[PLUG] Filtering - was AK..

[Keith Lofstrom]

I was interested in last night's topic - and also on deadline
to finish a business plan, so regretfully did not attend. 


Intelligent people can have many different inputs, and viewpoints,
outside of a shared interest in Linux.   Some of you are aware of
my political viewpoints, some of you who aren't might be offended
by them.  Some people are offended by the opinions of others,
and I am offended by their offense (a hint at my politics).

But what we share:  the opinion that FLOSS software is wonderful
(whatever you label it), a desire to help each other, ideas,
skills, knowledge, cameraderie - that is worth putting up with a
lot of offense.  Truly free communities are defined by the range
of activities and ideas they permit and even foster.  As Voltaire
biographer Evelyn Beatrice Hall wrote, "I disapprove of what you
say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

Protecting our community means defending quirkiness, even borderline
madness.  Sometimes it means the self-discipline of filtering what
we hear, passing through information and real threats but ignoring 
offensive blather.  For those of us who can manage some discipline
(like me 15% of the time), it means filtering our own output, showing
more respect for the fragility of our audience than our right (in a
free society) to offend them.  Your true worth as an individual is
measured by what you give, not by what you demand.

Local Perlmonger Michael Schwern (an wise old sage in a young body)
observes that geeks have the filter on the input, and no filter on
the output.  Normals have the filter on the output, and none on the
input.  When a geek talks to a normal, no filter, much offense.  
When a normal talks to a geek, two filters, seeming insincerity.
When an intelligent person talks to anybody (or everybody), they
gauge the audience and tailor the words to them;  the only time
they ignore the needs of the audience is when nobody is listening.

Someday, with luck, I may be intelligent, and my friends will be
less irritable.  Until that happy day, much forgiveness needed.

Keith

-- 
Keith Lofstrom          keithl at keithl.com