I went to the library to find a good boat book.

There were a lot of different types of books in the library. There were
history books, political books, religious books, cook books, novels,
and biographies. I wanted to find a boat book, so I went to the boating
section. When I got to the boating section, it wasn't easy to find a
boat book! In fact, the shelf was jammed with political and religious
books, cookbooks, novels, and biographies. Here and there were some
boat books- but in a lot of cases it wasn't easy to be sure whether a
book was about boating or not. The title would seem promising, but
after the first couple of chapters it would wander off into politics,
editorial opinions, economics, foreign policies, abortion, you name it.
A couple of other library patrons were angrily throwing books at one
another and calling each other names.

I complained to the librarian. The librarian said, "What's the matter?
Don't you believe in freedom of the press? Shouldn't people be allowed
to make political and religious statements, write about foreign
affairs, etc? Aren't you interested in any of those other topics?"

"Of course I'm interested. And if your library only had one shelf in
it, I guess I'd expect to have to sort through all of the other
nonsense to find a boating book. But here you are, in the biggest
library on the planet, and readers should be able to preselect what
types of books they hope to find by going to the appropriate sections.
If I wanted to read about politics, I'd go to the political section. If
I wanted to read about foreign policy, I'd go to the appropriate
section."

"I'm sorry to tell you this," said the librarian, "but a lot of the
non-boating books in this section are deliberately misfiled by the
library patrons. They apparently believe that reading books called
"How Bush Screwed America" or "How Liberal Judges are Destroying Public
Morality" is more urgent than reading about boating. Yes, you could go
to those sections, but the partons who deliberately misfile these other
titles secretly believe that you're too stupid to find your way to the
appropriate shelf, so maybe they believe you're actually stupid enough
to fall for their ill-considered opinions as well."

"I don't know," I said. "Maybe the partrons who deliberately misfile
all of these other titles on the boating bookshelf are the stupid ones.
Too stupid to know where the non-boating books belong. If they can't
tell the difference between the boating bookshelf and the appropriate
places to file all of those other topics, why do they think anybody
would find their opinions worthy of consideration at all?"

The library wold be a lot more user friendly if the process of
preselecting the type of material you wanted to read (and going to the
appropriate section) wasn't deliberately thwarted by people with
non-boating priorities.

Amen!

"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
ps.com...
I went to the library to find a good boat book.

There were a lot of different types of books in the library. There were
history books, political books, religious books, cook books, novels,
and biographies. I wanted to find a boat book, so I went to the boating
section. When I got to the boating section, it wasn't easy to find a
boat book! In fact, the shelf was jammed with political and religious
books, cookbooks, novels, and biographies. Here and there were some
boat books- but in a lot of cases it wasn't easy to be sure whether a
book was about boating or not. The title would seem promising, but
after the first couple of chapters it would wander off into politics,
editorial opinions, economics, foreign policies, abortion, you name it.
A couple of other library patrons were angrily throwing books at one
another and calling each other names.

I complained to the librarian. The librarian said, "What's the matter?
Don't you believe in freedom of the press? Shouldn't people be allowed
to make political and religious statements, write about foreign
affairs, etc? Aren't you interested in any of those other topics?"

"Of course I'm interested. And if your library only had one shelf in
it, I guess I'd expect to have to sort through all of the other
nonsense to find a boating book. But here you are, in the biggest
library on the planet, and readers should be able to preselect what
types of books they hope to find by going to the appropriate sections.
If I wanted to read about politics, I'd go to the political section. If
I wanted to read about foreign policy, I'd go to the appropriate
section."

"I'm sorry to tell you this," said the librarian, "but a lot of the
non-boating books in this section are deliberately misfiled by the
library patrons. They apparently believe that reading books called
"How Bush Screwed America" or "How Liberal Judges are Destroying Public
Morality" is more urgent than reading about boating. Yes, you could go
to those sections, but the partons who deliberately misfile these other
titles secretly believe that you're too stupid to find your way to the
appropriate shelf, so maybe they believe you're actually stupid enough
to fall for their ill-considered opinions as well."

"I don't know," I said. "Maybe the partrons who deliberately misfile
all of these other titles on the boating bookshelf are the stupid ones.
Too stupid to know where the non-boating books belong. If they can't
tell the difference between the boating bookshelf and the appropriate
places to file all of those other topics, why do they think anybody
would find their opinions worthy of consideration at all?"

The library wold be a lot more user friendly if the process of
preselecting the type of material you wanted to read (and going to the
appropriate section) wasn't deliberately thwarted by people with
non-boating priorities.

On Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:35:07 GMT, Tom Francis
wrote:

On 18 Oct 2006 17:16:12 -0700, "Chuck Gould"
wrote:

The library wold be a lot more user friendly if the process of
preselecting the type of material you wanted to read (and going to the
appropriate section) wasn't deliberately thwarted by people with
non-boating priorities.

Wow!!! Cool!!!

Yes indeed, very clever and to the point.

Fortunately amazon.com has done a good job of making their boating
books easy to find:

http://tinyurl.com/yxb9sf

"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
ps.com...
I went to the library to find a good boat book.

There were a lot of different types of books in the library. There were
history books, political books, religious books, cook books, novels,
and biographies. I wanted to find a boat book, so I went to the boating
section. When I got to the boating section, it wasn't easy to find a
boat book! In fact, the shelf was jammed with political and religious
books, cookbooks, novels, and biographies. Here and there were some
boat books- but in a lot of cases it wasn't easy to be sure whether a
book was about boating or not. The title would seem promising, but
after the first couple of chapters it would wander off into politics,
editorial opinions, economics, foreign policies, abortion, you name it.
A couple of other library patrons were angrily throwing books at one
another and calling each other names.

You had me sucked in until you said patrons were throwing books at each
other. My librarian would never allow that!
Then, it hit me....Satire...I read about that back in school. Very well
written....unfortunately could be adapted for any and all newsgroups on the
usenet. Sad.

Tom G.

Chuck Gould wrote:
I went to the library to find a good boat book.

There were a lot of different types of books in the library. There were
history books, political books, religious books, cook books, novels,
and biographies. I wanted to find a boat book, so I went to the boating
section. When I got to the boating section, it wasn't easy to find a
boat book! In fact, the shelf was jammed with political and religious
books, cookbooks, novels, and biographies. Here and there were some
boat books- but in a lot of cases it wasn't easy to be sure whether a
book was about boating or not. The title would seem promising, but
after the first couple of chapters it would wander off into politics,
editorial opinions, economics, foreign policies, abortion, you name it.
A couple of other library patrons were angrily throwing books at one
another and calling each other names.

I complained to the librarian. The librarian said, "What's the matter?
Don't you believe in freedom of the press? Shouldn't people be allowed
to make political and religious statements, write about foreign
affairs, etc? Aren't you interested in any of those other topics?"

"Of course I'm interested. And if your library only had one shelf in
it, I guess I'd expect to have to sort through all of the other
nonsense to find a boating book. But here you are, in the biggest
library on the planet, and readers should be able to preselect what
types of books they hope to find by going to the appropriate sections.
If I wanted to read about politics, I'd go to the political section. If
I wanted to read about foreign policy, I'd go to the appropriate
section."

"I'm sorry to tell you this," said the librarian, "but a lot of the
non-boating books in this section are deliberately misfiled by the
library patrons. They apparently believe that reading books called
"How Bush Screwed America" or "How Liberal Judges are Destroying Public
Morality" is more urgent than reading about boating. Yes, you could go
to those sections, but the partons who deliberately misfile these other
titles secretly believe that you're too stupid to find your way to the
appropriate shelf, so maybe they believe you're actually stupid enough
to fall for their ill-considered opinions as well."

"I don't know," I said. "Maybe the partrons who deliberately misfile
all of these other titles on the boating bookshelf are the stupid ones.
Too stupid to know where the non-boating books belong. If they can't
tell the difference between the boating bookshelf and the appropriate
places to file all of those other topics, why do they think anybody
would find their opinions worthy of consideration at all?"

The library wold be a lot more user friendly if the process of
preselecting the type of material you wanted to read (and going to the
appropriate section) wasn't deliberately thwarted by people with
non-boating priorities.

Did you condemn every single person who misplaced books, or just the
one's that weren't your buddies?: When I last looked at new subjects,
there were 4 of 5 that were off topic. But, alas, they were in your
clique, so you didn't admonish them.

basskisser wrote:


Did you condemn every single person who misplaced books, or just the
one's that weren't your buddies?: When I last looked at new subjects,
there were 4 of 5 that were off topic. But, alas, they were in your
clique, so you didn't admonish them.


There are none so deaf as those who will not hear.

Let's suppose for a second that you are correct. That of all the dozens
of people doing daily dumps of politically charged, controversial, OT
cut n pastes into the NG I have singled you out for special grief.
Let's just suppose.

Let's say that I'm a *much* bigger butthole than you are, OK?

Great. Now that we have removed personalities from the equation, we're
down to behavior.
In my opinion, yours is disruptive and shameful. If 75 other people
were doing the same thing in this group, (and they are not) would that
make yours OK, or would all 76 of you be
screwed up?

Get back to me if you'd care to point out how your political trolling
promotes the purpose of the NG. I've already conceded the personality
argument so there's no point attempting to continue that one....we're
down to behavior, and behavior alone. Good luck with that, Bass.

"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
ups.com...

basskisser wrote:


Did you condemn every single person who misplaced books, or just the
one's that weren't your buddies?: When I last looked at new subjects,
there were 4 of 5 that were off topic. But, alas, they were in your
clique, so you didn't admonish them.


There are none so deaf as those who will not hear.

Let's suppose for a second that you are correct. That of all the dozens
of people doing daily dumps of politically charged, controversial, OT
cut n pastes into the NG I have singled you out for special grief.
Let's just suppose.

Let's say that I'm a *much* bigger butthole than you are, OK?

Great. Now that we have removed personalities from the equation, we're
down to behavior.
In my opinion, yours is disruptive and shameful. If 75 other people
were doing the same thing in this group, (and they are not) would that
make yours OK, or would all 76 of you be
screwed up?

Get back to me if you'd care to point out how your political trolling
promotes the purpose of the NG. I've already conceded the personality
argument so there's no point attempting to continue that one....we're
down to behavior, and behavior alone. Good luck with that, Bass.


Chuck, you are talking to a wall. Everyone else gets it so lets just move
on.

Chuck Gould wrote:
basskisser wrote:


Did you condemn every single person who misplaced books, or just the
one's that weren't your buddies?: When I last looked at new subjects,
there were 4 of 5 that were off topic. But, alas, they were in your
clique, so you didn't admonish them.


There are none so deaf as those who will not hear.

Let's suppose for a second that you are correct. That of all the dozens
of people doing daily dumps of politically charged, controversial, OT
cut n pastes into the NG I have singled you out for special grief.
Let's just suppose.

No need to suppose. I never said you "singled me out". I did, however,
say that you are selective in who you admonish for posting off topic.
Take Tom for instance. Show me ONE TIME in the past where you have
called him to the carpet for posting off topic. Now, do the same with
Calif Bill.

Let's say that I'm a *much* bigger butthole than you are, OK?

No problem there! I don't go around telling others what to post, when
to post, etc.

Great. Now that we have removed personalities from the equation, we're
down to behavior.
In my opinion, yours is disruptive and shameful. If 75 other people
were doing the same thing in this group, (and they are not) would that
make yours OK, or would all 76 of you be
screwed up?

You've still not answered to the fact that you find it quite acceptable
for SOME people to post off topic, but not for others...
Why is that, Chuck?

Get back to me if you'd care to point out how your political trolling
promotes the purpose of the NG. I've already conceded the personality
argument so there's no point attempting to continue that one....we're
down to behavior, and behavior alone. Good luck with that, Bass.

No problem, Chuck! Define the "purpose of the newsgroup" first and
foremost. Where is this purpose written in stone? In my opinion, the
"purpose of the newsgroup" is for a type of fellowship among people
with a common interest. This does not mean that you must talk about
that common interest 24/7. Most people who have a common interest also
have other interests. If you belonged to a group that played poker a
couple of times a week, when you went to play poker, would you talk
about nothing BUT poker?

basskisser wrote:

No problem, Chuck! Define the "purpose of the newsgroup" first and
foremost. Where is this purpose written in stone? In my opinion, the
"purpose of the newsgroup" is for a type of fellowship among people
with a common interest.

Bass,
The problem is you don't come here for "fellowship", you come here to
troll for fights. It is obvious no one is going to change your mind, so
I guess if someone gets bored with you, they really just need to filter
you.

Take care.

Reginald P. Smithers III wrote:
basskisser wrote:

No problem, Chuck! Define the "purpose of the newsgroup" first and
foremost. Where is this purpose written in stone? In my opinion, the
"purpose of the newsgroup" is for a type of fellowship among people
with a common interest.

Bass,
The problem is you don't come here for "fellowship", you come here to
troll for fights. It is obvious no one is going to change your mind, so
I guess if someone gets bored with you, they really just need to filter
you.

Take care.

Not true. But, you are entitled to your opinion.