From: dmb@case.ai.mit.edu (David Baggett)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: meta-comp.sys.atari.st
Date: 12 Jan 1993 02:43:20 GMT
Organization: MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
NNTP-Posting-Host: case.ai.mit.edu

In article <C0pGL9.B9E@news2.cis.umn.edu> davidli@simvax.labmed.umn.edu writes:
>You needn't respond unless you really feel the urge.

I guess I'm just too rabid to resist.

>To Dave B. - Chill out.  You're becoming positively rabid in your posts
>to well-meaning Atari ST users.  

Oh, so "well-meaning" Atari ST users can dish it out, but they can't
take it, huh?  If I recall correctly, I was the one who got slammed
with a couple hundred "rabid" messages only a few months ago when this
all started.  Let's see ... was it my post about visiting Atari,
perhaps, that set everyone off?  Could it have been?  Yes, I think I've
got that right.  That and "Closed Architectures."

>I did find your posting on ST Picture
>Formats a refreshing change from the usual "you suck eggs" style that has
>become a favorite of yours.

Well, I'm glad you liked it.

>Remember, all the good things you've done for Atari ST users won't
>mean a thing when your gone; you'll be remembered as "That guy who
>hated anyone who liked the Atari ST".

Heh-heh.  Do you think I'm in this for ego gratification or something?
I really don't care if people remember that way, or any other way.
I care a lot more about preventing more people from getting sucked
into the Atari Lie by the rabid (correct word choice this time)
Atari fans, who -- either through ignorance or malice -- fabricate
data to get other people to sink money in a company that is the
biggest disgrace in the history of the personal computer industry.

I would CHANGE MY ATTITUDE OVERNIGHT if Atari got all new management
and started putting the pieces together and working on interesting new
prodcuts (and treating developers with respect) again.  WRITE THAT
DOWN.  I'll eat those words if they do it and I don't.

You paint a very simple-minded picture of my motivations.  You also try
to scare me out of saying what I think with predictions about my
"reputation."  Neither of these things is useful.

>As for those psychopaths out there who think that a few deaths are in
>order for the Tramiel family (you know who you are), get a life.  

I agree that wishing ill upon CEO's of companies you hate is out of line,
but I think the sentiment is well-taken.  How many people have the
Tramiels screwed out of money?  How many people have they sucked into
buying the computer equivalent of a junk bond?

>Or perhaps, you need to engage in some consensual sexual activities.
>Maybe both.

You're WAY more out of line here than anyone you mention.

>When you hear something of interest (and I *don't* mean stock quotes)
>about the ST, write about it.

Whoa, what's wrong with stock quotes?  How are they not appropriate
news in an Atari newsgroup?  It seems like you're asking people to be
POSITIVE fact-finders.  Sounds like a propaganda campaign to me.  By
all means, post the positive, but allow the negative to come through
without a fight as well.  I shouldn't have to take megabytes of abuse
just because I give 101 reasons why Atari could use some fixin', should I?

>You can regain a measure of control of this newsgroup, or you can let it
>become a source of personal pleasure for folks like Chris Mauritz, who don't
>even OWN an ST anymore; they just leave messages for the pure joy in watching
>you squirm.

Marshal your forces all you want.  You won't be able to twist reality
outside of your little universe no matter what you do.  If we all care
about Atari, we needn't take sides like that.  (And, as I've said about
three dozen times, evidently to deaf ears, I DO care about Atari.
Otherwise I wouldn't waste my time writing messages about their faults
or the inadequacies of their machines.  If you think I'M hard on your
Party Line, you should listen to what the Real World is saying.)

Dave Baggett
--
dmb@ai.mit.edu           MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory                  
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