Hi,
Reed, Zloduska, Jake and interested others,
A while back on this list, John Williams asked a question about the nature of e-mail communication, about it's special dynamic, the ebbs and flows that we are all so familiar with. It didn't get to much response, if I recall (talking about talking is not high on anyone's list, Tim), but I certainly feel the question is relevant to Reed's recient discussion of various posting styles.
Personally, I don't like Reed's new style. Far too much fluff. In my opinion, if you've got a message, you say it. Stories are fine in their place, but I thought this was a place of learning? Maybe I'm just too used to engineering lectures, where it's all spelled out.
But really, if you claim that "the medium is the message", I think you'll see that this black and white text, being just two-dimensional, cannot support "real people". Although I am amazed at the depth that can be inserted into two-d, I also know that such depth doesn't come without a lot of hard work. I use email to communicate and exchange ideas (mind). If I want to get to know someone ("really"), or get those warm fuzzy feelings, or even have a really good argument (heart/body/soul), I don't turn to email. I stay in RL. Is that so wrong?
If the first assertion of my last paragraph is correct, does that doom our Church of Virus?
ERiC