[From: Bruce Nevin (Tue 921222 10:44:42)]
(Rick, Marten) --
Gee, I wish you guys wouldn't huff and puff so much, it gets the
windows all fogged up.
And I hope you will keep on including elementary restatements of
what may seem obvious to you, at the risk even of seeming
patronizing in a 1-1 conversation. First, when the private
conversation is reposted for the rest of us (as I hope such
conversations generally always shall be) what is obvious to you
may be essential tutorial to less practiced folks like me. There
are a lot of different levels of expertise present, in a lot of
fields that intersect variously with PCT. Secondly, and I doubt
this process is unique to me, I find that the effort to state
clearly what seemed obvious often discloses things that were not
obvious. I think this has to do with participating in a
revolution with respect to fundamentals.
It seems to me that taking offense generally causes as much
trouble as giving it. Must be a social-PCT way of putting that.
I am extremely grateful for the forebearance and tact with which
my efforts at participating here have been met. Others have
commented on this quality, which is very rare indeed in the world
of electronic mail fora. Bill attributes it to a change in
perspective brought about in each of us by understanding the
nature of control. The jury is obviously out on that. But
whatever the reasons for it, I hope we continue always so.
Bruce
bn@bbn.com