Ei J.

> I think if you stress this point, the majority of the list will agree
> with you that "proper english" is not a requirement and actually,
> considering bricolabs is mostly a "public south-to-south network", our
> use of english as a common (public) language can be seen as a
> colonialist leftover - or a kind favour to decadent western culture.

Yes, the existence of a shared protocol within a social system (community,
network) is a strange necessity that is demanding that we comply and yet
provides the (only!) possible conduit for connection. This goes for English as
it goes for IP (Internet Protocol) and for the metric system. All function
similarly to control us and our expressive energies in specific ways, pathways.
There is no connection without some kind of such protocol. Some are more
flexible and forgiving than others that are rigid and very *unforgiving* while
at the same time, flexibility carries the risk of mis-communication. This
presents us always with a paradox.

And, yes, perhaps I have a bit more restricted (but also deeper) understanding
of English, as a native speaker. But having lived in second-language situations
most of my adult life, when I am in such a situation, I always give respect to
the fact when others are using 'my' protocol, as I hope is returned when I am
using theirs.

Whenever a new protocol is picked up to be used, the user should be aware that
great damage may easily occur (in the communicative act) when the protocol is
not used 'correctly.'

History is littered with the bloody results of such mis-understandings!

If the Battles of Trafalgar and of Cape St Vincent had gone differently, indeed
we would not be mostly speaking English on this list. Pero la vida es un camino
extraño, eh?

> But I believe what moves John to intervene here is mostly your
> sarcasm, which can be easily perceived as offensive, especially for
> all those here lacking context about you and western cynical humor in
> general.

yes, at least emoticons or something. my god, hard humor deployed f2f is one
thing, and is a marvelous tool for subtle communication of emotive energies, but
with the reduced and narrow possibilities of this medium, jep, keep yer shit
2gether!

beautifully said:

> You see: if you want to create an un/common ground of discussion among
> very different people, minimalism is your friend.
> So to say, keep your shit together. :^)

jh
--


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John Hopkins
Watching the Tao rather than watching the Dow!
http://neoscenes.net/
http://tech-no-mad.net/blog/
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