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Todd Lehman <lehman@javanet.com> wrote in article
<Fq3o8y.6nK@lugnet.com>...
> In lugnet.market.theory, Allan Bedford writes:
> > > For example, if it was just about anyone other than Larry (or maybe a • few
> > > others) who had posted what Larry did, then it certainly may have • raised
> > > a few eyebrows. How do we explain to newbies, for example, that what
> > > Larry did was an extremely delicate gray-area case, probably not • something
> > > to be followed by example?
> >
> > Why is it that if someone else had done this it would likely have been • more
> > controversial?
>
> I think it's because people who know Larry (and that's a lot of people) • know
> that he wouldn't do something questionable on purpose[1] (or probably • even
> accidentally, because he "doesn't make misteaks").
I'm glad you used that last little quote. It highlights my point exactly.
I've been reading LUGNET for well over a year. I read probably 30 - 40
different messages a day, both via NNTP and the web interface. I read
messages from all sorts of people, in all sorts of groups. But I have
absolutely no idea what this 'misteaks' thing is, or how it relates to
Larry and his posting abilites/priviledges. You see, for all the postings
I've read, and many by Larry, I've yet to discover what it is that makes
Larry any different than any other person on LUGNET. I've been here since
1998 and I still feel like a newbie. I understand that many people revere
him but I do not know the history behind it. No offense Larry, but I
thought you were just another person interested in LEGO like the rest of
us. :)
So my question is, how can even newer newbies grasp what's going on, and
understand not to follow Larry's example?
> So it's not that it's OK simply because it was Larry and everything Larry
> does is automatically OK, it's the other way around: because it was • Larry,
> there's a much higher probability that it was OK. Now, whether or not it
> actually *was* OK (that's open to debate) is a separate issue. But • because
> it was Larry, and people trust Larry, it's got much less of a chance of • being
> controversial. That's my take on it, anyway.
Ummm..... you lost me at the third OK. Todd, were you a math teacher in
another lifetime? :)
> > In other words... Todd, you hint in your response that what Larry did • was
> > *somewhat* incorrect, but because it's Larry it's really not as bad.
>
> Well, not quite... It's not 'less bad' if Larry does Xyz than if someone
> else does Xyz. Xyz (if Xyz is bad) is equally bad no matter who does it.
>
> But if Larry happens to be the first person to do Xyz (as opposed to some
> other randomly chosen person) then there's a higher chance that Xyz is OK
> than bad, because statistically, Larry's behavior is very very far from
> bad. That's why I think no one (except me) jumped on him for it.
See above comment about math teacher. :)
> > But you don't tell us why. If Larry is to be held in such high regard,
> > should he not try to lead by example?
>
> Well, that's part of the reason I thought it was worth jumping on.
O.K. this I understood.
> > Instead it becomes, "Do as I say, not as I do." And for newbies like • me
> > who don't know why Larry can do something we can't, it becomes terribly
> > confusing.
>
> That's the heart of the issue (in my mind) -- newbies seeing what Larry • did
> and thinking it was OK. In my mind, what Larry did was _not_ OK (even if
> well-intentioned), but his post was *so* borderline that I think I'm the • only
> one who sees is that way.
Well... I saw the questionability of it, but originally choose not to get
involved, because I'm not normally interested in participating in this sort
of thing on LUGNET, or Usenet in general for that matter. (ironically, here
I am, getting involved)
> > [...]
> > Again, how is a newbie to know that Larry *may* or *may not* have been • at
> > or near a grey area?
>
> Exactly.
So should there be a Larry P. FAQ for newbies to read, to better understand
Larry's history within the LEGO/LUGNET/RTL community? I say this only half
tongue-in-cheek. I wonder if sometimes these problems occur because
someone who doesn't understand another person's background or history jumps
on them or their postings when it isn't always appropriate?
Regards (with less confusion swirling in the air)
Allan
--
Expert Builder Website - The Megaproject Showcase
http://www.execulink.com/~apotome/expert.htm
I suspect follow-ups may want to go to:
lugnet.off-topic.debate
I think this is way off topic for this group by now.
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| (...) I think it's because people who know Larry (and that's a lot of people) know that he wouldn't do something questionable on purpose[1] (or probably even accidentally, because he "doesn't make misteaks"). So it's not that it's OK simply because (...) (24 years ago, 18-Feb-00, to lugnet.market.theory)
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