Disputation

I dislike arguments of any kind. They are always vulgar, and often convincing.
-- Oscar Wilde

Monday, February 22, 1999
One year ago: Swimming

Yesterday Columbine wrote me about my mention of an article on the swing revival. The piece linked a dance craze and fashion trend with a politcal return to the good old days, and I'd called it "unmitigated crap." She said, "I've never once seen you use language that strong before." I did feel that the author was wrong in what she wrote, and her general philosophy and attitudes are far from mine, but I wrote all the same, to alert her of the discussion on the swing-seattle-chat list. Tonight I sent her a compile of most of the related messages from last week. I wonder if she'll join the list to present her side?

Speaking of strong language, that's what they were talking about on journal-l today. I'm not against swearing or profanity on moral grounds, but it usually doesn't creep into my writing, dammit! (Is Jay really quitting? what a shame!)

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I like it when things go right for a friend. If you aren't on VJ's notify list, you are missing out!

Wally is an award winner! He won in the humor category for Washington State websites. For some reason, Jack laughed and laughed when I wondered aloud about what would qualify a site as being "in" Washinton State. The ISP has a business license here? The author lives here? Anyway, since they accepted self-nominations, I'd certainly have put my name in the personal website bucket, if I'd known. I think all you get is glory, though; no cash prizes here.

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I'd been thinking about a post to a fannish mailing list I'm on (fannish, in the science fiction fan sense) for the past few days, and I actually did send it tonight. People were comparing the experience of doing paper zines with doing websites. My heart sank when I thought about talking about web philosophy with people who have quite a different view of the web than I do. I've been participating in such arguments for such a long time (since 1996!). I don't enjoy debating in the first place, and the nature of the web is really a work-related topic for me. But I did send off a few paragraphs, about how you'll let yourself in for a world of hurt if you try for "precise web design" -- the web just doesn't work that way!