Re: Singularity-worship

E. Shaun Russell (e_shaun@uniserve.com)
Mon, 2 Dec 1996 23:02:28 -0800 (PST)


On 02/12/96, Eliezer wrote:

>> Perhaps you should have stayed on the prozac. As far as I can
>>see, you are an arrogant bastard...and that's putting it nicely.

>My "arrogance" is irrelevant. What counts on an Extropian mailing list
>is the number of new ideas in the post and how much thought they
>provoke. The truth of the ideas also counts, but not as much. I can't
>resist pointing out that the number of novel, stimulating ideas in your
>post is equal to zero, unlike, say, this one. Even this paragraph
>introduces an intriguing new standard for the value of posts.
>
Sorry to bring you down to this strictly mortal plane, Eliezer, but
my post --though equal to zero in content-- did achieve its initial intent
of finding some human flaw in your thinking: self-righteousness. You *are*
an arrogant bastard; be it relevant or irrelevant, it is a fact. Another
flaw in your thinking is that there are guidelines to follow. If you value
original ideas so much, why do you constantly refer to Douglas Hofstadter's
thoughts? Many on this list have read _Godel, Escher, Bach_, so why
reiterate? How many *new* ideas have *you* contributed? Perhaps my
strictly mortal response has proved your point, but *your* strictly mortal
response has most certainly proved mine. I hope that anyone reading this
post isn't opposed to my bluntness, I'm just calling things as *I* see them.

Ingredi Externus!

-E. Shaun Russell

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~~~:~~~> E. ternity E. Shaun Russell
:~~> E. xpansion e_shaun@uniserve.com
:~~~> E. xtropy Extropian poet\musician

-Cautiously realistic, yet dynamically optimistic-
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