Re: Lee Corbin's Goodbye

From: Hubert Mania (humania@t-online.de)
Date: Mon Aug 18 2003 - 02:49:39 MDT

  • Next message: Eliezer S. Yudkowsky: "Re: Lee Corbin's Goodbye"

    Lee, we had some quarrels. And I had some violent exchanges with Mike
    Lorrey, too.

    It has always been my point of view to really express what I feel about the
    view of other posters. There are times when you have to forget your
    politeness. I guess from what you write today that it might have been better
    to really have said what you thought - sometimes.

    I understand that it's not everyone's business to endure name calling or
    these ominous "ad hominem" attacks, but . . . hell . . . what the fuck . . .
    you say dirty words, some people are not amused, others know it's only too
    human. Having expressed my indignation about your or Mike Lorrey's opinions,
    I think I would for example gladly join you and Mike for a weekend picknick
    anyway, because I know you both are decent guys and we could learn from each
    other simply *because* we think differently.

    I think it was wrong to expell Mike Lorrey from the list. My first reaction
    was to propose an exchange deal: they let Mike Lorrey come back and I leave
    the forum till the new list is established in September. But now, after
    second thoughts, I suggest it:

    Let Mike come back, I leave till September.
    It would be a great loss if you left the list, Lee.

    Please stay with us and start "taking back all my fine words, renouncing
    my praise". This should be interesting and a step forward to hear the truth
    behind all the politeness.

    Hubert

    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Lee Corbin" <lcorbin@tsoft.com>
    To: <extropians@extropy.org>
    Sent: Monday, August 18, 2003 9:32 AM
    Subject: Lee Corbin's Goodbye

    > About a week ago, a contributor of long standing was suddenly
    > and summarily expelled from this list, an act that seemed to
    > me capricious and perhaps arbitrary, and for several days after
    > that, I didn't feel like posting anything. During that time,
    > I thought that I was just annoyed, and that it would pass.
    >
    > But my feelings on the matter did not change in the days
    > following, and I finally figured out why. It was due to
    > the large number of posts I'd written and threads that I
    > had started in the past two years extolling to the skies
    > this list and the people who ran it; the theme of those
    > many, many posts was that through thick and thin, freedom
    > of speech had always won out in the end on the Extropians
    > forum.
    >
    > I now feel like a fool.
    >
    > However, I could live with that---after all, one does many
    > foolish things in life and one gets over it after a while.
    > But there is something far worse than looking or being
    > foolish.
    >
    > I will not be a hypocrite.
    >
    > My only choices are to either leave this list, or begin a
    > series of posts taking back all my fine words, renouncing
    > my praise, and admitting that my perceptions had been wrong,
    > or else pleading that actions like this never recur, or, etc.
    > etc.---moves sure to foment controversy and ugly discord (and
    > which would probably result in my own expulsion anyway).
    >
    > Any lessons learned? So far, only one: be temperate in your
    > praise of others, else you will come to feel responsible for
    > their actions. I hadn't known that.
    >
    > So anyway, in a single sentence there is no way for me to
    > communicate the appreciation I have of what I have learned
    > here, the information I've gleaned, the friendships I've
    > made, the laughs I've had, or the stimulating, productive,
    > and entertaining discourse I've been privileged to be a part
    > of. It's been fun. Good-bye, and good luck to everyone.
    >
    > Lee Corbin
    >



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