FV> showing (less restraint). Even the people in Fidonet that use their
 FV> real names are becoming more open. We are now seeing "truer colors"?
 FV> That's not always a bad thing, but can get out of hand if people don't
 FV> realize the harm and problems that can be caused, and is being caused,
 FV> by this.

I've *always* used my own name with the exception of my very 
first encounter with a BBS, many years ago, where *everyone* 
seemed to use an alias.  Other than *that* time, though, I've 
used my real name ... 

 FV> Note that one can sometimes tell when a "chain yanking" is working by
 FV> the spelling, punctuation and grammar errors in a reply when compared
 FV> to the "normal" reply from that person. I tend to laugh when I read
 FV> such a sputtering reply. :)   As with every rule, of course, there are
 FV> exceptions.

True ...

 FV> "Disagreement is actually necessary, or we'd all have to get in fights
 FV> or something to amuse ourselves and create the requisite chaos." -Tom
 FV> Jennings

 FV> This is so true, but, as we can see here in this echo, it can get out
 FV> of hand. It is my opinion that in some ways and in some threads, this
 FV> echo has moved from the disagreement area into the fight area. It
 FV> would be nice to see it move back, but I doubt that the people here
 FV> and strong enough to do so. One would have to be able to accept
 FV> things, laugh at themselves, realize when things were getting out of
 FV> hand and back off and these abilities seem to have left many in this
 FV> echo, and in Fidonet, sadly. :(

I have no problem whatsoever moving from "flaming" (of course I'd 
*never* do *that*) to disagreements to serious discussions ... I'm 
so flexible I almost disgust *myself* at times.

 FV> JMHO. YMMV and all that.

???????
 
 FV> Of course, I hate the name. :)

 FS> Me too!  For that reason I'm considering changing it to one of my
 FS> secret admirers:  Michiel van der Vlist ...

 FV> The first time I saw the initials "MDV" used, I though it read MPG and
 FV> I couldn't figure out why someone was talking about "miles per gallon"
 FV> in a thread that had nothing to do with fuel. I can be slow. :))

I'll just bet ...

 FV> I really don't know what name I would prefer. I've found problems with
 FV> all names. Any name or word can be used in spite or hate. I just
 FV> accept mine and move on. Doesn't mean I don't hate it... just that I
 FV> accept it. Parents should not name kids. Kids should choose their own
 FV> names. Whatdoyathink? :)

That might work.  In practice, though, such nameless kids would 
*immediately* be given nicknames, usually based on physical 
characteristics.  *I*, for example, would have been called 
"Fatso".  If that name stuck it would seem strange these days 
since my weight now is well under control. 

 FS> ... Error!  <Press the 674th digit of pi to continue!>
 FV> Umm... that would be 7, right? Or is it 1?
 FS> Seven is close ...

 FV> I lost count after about 500 digits and just took a guess. :))

That's understandable.  Many years ago an Illinois state 
legislator would have solved your problem.  He wanted to legally 
define Pi as 3.14 or some such ... if that had passed I suppose 
automobile wheels would no-longer be circular, though I'm not 
certain ...
 
 FV> Frank (the other one)

 FS> And all the while I thought I was *unique* ... heh heh heh ...

 FV> You are. Just like everyone else. ;)

 FV> Regards
 FV> Frank (which one am I again??)

You're *that* one while *I* am *this* one ... it's easy to tell 
us apart as soon as you become one ...

... "But ... a woman ... always ... remains ... a woman." ÄÄ Kirk

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