From: glambert@pyramid.com (George Lambert)
Newsgroups: rec.music.gdead
Subject: "Won't Get Fooled Again" and other assorted ramblings
Date: 11 Nov 92 03:40:20 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: Pyramid Technology

Dateline: NETLAND

Hello folks,

Regarding the recent spate of references to DICKS and DACKS, here's the
scoop:  A secret society of former well known net.heads has been formed known
as the "Wheel".  I can't think of a better description of this than the 
one given me my a well placed, anonymous source (he may step forward and
claim credit for it at his leisure):
>
> the Wheel is a special Dead-Flames type mailing list set up by the "elders"
> of the net so that they didn't have to deal with the chaff on r.m.gd.
> there is an initiation process by which i mean they discuss you and if
> you are deemed worthy you are issued an invitation.  a net.friend of mine
> was accepted and found the whole thing so distasteful that he resigned.
> he told me and some other friends about it. subsequently he issued a
> public resignation to the Wheel.  that resulted in MXXX (sysadm of Wheel)
> resigning and evicting the Wheel from his machine.
>
DICKS and DACKS are acronyms that are not very pleasant, and I will, for the
time being, leave it to the person who coined them to define their meaning.
If nothing is forthcoming, either I or my correspondent will define 'em for
you all.  That person still posts here, by the way.

What is obvious about this secret society, and is the great irony of its
creation, is all that nasty ol' mudslinging, name calling, and basic 
problems with acceptance of other opinions has now cropped up in spades in
their little group.  It's kind of like going to Yosemite Valley in the
middle of summer to get away from it all, and discovering that it's more
congested there than the place you left!  Let me share with you a bit more
from my correspondence:

>
> the sad thing is that i have a number of people that i considered friends
> on this list.  it is weird to think of your friends hanging out with a
> bunch of people who say you are scum.  yeah, i've failed the initiation
> rites.
>
Not only do they, or some of them, think some of us, or all of us are scum,
there are a few, or more than a few, who, in their secret society, have come
to believe some of their fellow members are scum!  This is based on some
other pieces of correspondence containing actual postings from the society.
In short, they've succeeded in the creation of a perfect microcosmic model of
the macrocosmic entity they sought to escape.

Some of them continue to post here, so I guess they realise some of the
shortcomings of their electronic 'utopia'.  Others, well, they'll just be
others living in their own private Idaho.  As for myself, I choose the 
diversity of the net (although, thank heavens, I haven't apparently been
on the list of select inductees into this little piece of cyberspace, and
after, this, doubt that I shall be!  Oh well, I felt worse when Spock died
in Star Trek II :-))  Some of my reasons for this preference is contained
in the following exchange with my correspondent:

BEGIN QUOTE
"> 
> that's what i like about you, George, although we may disagree on things
> we have not resorted to name calling and i can always expect on the most
> polite of greetings when i see you in person.

"Thanks, again, XXXXX.  I certainly know we disagree on things, but hell, I
disagree with a LOT of people on things.  I still like 'em, and they like
me.  I think what you and I agree on is the RIGHT of people to be individuals,
and to respect those with the strength to be just that.  And while I agree
with your assessment that there is a dangerous amount of homogeneity
creeping (or has been there for quite some time, actually) amongst Deadheads, 
I still find a far greater number of independent characters there than in any 
other societal grouping I'm either forced or choose to hang out in.

"Even in your grouchiest moments on the net, XXXXXX, I've always respected you.
And, for that matter, I like you too.  The XXXXXX stuff was just one of
those 'you've got your opinion, I've got mine'...it never changed the 
degree of respect or the enjoyment I get out of seeing you at shows.
"> 
> following is a list of Wheel members and the resignation message of XXXXX
> and MXXX's response.
>         [This stuff has been deleted, but hey, we know who you are!
 	  Suffice to say that the messages were really pretty sad, the
	  hurt of what might've been not being realised very evident.]

"Thanks for the update on the Secret Society!  Somehow, the strains of 
"Won't Get Fooled Again" kept running through my head as I read it.  I was
never invited, for one, and why should I join even if I were?  I've got a 
few non-friends on that list, anyway.  All they've done is create a micro
version of the net.  Thanks, but my ego needs stroking by the really
BIG population that only the net can provide! :-)

"Elitism is always going to be a thread in the fabric of society.  Those in
the elite often find themselves beset with the same problems as the poor ol'
little folk :-).  That major problem is a lack of respect for other folks
opinions, and that is exactly what they've wound up with there.  That's the
normal situation, though...we ALL HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS, and each one of
us is justified for having them.

"[Many of these people are] honest though, and it looks like the duplicitous 
nature of the Wheel's organization now has a few of them questioning the reasons
for the Wheel, and their own involvement in it.

"On the other hand, there will always be secret societies, and if those folk
take some personal solace about being in one, I don't care.

END QUOTE

So, you may ask, what the hell am I posting this for?  Part of it is the person
in me that listens for the great Cosmic Giggle.  That evidences itself in the
already mentioned irony of what these 'elders' wound up creating for 
themselves.  Chalk one up for "Those who fail to learn from history are
condemned to repeat it."

Part of it is the old Berkeley student in me, who likes to expose things.  
This ain't Watergate, maybe we can put it in its place and call it 
Wheelgate, or ignore it completely.  That choice belongs, obviously, to each
and every one of you.  Many of you have wondered out loud what happened to
your old friends...well, sad to say, they aren't calling Elysium their home
town right now.  Nor should you deduce that everyone who left is hanging 
onto a spoke of the Wheel...some just went away, period.

I can't end this without explaining my own position on the net...I exposed them,
it wouldn't be fair if I didn't open my own kimono a bit.  I have disagreed
or outright flamed folks in the past on a variety of subjects.  It is my
belief that this is as it should be, and that is part of my opinion
paragraph above.  I had a marvelous flame war with a person several years
back regarding a rumor.  The funny thing about it all this time was that the
person I argued with had started the rumor in the first place!  He told a
mutual friend, and I passed it on.  Bygones will be bygones, and I wish that
person well.  I didn't care much for diamondback postings, voiced it, but
never really thought that I would stop that flow.

I have spent the better part of my time posting what I hope to have been
informational stuff - the "Now you know New Hotline", info on new cds, 
clarifications of historical stuff, that kind of poop.  I hope you've 
benefitted from some of those.  My work keeps me so busy I barely have time
to read the net anymore, let alone post, but as I get a chance to, I 
certainly intend to continue.

There have been some truly marvelous postings of late, folks, and those in
the Wheel who stiil dip their toes in these waters have some idea of what
the others have been missing out on.  The Cassady - Kerouac pieces are 
truly priceless, and well worth wading through whatever chaff exists in the
mind of the reader.  Bill Moore is an exceptionally funny individual, Joe
Hack actually keyed in well on the satire he claims to be portraying, eagle
is the best thing for stream of consciousness since Dylan (Thomas, that is),
Lara deserves net.goddess status for her kindness, Gail Edwards provides
us with very charming and wonderful anecdotes on her life and prods many to
share theirs.  There are many, many others, so don't feel slighted if
you're not mentioned.

In short, this net is a marvelous place of diversity and entertainment.  It
can be frustrating, yet it can be educational and enlightening.  The sheer
size of the damn thing is awesome, and I will continue to read it with
enthusiasm and post whenever I can.  Somebody recently posted that this thing
is addictive...I think they have something there.

And for you Wheelies out there, good luck in your little society.  You may
be depriving yourselves of a far richer canvas, but that is your choice.  I
don't think you wound up with anything better.  This net shall continue to
thrive, as Todd correctly pointed out.

Enjoy the diversity, and enjoy your lives outside the net.  Remember that 
that's where it's really at.

Gotta go, but

Now you know

George Lambert

"Whereever he goes the people all complain"