Re: virus: Second Class Netzizens
Kristee (kjseelna@students.wisc.edu)
Wed, 11 Mar 1998 18:48:05 -0600
My vocabulary may not be up to par, but I am still familiar with
the term "elitist". This word accurately describes someone who would like
to exclude others that they view as inadequate to function on a mailing
list, newsgroup, chatroom, etc...(less eloquence=less intelligence???) I'm
not so sure. My opinion is that a mailing list, with such a topic as
memetics, and an aim to communicate ideas (that being the topic itself
*s*), would be very enriched by an atmosphere that encourages others to
'speak their mind', and is embraced mainly by people who have an
open-minded viewpoint. If you care not to understand others thoughts,
because the words aren't fancy enough, the result is your own hypocritical
ignorance, not progress.
Let's say that we merge the meanings of "inarticulate" and
"illiterate"; they are now the same term. So who judges whom gets branded
with this critical label? Is it you, Brett? How useful would a forum be,
when the goal is to communicate, that consists of several
psuedo-intellectuals and so-called scholars, who are enclosed by some
invisible boundary that keeps all of the 'mediocre minds' at bay? This
gives you a small clique of "articulate" (self-declared), "elitist"
(according to me), memetic engineers, who unbeknownst to them, have
crippled their own objective with narrow-mindedness.
I certainly hope they would enjoy their private status without me.
I am merely a teenager, wholly unequipped for the intellectual battleground
that is 'Virus Mailing List', despite my fascination with memetics. And as
a teenager, what the hell do I know about pop culture, peer pressure,
competition, stereotypical behavior, elitist groups of people, and being
ostracized?!
*sarcasm*
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>I hope the inarticulate become the "illiterate" (and what of the
>illiterate?). Otherwise, the norm drops for everyone and mediocracy
>becomes the catchword. I already note (thanks to the chatrooms) that
>articulation is becoming second to "social grace", even in the
>newsgroups. Someone said that as the number of users increase, the
>average intelligence decreases exponentially. Seems to be the case.
>
>Brett Lane Robertson
>www.window.to/mindrec
>news:alt.pub.coffeehouse.amethyst