"Timberwoof" inferNOnoSPAMsoft.com> wrote...
in message
news:timberwoof.spam-200A4C.13355212082008@nnrp-virt.nntp.sonic.net...

That depends. Ptolemy mathematically "proved" the
falsehood of geocentrism. At that time, this was the
sitting paradigm for perhaps thousands of years, and
Ptolemy's work served to strengthen it so well that it
continued to be the accepted "truth" until Galileo's
findings were *finally* "approved". Nobody NOBODY
did anything hurtful to Ptolemy because he effectively
spread the untruth, myth and falsehood of geocentrism.

It's just not all black 'n white, TW. One person's trash
is another's treasure. What you consider to be myth
might be the most important thing in another person's
whole life. If it's a controversial thing, then who's to
say you're right and the other guy's wrong, or vice
versa?

If even a cursory study of religion doesn't make this
crystal clear to you, nothing will. Not to mention the
other members of the "Big Four" taboo list: politics,
race, and sex.

Yet in the realm of science, the controversies are
more limited, but they still do exist. And thank the
powers that be, because if there were nothing for us
to argue about, we'd go find someplace else to hang
out where there was something for people to argue
about.

Hah! Just because the Universe *appears* to be
expanding based upon our sadly limited physical point
of view does not necessarily mean that this is the case.
And even if it actually *is* the case, it does not
necessarily follow that the Universe will continue to
expand indefinitely, as the mainstream also accepts.

There are still way too many variables for you to feel
justified in your name-calling on this one.

And here's something about UseNet that really takes
me back when i think about it. Too many years ago
for me to like it, a study was performed regarding all
the flaming that was going on at the time. Believe
me, back then there were literally no stops, nothing
legal or otherwise to slow down the way people went
at each other. However, this was all great fun for
some people to just lurk and watch. The people who
ran UseNet at the time estimated that for some of the
newsgroups there were hundreds, even thousands of
lurkers (people who read but never posted).

So they attempted to corral these lurkers in a study,
asking what they thought about this and that. They
received a pretty significant response, too, BTW.
And one of the things that came out of this study was
sort of a reverse from what had been expected. When
it came to the subject of flaming, the lurkers would
associate the names called with the _name callers_
rather than with those posters who were being called
the bad names. Specifically, if someone called
another poster a "pan fried asshole with shit for
smegma", the lurkers would remember the *flamer*
as being the pan fried asshole, etc.

So they found that the name calling, as far as other
readers are concerned, works against the flamer,
and ultimately not against the flamee. The "cabal"
of UseNet [tinc] published the results, but don't be
concerned. The flaming, stalking, etc., didn't really
slow down till people started getting sued, fined
and jailed. The whole thing was, to me, completely
and deliciously rib-tickling!

And it is one reason why i try to always refer to all
posters as "sweet, kind, generous with praise, and
one of the most wise and intelligent persons i've
*ever* had the privilege to read!" (the study
also showed that good name calling works the
same way as bad name calling)

happy days and...
starry starry nights!

--
Indelibly yours,
Paine Ellsworth

P.S.: Thank *YOU* for reading!

P.P.S.: http://painellsworth.net