From: dmb@xbar.ai.mit.edu (David Baggett)
Newsgroups: rec.music.misc
Subject: Re: Ray Shea Goes Ballistic (was Re: Top 10 bands of all time)
Date: 20 Nov 92 06:24:42 GMT
Organization: MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
NNTP-Posting-Host: xbar.ai.mit.edu

In article <1992Nov19.061600.29133@netcom.com> dx@netcom.com (dx) writes:
>But the whole point is that it's *fun* to read these posts.  It's what
>makes Usenet-life worth living, isn't it?

You actually sounded reasonable until you got past this paragraph.

>> It could equally be argued that no one knows who you are, nor
>> ..., just because *you're* a faceless Usenet poster.
>
>Can it?  Is it true that RAY SHEA HAS NO FACE?

met.a.phor \'met-*-.fo.(*)r, -f*r\ \.met-*-'fo.r-i-k*l, -'fa:r-\ 
   \-i-k(*-)le-\ n [MF or L; MF, metaphore, fr. L metaphora, fr. Gk, fr. 
   metapherei]n to transfer, fr. meta- + pherein to bear - more at BEAR : a 
   figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind  of 
   object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy 
   between them (as in the ship plows the sea); broadly : figurative language 
   - met.a.phor.i.cal aj

>That's right, *in this thread*.  The point you seem to miss is that many
>of us are very familiar with Ray's musical background.

I don't miss that point at all; I just don't think it gives him the
right to spew his nausiating attackings on people with opinions that
differ from his.  O Superior Ray's opinions, particularly on as stupid
a topic as "The Top 10 Bands," have just as much validity as anyone
else's.  But because you (pl.) seem to view him as knowing something
about music (and I'm *sure* he's quite alone in that), you exempt him
from common courtesy.

The point *YOU* seem to miss is that there exist people who have been
reading this group for a long time without feeling the need to post
their personal musical resumes, but who are getting pretty sick and
tired of the lack of decency and civilized discussion here.

Case in point: I still have *yet* to see any of you musical
sophisticates actually address any of the content of my reply to Ray's
ranting.  COULD IT BE that if you can't dispatch your victims posthaste
that you don't really want to contribute?  COULD IT BE that you're
really more interested in tearing people down rather than discussing
the topics at hand?  Of course not!  This is the rec.music.misc God
Club we're talking about!  They're ABOVE that sort of petty behavior.
I mean, we're not talking about newbies who haven't learned basic
etiquette yet!

>Some of us have been on the playground a few more periods than others.

Some of us are *really* slow leaners when it comes to social skills.

>Do you ever get the sense that there is a fuckwad of subtext being
>transmitted through his group, and it's all flying by you?

No, the word you're looking for is not "subtext;" your confusing it
with "bile."

But I *do* get the impression that this group is dominated by a small
cadre of people who consider themselves musically superior to everyone
else here, and feel it appropriate to crap all over anyone who says
something that goes contrary to their opinions, or *GOD FORBID* doesn't
follow standard typographical conventions.

No, I get the sense that this group is dominated by a "fuckwad" of
snobs, frankly, who are killing any chance for reasonable discussion of
*anything* in a group that has a broad charter.

>> ... And don't put your foot in your mouth and ask if
>> I've ever listened to any jazz.
>
>I would think that if Ray were going to ask you that, he'd do so with both
>of his feet planted firmly on the ground.  Right, Ray?

Why don't you all just join hands and dance in a circle for us?  You're
*such* good friends and you know *so* much.  Right, Ray?  Kiss, kiss.

"Fuckwad" indeed.

Dave Baggett
--
dmb@ai.mit.edu           MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory                  
ADVENTIONS: interactive fiction (text adventures) for the 90's!
dmb@ai.mit.edu *** Compu$erve: 76440,2671 *** GEnie: ADVENTIONS