From: Dale Thorn <dthorn@gte.net>
Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 21:55:35 -0800 (PST)
To: Blanc Weber <blancw@microsoft.com>
Subject: Re: The Purpose of the List
Message-ID: <199701220555.VAA18989@toad.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Blanc Weber wrote:
> If the cpunk list discusses only crypto, then mathematician-programmers
> will do their cold work in an isolation which eliminates the need to
> think about the consequences of their actions.
> So discussions on philosophy, society, etc., are important, to remind
> everyone of the context within which this subject operates.
> However, if "community feeling" is the only thing created on the list,
> and crypto is no longer the focal topic, then what is to be
> accomplished: the list will become just a playing ground for wayward
> KOTM PhDs who are not welcome in most other cyberspaces.
> So the question of "how will this impact society", must maintain
> association with "but how does this relate to crypto?".  (unless the
> list has changed its stripes, evolving into something completely
> different, which many will agree it has).

It can be said 100,000 times, but it still comes out the same:
Just as in "The only cure for bad speech is more speech", "the only
cure for 'list-focus-drift' is more on-focus postings".