Can I suggest that we hold off on this discussion a bit until KMO--one of the leading instigators of the term phaith--returns? (I think that'll be in about a week and a half.)
-Prof. Tim
-----Original Message-----
From: Wade T.Smith <wade_smith@harvard.edu>
To: Church of Virus <virus@lucifer.com>
Date: Sunday, June 20, 1999 7:02 AM
Subject: RE: virus: FAQ: version 1.0
>>I phail ( :-) ) to see how the creation of a new word which,
>>of course, does not alter the meaning of the existing word, can be
>>"insulting"? Or even "distancing". So I fail to see the point which is
>>being made, and would like at least to try to understand it.
>
>Well, because I side with Richard here, or he sides with me, or rather we
>have just picked the same side, the main reason I prefer to _ignore_
>coined words is usually because they derive not from a _real_ need to
>create an entirely new word, but instead, usually turn out (as indeed
>'phaith' turns out), to be an archly cute and derogative and elitist and
>_juvenile_ reworking of a present word, (and predominanly part of the
>teen culture as well), and I see the only reason for such manipulation,
>as opposed to creation, to be one of exclusion and even, yes, cultism and
>cliqueism, and I, for one, do not join such clubs.
>
>One of the first reasons I embrace the net is because knowledge and
>information is freed here. (It ain't free, and it ain't necessarily true,
>but it is unshackled.) And the fact that I have to accept a new word,
>which sounds 'cute' and childish to me, rather than just accept (or
>ignore) a variant meaning (usually in general usage already) of a common
>word, well... just don't make it for me. I never even used 'far-out'
>during the time I could have. Instead I used 'in-close'.
>
>So instead of 'phaith' I will use 'phooey' until such time as a real coin
>is minted here. 'Meme' is such a real coin, and hell, we still don't know
>what the fuck that is.
>
>- Wade
>