31st March 2003, 5:22 PM
Remember all "others", don't read too much into what I have to say to this guy. Aside from direct, and I mean direct and specific statements of my opinions, nothing in here is meant to actually reflect my thoughts on the rightness or wrongness of a certain choice of lifestyle (you sexual beings and your hangups...).
CartoonDevilWithAngerManagementProblems: Well, first Darunia, then nick, now you. Well, there is a slight difference I suppose. It's one thing to have the personal belief that such actions are wrong. I don't have any problem with that, since it's pretty much the same as the Amish thinking using modern technology is wrong if you accept that sexual orientation is a choice. However, the Amish are far more civil about it than you are being. All they call us tech users is "English", and they exist very peacefully and happily with the rest of us, not trying to punish us or insult us for this sinful electricity filled life of ours (for the most part, I'll say I never met a rude amish person anyway). However, you take it too far. When it comes to doin's a transpirin', if you think it's wrong, granted. Go ahead and sit down and have a talk with them about it (if they agree to listen of course, don't force it), but outright hating them for it is no way to get your point across, or should they never decide to change their mind to your point of view (hey I'm working with ya here boy, listen up I'm talkin' to ya (nice kid but he doesn't seem aware of his own ears)). Viewing it as a sin is one thing, but we are all evil in our own ways. Many people are out there doing things that can be considered a sin. For instance, I know many a software pirate as close friends. I'm not going to beat them up or insult them constantly for it though (like I could beat them up anyway...). It's somethinng I leave for them to work out. At a certain point, I made my stance on it, but I don't continue from there. It's just niceness. While I DO believe software pirating is wrong, it's nothing so bad that I need to do something about it like right then. When people are getting murdered in front of me, or classical theft is going on (you know, standard physical stealing), THEN I do more than just mention I think it's wrong. It's one of those things about us humans. We discern levels of it and punish according to the level of the crime. Murder right by you? That's something you better try to stop up to the point of removing the immediate threat (hopefully via simple disarming and restraining until police can arrive). Software piracy? Best just to leave it be rather than risk causing something even worse (two wrongs don't make a right, don't do property damage to stop piracy, or yell or something). In other words, you see it as wrong, fine, but of all the minor stuff to get mad at, why are you SO focused on that? I often wonder why I don't see groups of people stringing up liars by their toes... (um, well actually I do believe that did happen in the old west if someone was ripping someone off with a bad land deed or something, but you get my point), but this seems like such a big deal. Really, you should learn to calm yourself and focus on far more important things. Despite what you may see as one of their problems, if they aren't doing direct damage, try and live with it and see the potential good things they can do. This applies to people you know as liars, TV executives, tax collectors, and so on.
CartoonDevilWithAngerManagementProblems: Well, first Darunia, then nick, now you. Well, there is a slight difference I suppose. It's one thing to have the personal belief that such actions are wrong. I don't have any problem with that, since it's pretty much the same as the Amish thinking using modern technology is wrong if you accept that sexual orientation is a choice. However, the Amish are far more civil about it than you are being. All they call us tech users is "English", and they exist very peacefully and happily with the rest of us, not trying to punish us or insult us for this sinful electricity filled life of ours (for the most part, I'll say I never met a rude amish person anyway). However, you take it too far. When it comes to doin's a transpirin', if you think it's wrong, granted. Go ahead and sit down and have a talk with them about it (if they agree to listen of course, don't force it), but outright hating them for it is no way to get your point across, or should they never decide to change their mind to your point of view (hey I'm working with ya here boy, listen up I'm talkin' to ya (nice kid but he doesn't seem aware of his own ears)). Viewing it as a sin is one thing, but we are all evil in our own ways. Many people are out there doing things that can be considered a sin. For instance, I know many a software pirate as close friends. I'm not going to beat them up or insult them constantly for it though (like I could beat them up anyway...). It's somethinng I leave for them to work out. At a certain point, I made my stance on it, but I don't continue from there. It's just niceness. While I DO believe software pirating is wrong, it's nothing so bad that I need to do something about it like right then. When people are getting murdered in front of me, or classical theft is going on (you know, standard physical stealing), THEN I do more than just mention I think it's wrong. It's one of those things about us humans. We discern levels of it and punish according to the level of the crime. Murder right by you? That's something you better try to stop up to the point of removing the immediate threat (hopefully via simple disarming and restraining until police can arrive). Software piracy? Best just to leave it be rather than risk causing something even worse (two wrongs don't make a right, don't do property damage to stop piracy, or yell or something). In other words, you see it as wrong, fine, but of all the minor stuff to get mad at, why are you SO focused on that? I often wonder why I don't see groups of people stringing up liars by their toes... (um, well actually I do believe that did happen in the old west if someone was ripping someone off with a bad land deed or something, but you get my point), but this seems like such a big deal. Really, you should learn to calm yourself and focus on far more important things. Despite what you may see as one of their problems, if they aren't doing direct damage, try and live with it and see the potential good things they can do. This applies to people you know as liars, TV executives, tax collectors, and so on.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)