Subject: Re: On comparing apples and oranges (was: Q: on hashes and counting)
From: Erik Naggum <erik@naggum.net>
Date: 2000/10/25
Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp
Message-ID: <3181475509816633@naggum.net>

* xenophon@irtnog.org (Xenophon Fenderson the Carbon(d)ated)
| Of course I can read.  Whether I rightfully comprehend what I read
| is apparently open to debate.  Also open to debate (hopefully in a
| forum where this is on topic) is whether the Lord of the Rings would
| be as well expressed without the invention of Elvish.

  Why are you carping on the wrong point if you can comprehend what I
  uppercased for you?

| Or maybe I'm playing a game of definitions with you, Erik.

  Yeah, I think you're playing games, all right.  You should be able
  to join the special olympics any day, now.

| You said, `There are people who have to design their own alphabets or
| spellings in order to feel able to express themselves, but I think we
| label them "insane" rather than applaud them as "language designers".'
| Several excellent authors have done just that,

  No, they haven't.  Plain and simple.  They were able to express
  themselves _fully_ without inventing their own languages first, and
  then went on to do language design.  You seem dead set on missing
  the point so that you can keep up this charade of yours.  Quit it.

  If you cannot even grasp that there are people who fall into a very
  different category than your insipid insistence on authors, all your
  games prove is that you aren't able to think outside of your silly
  prejudices.  How interesting is _that_ to show people?

| Again, my apologies to the newsfroup for going off topic.

  Really?  You were somehow _forced_ to do this?  Man, you idiots give
  ma a lot of power over you that I never even wanted to have.  Now I
  wonder, how can I put this to productive use?

| It's _all_ a Joke, but by God you'll NEVER "get" the punch-line!

  Had it not already occurred to you that you aren't funny to anyone
  but yourself?  Yes, you're a joke all the way.  Don't you think
  people "get" this?  What if you're a stupid joke, so stupid that
  it's downright _annoying_?  How long will you laugh when annoying
  people?  And what's the difference between _your_ "it's a joke!" and
  any other annoying pests on the Net who claims to have been joking?

| It's just some random name on Usenet.  Why does it bother you so
| much?  It's not like I'm trying to hide my identity or anything, as
| it is trivial to look up my complete contact information on the
| Internet, using just that name.  In fact, "Xenophon Fenderson, the
| Carbon(d)ated" is so completely ridiculous that even I don't take it
| seriously, so please, don't give yourself a coronary over some
| wannabe's nome de plume.

  Look who's bothered into defending himself.  Sheesh, dude.

| What I think is even more ridiculous is that I've wasted over an
| hour crafting this reply to you, Erik, all to justify myself in
| (obviously) my own eyes (you sure aren't going to agree with any of
| this drivel, and hopefully the rest of this newsgroup will ignore
| me).  Maybe next time I will be more mature and decide that I would
| really rather be hacking on some choice bit of code than arguing
| with you over the esoteric.

  Good, then I have at least accomplished _something_.

#:Erik
-- 
  I agree with everything you say, but I would
  attack to death your right to say it.
				-- Tom Stoppard