Re: virus: Virian Sainthood

Eric Boyd (6ceb3@qlink.queensu.ca)
Thu, 24 Jun 1999 12:37:38 -0400

Hi,

Tim Rhodes <proftim@speakeasy.org> writes:

<<
I think how we elect our saints is perhaps more important -- from a memetic perspective -- than who we elect. The process of nomination, debate, election and cannonization will be central to the continued life of the memeplex (Brodie's use). Who we elect might _seem like_ the important question, but in all reality, establishing a method of creating saints is the really important part of the equation, and the aspect that can enable the well established process to outlive any one of us.
>>

You're probably right, Tim. I've got some ideas --

(1) Necessary conditions for nomination
(a) had novel ideas (hopefullly related to Virus) (b) ???
others?

(2) Sufficient conditions for sainthood?

(a) creation of ideas Virus is based on? (e.g. Darwin had sufficient

conditions to become a saint)
--> if we can prove sufficient conditions, then we can skip the voting process

(3) After nomination, we should have a discussion about why they should be saints -- about the ideas the had, the life they lived, etc. Perhaps we should pick favorite quotes and find a good picture of them, so that if we do make them a saint, we'll have some immediate content to put on the page dedicated to them.

(3) After that, we need some kind of 'voting' process.

--> should we all get a vote?
--> should we elect a 'virian council' of 12 (or whatever)

people and then require a majority or 2/3rds vote?

(I'm thinking that council might be useful for lots of other things too...)

While we're on the topic of Saints, I think it would be cool to change the main Virus page, which quotes Darwin, to read instead

"There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.

— Saint Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species"
     ^^^^^

No point having Saints if we don't plug them...

ERiC