Paul Prestopnik <pjp66259@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu> wrote:
> I still think the two tiered system is best, that way we can have
> the advantages of both elitism and populism. We could have a layman
> class, in which virions were admitted if they passed a simple multiple
> choice test administered as a form on the internet. (by admitted I
> mean just that we say congratulations, put some vital info in a data
> base somewhere, and give them access to some otherwise secret parts
> of the the web page where we could put among other things, a printable
> certificate.) Then we could also implement a higher level of virion,
> which would imply a greater understanding of what exactly is going
> on. (what exactly is going on anyway?) I'm not sure how this would
> be different than the lower level, but maybe some of the more
> difficult concepts, mathematical proofs, more scientific ideas, and
> less palatable ideas could be introduced at this level.
I disagree -- this sounds so bad, I'm surprised you can even think it might
be a good idea.
It is precisely the multiple levels of Scientology that make it so evil --
the suck you in with simple, common sense stuff, and then at the higher
levels reveal the "less palatable" ideas.
I think virion should be an open system -- everything we promote should be
open to the public, and there are no "real" secrets. (it is possible that
we could *use* the idea of secrets as a memetic ploy to attract attention
-- having gotten members this way, we then inform them there is no secret,
and thus show how effective a hook "secret" is!)
As for certificates -- yes. A simple test -- say, name two of the virtues
and a sin, and define a meme, and explain why you want to be a member --
and voila, you're a virion.
"Wade T.Smith" <wade_smith@harvard.edu> wrote:
> >I've been thinking about expressions like these -- "My God", "Jesus!" etc.
> >-- for a while now.
>
> They are called interjections.
>
> Are we to now declare all parts of speech to be memes?
No, not all parts. I just think that these "interjections" propagate like
memes -- we hear them, and then suddenly we find ourselves using them too.
My god! How does that happen?
ERiC