Doug, Owen, It's not one thread. The subject headers just make it look that way; actually there are several, all interleaved. They all recently seem to be about modeling in its various guises. It's very easy to yield to the temptation to get cosmic when you're talking about modeling, which tends to pull all sorts of other issues into the mix and first thing ya know people are discussing the nature of life and TOEs and stuff from various philosophical perspectives. That of course wakes up the Mad Linker (a role, not any specific person), and then we stop knowing what the question was anymore.
What you see here Is not a haiku, You have to ask the right question. Maybe we could agree on a partition of the "modeling" subject, or at least that one would help - i.e., the right questions. And what are those questions? Maybe we could agree on some protocol, where some threads would be more cosmic and some would talk about more specific questions. Anybody could violate the "minimal decency" rule, the "let's no get too strident " rule or the "let's not get too cosmic" rule, or the "overuse of links as arguments" rule etc., (make up your own) without penalty, but they'd agree to say they were violating it and maybe why. Fat Chance, but one can dream. C. Owen Densmore wrote: > I note, all you of many words, Doug was not answered. > > -- Owen > > On Jul 15, 2008, at 6:10 PM, Douglas Roberts wrote: > >> LORDY! >> >> You folks do go on and on. >> >> A humble request: *Could one of you, sort of, ...you know: Get To >> The >> Point?* >> >> I mean really. For *days* we've been inundated with vague >> postulations >> about math, music, ABMs, biomimicry (whatever that is) complexity >> (whatever >> *that* is) compression, fidelity of resolution, mental disorders >> (don't ask >> my opinion on this one), mentalism and calculus (cringe), etc. etc. >> etc. >> >> But, >> >> What is the point of this particular thread of expostulation? >> >> Because if it is "Complexity is", or some such, could somebody just >> please >> just say it? >> >> Thank you very much. >> > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org > > ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org