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Date:      Fri, 10 Sep 1999 10:11:38 -0600
From:      Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org>
To:        "Matthew N. Dodd" <winter@jurai.net>
Cc:        freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   PRs for FreeBSD's meme complex
Message-ID:  <4.2.0.58.19990910100243.047a0210@localhost>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.4.10.9909100226360.14497-100000@sasami.jurai.net>
References:  <4.2.0.58.19990909213006.046fd350@localhost>

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At 02:31 AM 9/10/99 -0400, Matthew N. Dodd wrote:

>People resort to calling you names because in the end its far less
>stressful to throw insults at you than to try and hold a reasonable
>conversation with you.

When one raises serious but difficult questions, it naturally causes
some stress. But the questions DO need to be addressed. Think of my
messages as PRs for FreeBSD's "meme complex" -- that is, for advocacy,
marketing, culture, and other aspects of FreeBSD that don't consist
solely of code and documentation.

>I think you'd find that more people would be interested in what you have
>to say if you tried correcting the flaws in your communication skills,

I think you're confusing the message with the messenger. I don't believe
that my communications skills are flawed at all; written communication
is one of the things I do for a living, and my work is generally well
regarded. If you do not agree with some of the opinions I express, or 
feel uncomfortable discussing some of the topics I've brought up, it
does not mean that there's anything wrong with the way I communicate.

>especially those relating to conversation (you know, where more than 1
>person is talking).
>
>A review of the rules governing the varieties of formal debate might be
>useful as well.

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, mailing lists are not subject to
rules of formal debate. Certainly, I've had many ad hominem remarks
lobbed at me -- including the message to which this is a response --
which would be out of line in such a debate.

>Nothing personal.

Of course. ;-)

--Brett Glass



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