From: C Matthew Curtin <cmcurtin@research.megasoft.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 06:09:45 -0800 (PST)
To: "Timothy C. May" <tcmay@got.net>
Subject: Re: Getting attention the old-fashioned way
In-Reply-To: <v03007808aead2c1a14b4@[207.167.93.63]>
Message-ID: <199611121402.JAA02948@goffette.research.megasoft.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


>>>>> "Tim" == Timothy C May <tcmay@got.net> writes:

Tim> I sent him a note saying I would not give him such quotes.

I wonder if you're likely to have your refusal to give quotes quoted.

Tim> (methinks Vulis has a pretty strong latent
Tim> fixation, given his constant focus on certain topics and words).

Gee, I figured it was just a weak vocabulary.

Tim> Sad that journalists cater to this kind of thing. I guess
Tim> "personality pieces" are ever so much more popular than technical
Tim> pieces, or even careful explications of things like crypto
Tim> anarchy and the real implications of the tecnologies we are
Tim> involved with.

Sad, yes; surprising, no. It's been my experience that such things are
often dependant on the journalist's audience (i.e., is it a trade rag
like InfoWorld or the National Enquirier?) In any event, journalists
(and/or their publishers) aren't usually noted for doing things that
are interesting or important. Rather, they seem to have a preference
for writing and publishing what will sell. (Just as is the case with
TV talk shows, etc.)

What's worrysome is that the degenerates who concern themselves with
nonsense are numerous enough to make sufficient demand to keep the
mainstream press focused on such trivial matters, allowing more
significant things to go unreported outside of the small circles from
which they've originated.

It reminds me of something I saw on television while waiting for my
car to be serviced last week. A talk show was on (I think Jenny
Jones), and they brought on stage a woman who took her financially
troubled sister in. The man of the house (apparantly they were
unmarried, but had children together) ended up with the sister. During
the course of telling the story, they brought more and more of them
out, until they had all three people there in front of the
audience. Everyone on stage was yelling at each other, the audience
making judgemental comments to the people on the stage. I was
attempting to read, but the volume was so loud I couldn't help but be
distracted. A ridiculous commentary of the pathetic mentality of so
many people. (And some people actually wonder why my geek code
contains "!tv".)

-- 
Matt Curtin  cmcurtin@research.megasoft.com  Megasoft, Inc   Chief Scientist
http://www.research.megasoft.com/people/cmcurtin/   I speak only for myself.
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