Date: Tue, 15 Oct 1996 03:39:08 -0500
To: psn@csf.colorado.edu
From: bb05246@binghamton.edu (John Hollister)
Subject: In praise of moderation
SHAWGI TELL writes:

>Issues surrounding philosophy, theory, and ideology are most
>important at this time. ...  Actively participating in changing
>the world is the kernel of the response of modern Marxist-Leninist
>philosophy to the greatest problems of today.

I guess I should actively participate in changing this little corner of the
world, psn, and speak in support of the proposal to limit frequent posters.


There should be a special circle of cyber-hell where those who shriek about
freedom of speech must spend eternity pressing the delete key as all the
hundreds of lurkers take up as much space as the main drivel-mongerers,
along with endless MAKE MONEY FAST chain letters, junk mail advertising the
latest porn websites, urban legends, the GOOD TIMES virus, the Neiman
Marcus cookie recipe, Craig Shergold's wish for more mail, and so on and on
and on.

I don't want to leave psn because the calls for papers, job postings,
conference announcements, and occasional analysis of some major event make
it indispensible. When I left psn-cafe for psn, I had hoped for a "best-of"
compilation, a distillation of the list. But I still spent a good part of
my mornings nursing the delete key (yeah, ok, I subscribe to a few other
lists as well). I wondered if there really was any moderation at all.

The percentage of posts by the same 5 or 6 people looks like the land
distribution ratio in Central America.  Let's have the internet equivalent
of a land reform.


John Hollister
bb05246@binghamton.edu