Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Kaufman
KAUFMAN'S LAW: "Efforts such as Godwin's Law to thwart the finding of contemporary relevence in the Holocaust is a form of Holocaust denial."
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Methinks the typer of the above is a tad confused about Godwin's Law of internet interaction. It is most certainly
not an effort "to thwart the finding of contemporary relevence in the Holocaust." Rather, it is a quite keen observation of the typical dynamics of online discussion.
Put very simply: when a participant in an online discussion calls one or more other participants in said discussion "a Nazi" (or likens them to Nazis, or invokes Hitler, or the like), there is no longer any meaningful possibility of useful dialog. The conversation is, in effect, over. The flamage, hurt feelings, and wasted time and effort (on the other hand) are only just beginning.
This effect has been well documented in careful study (search for papers by Sara Kiesler, and you'll find several that are relevant), as well as through the long experience of many old hands on the 'net. People write things in emails, on newsgroups, and in discussion fora that they would rarely -- if ever -- say in a face-to-face conversation. Or over the telephone, or in a letter, for that matter.
Given that Mr. Kaufman
opened his discourse by invoking the holocaust in an extremely strained analogy, he should not be surprised that he ticked off a major portion of his potential audience. Including nearly everyone here. Given that he continues to press the point, while not responding to any substantive criticism, he's currently heading down the path of providing yet another example of the truth of the observation.
As an aside, here's a quick hint for Mr. Kaufman: Should you choose to actually engage in a respectful discussion, there are plenty of folks here who would be happy to engage with you. You can even try to explain to us why eBooks are like the Holocaust -- if you can do it in a respectful way that avoids insulting the people you're speaking with. It would also help if you were to engage with some of the serious responses in this thread. If, on the other hand, you continue to spew over-wrought un-educated and ignorant verbiage, you're more likely to be mocked or just ignored.
Now, moving on to my main point:
I like to read. I read a
lot -- both quantity and variety. My electronic library includes classics ranging from ancient Greece and Rome (Xenophon's Anabasis, for example) to Austen (and newer). It includes great literature, both old and new. It also includes Science Fiction, Fantasy, Hard-boiled detective novels, and economics texts. And political science, computer science, and scholarly histories. Romances, as in the "romance" aisle in bookstores and Romances such as The Legend of El Cid (in both Spanish and English) or Orlando Furioso (only in English -- my Italian isn't good enough). It's a bit thin in philosophy, as that's not really my thing. Just about the only thing you won't find is post-modern lit-crit and that ilk -- with the exception of the classic essay "How to Deconstruct Almost Anything" by Chip Morningstar (highly recommended, by the way).
Every electronic book in my library is entirely legal -- not a single 'pirated' or sketchily downloaded byte. It's also all under my control. No-one but me can delete the books or change even a single word. Not Apple, not Amazon, not "the gummint," not even Alan Kaufman.
So here's a challenge for Mr. Kaufman. How does your description of the supposed eBook reader match up with me? I don't own an iPod; I only got a cell-phone last year. I've been on the Internet since it was the Arpanet and it had only 3 nodes, but I don't have a twitter account and can't imagine wanting to text feverishly while I walk.
How am I emulating the Holocaust? How am I "destroying the world of books?"
I'd like an answer. Really. A calm and respectful discussion could be quite interesting. I might learn something. Mr. Kaufman might learn something. Who knows? On the other hand, a rant in response will be taken as clear evidence that "Godwin's Law" still holds (in general, as with all such), and that Mr. Kaufman is more interested in flaming than in serious discussion.
Respectfully, but not very hopefully, yours
Xenophon