[Gllug] Yesterday's GLLUG meeting

[jonathanharker at jonathanharker.plus.com]

>On Sunday, 15 Sep 2002, John Southern wrote:
>>little deeper. Ivan has always been of the opinion that the lectures should 
>>be as technical as possible so the Gurus of the group would not be bored, 
>>leave and then the group collapse. Newbies were expected to RTFM and if they 
>>could not learn then tough! This does have the effect of limiting the pool of 
>>Linux experts in the capital and so keep potential incomes high.
>
>All else aside, the idea that talks every few months to an audience of
>a couple of dozen people measurably affect the London job market is
>preposterous; Ivan can work that out as well as anyone. The motivation
>you imply is absurd.

David,

For once there is actually nothing in your post I disagree with in particular. However, you asserted that John's comments were preposterous and absurd as a statement of fact, whereas their preposterity or absurdity is (in fact) only ever a matter of opinion. Confusion of fact and opinion is probably responsible for more human suffering throughout history than anything else(*).

On a forum that does not allow for body language or facial expression, and especially one such as this where we've all mostly grown out of gratuitous overuse of smileys, it is easy to take offence at things written in such a categorical way. But you are no doubt familiar with this.

If you had started your post with "In my opinion...", then it would not have appeared anywhere near so vitriolic(*). It is fine to say that others' ideas are absurd(*), but as long as you own and stand by your criticisms rather than decree them as categorical fact, and remove all opportunity for debate.

Again, pause and think through what would happen if we were all sitting in the pub around a few beers before you send your messages!

Luv Jon

---
*  In my opinion.

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