[From Rick Marken (950827.1030)]
Me to Ed Ford:
I humbly apologize for my sarcasm if it hurt you. That was certainly
not my intent.
Bill Powers (950827.0100 MDT) --
There are people who will not believe that.
Tell me about it.
Interesting, isn't it, how control systems will react against a
disturbance?
Well, kid, you got your reaction from Ed. You had to go pretty far to
get it, but you got it. So now what do you have?
Interesting, isn't it, how we look at interactions between control
systems with a particular bias? You choose to identify my side of the
conversation as a disturbance to Ed, implying that I was intentionally
poking away, with abusive remarks, at Ed's perceptions, until I finally
got a reaction.
In fact, if you look over the discussion of PCT applications, I think you
will see that, prior to the post that caused all the problems (_The
perfect program_, Rick Marken (950825.2300)) I had said nothing at all
that could reasonably be construed as sarcastic or abusive; I was simply
discussing the notion of "teaching rules".
Just before the notorious _The perfect program_ post, Ed Ford
(950825.daytime) made the following comments to me:
According to you, the ideal would be not to have signs on the road, in
buildings, etc. alerting the public to the local rules. I'd love to see you
run an inner city school based on what you have suggested.
This might blow your PCT mind, but I don't think a rule is a primary
goal.
Unfortunately, you didn't listen to LeEdna who clearly explained at
the conference that we held student discussions,
Maybe those who are questioning the practices and PCT principles
should read the discipline book several times.
I read these comments as condescending and insulting; they were a
disturbance to some perceptions of self-worth that I was controlling; the
result was a reaction in the form of _The perfect program_ post.
So it was actually Ed who poked away at my controlled variables until
he got a reaction -- or, at least, that's how I see it. Yet, for some
reason, you didn't say to Ed:
Well, kid, you got your reaction from Rick. You had to go pretty far to
get it, but you got it. So now what do you have?
I wonder why?
So I have concluded that it is just not worth staying on the net and
subjecting myself to condescending and insulting remarks, your castigations
of me for responding to them and your defense of those who make them.
But you and Mary are always welcome to stay at our place when you're
in town;-)
Best
Rick