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Re: [Gnu-arch-users] Re: in-tree pristines fatally wounded (merge-fest e


From: Stephen J. Turnbull
Subject: Re: [Gnu-arch-users] Re: in-tree pristines fatally wounded (merge-fest etc)
Date: Mon, 08 Dec 2003 01:46:47 +0900
User-agent: Gnus/5.1002 (Gnus v5.10.2) XEmacs/21.5 (celeriac, linux)

>>>>> "Samuel" == Samuel A Falvo, <Samuel> writes:

    Samuel> As soon as even *one* member of the party starts morphing
    Samuel> critical definitions to suit their particular needs,
    Samuel> without stating the presumptions behind the change, the
    Samuel> whole argument becomes nonsensical.

Not at all.  First, your phrasing of "starts morphing" doesn't apply
here.  Nobody changed the definition, we just happened to be using
different ones.  This happens all the time, unless you try to give all
definitions up front.

Second, when confusion becomes evident, you just state the definitions
being used, and if it seems likely for there to be confusion, somebody
uses a different term or a qualified version of the original term.  At
this point, if nobody will concede, then you get nonsense.

I'm happy enough to use the consensus definition of "society" if
someone will give one.  All I've done so far is to give some aspects
of the one I was using so that my words can be understood accurately,
but I'll change my phrasing if that makes it easier to understand.

-- 
Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences     http://turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp
University of Tsukuba                    Tennodai 1-1-1 Tsukuba 305-8573 JAPAN
               Ask not how you can "do" free software business;
              ask what your business can "do for" free software.




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