From: foy@aero.org (Richard Foy)
Subject: Re: _A Constitutional History of the United States_
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 17:41:58 GMT

In article <SLAGLE.92Jul30003732@sgi417.msd.lmsc.lockheed.com> slagle@lmsc.lockheed.com writes:
#In article <1992Jul29.151532.2789@aero.org#, foy@aero.org (Richard Foy) writes:
#
## It frustrates when I hear people condemning those who don't read. 
#
#In what sense is recommending a book that is accessible to
#those with limited reading skills equivalent to "condemning
#those who don't read?"  It seems rather more like the opposite
#to me.

Perhaps I made a false assumption. Perhaps Clayton Cramer admires people
who don't know how to read.


#
## Though I grew up in an era when reading was the norm, I am not
## blinded to the fact that the world has changed. The written
## word is no longer the primary means of extended communication.
## That, as a fact, is neither good or bad. It is only different.
#
#It is not just different, it is bad.  It is virtually impossible
#to convey and argue subtle points of an abstract nature in a 
#visual medium.
#

Perhaps I need to be a little clearer. It is only bad or good depending
on your objective. If your objective is to convey some subtle point of an
abstract nature, then perhaps you are right that the written word is better.
Perhaps not.

However, I suggest that if my purpose is to convey a suble point of an abstract
psychological point, then perhaps I can convey it much better by a video. For
example, if I want to explain to you who people show their emotions with
various facial expressions I would be extremely hard pressed to do it on 
this net with words. However, I could take my video camera, and if I
understand my subject, I could in a few seconds of tape explain my point.


## Think of the images of brutality in South Africa captured by handycams
## which have done so much to change that culture. Think how much Los Angeles
## was changed by 1 minute of amatuer video captured over a year ago. 
#
#May I presume that by these changes you are referring to the 
#spontaneous urban renewal program?  The video of the King 
#beating is a cogent example of how the medium of visual 
#communication is lacking in subtlety.
#

Yes that is one of the changes I was refering too. The fact that the results
of a communication are bad does not mean that the communication was faulty.
For example Hitler issued many communications which resulted in the death 
of millions in Aushwitz and elsewhere. I consider those results bad. However,
the communication was excellent. It achieved exactly what he wanted.

Conversely, I think that both the results and communications of Peter Uberroth
during 1984 Olympics here in Los Angeles were excellent. His visual
communications had IMO veary positive results.


## Those who have important ideas to communicate would do well to think about
## they can communicate them through video rather hopelessly wishing for the
## good old days.
#

#Video sound bites are communication, but they are not
#reasoning and logical argumentation. 

What is the purpose of logical argumentation? Perhaps it is for enjoyment.
Perhaps it is to show ones expert knowledge. Perhaps it is to try to convince
some one of something. If it happens to be the latter, then obviously sound
bites are better. The Willie Horton sound bite ad of the 1988 presidential
campaign did more to convince the superiority of the Republican candidate
than all of the written words published anywhere.

# As the world becomes
#more complex, we need written communication more than ever.
#Wishing that this were not so does not solve the problems
#of illiteracy.  One thing that might help is suggesting
#reading materials that can help to develop an interest in
#the written word in those who lack it.  That would seem to
#be just what Clayton Cramer was doing.  So what's wrong
#with that?
#--
#----
#Mark E. Slagle                                 PO Box 61059
#slagle@lmsc.lockheed.com                       Sunnyvale, CA   94088
#408-756-0895                                   USA

There is nothing wrong with that. If you and Clayton Cramer want to do that
fine. However, IMO it is like the person who harnessed two mice to a car to 
pull it out of the ditch. When some one said they can't pull the car out of
the ditch, he replied, "I've got a whip!"

In other words it just won't work. Unless yuou can put the genie of TV back
in the bottle.

However, I am pleased that you and Clayton don't agree with me. I am learning
how to produce videos with a message with my Amiga. So are some ofmy friends.
I believe that on many issues Clayton and you would disagree with me. Thus
if you and he continue to try to persuade people with obsolete techniques, you
are less likely to do so that am I amd my friends with modern advanced 
techniques.

OOPs please ignore that last paragraph. I shouldn't be helping the
opposition.

Richard Foy           Standard Disclaimer

Newsgroups: soc.history