Damon Knight's quotes at the end of EP116: Ej-Es

[SFEley]

Let's not gang up here, folks.

Dex, we don't delete accounts.  Not on request, anyway.  I hope you'll participate whenever you see fit, and that whether you hang around the forums or not, you continue to enjoy our podcasts.  Best wishes to you and all your work.

[eytanz]

It's possible for a person to delete their own account by going to profile and clicking the link on the left that says "delete this account". At least, I think it is - I obviously have no interest in actually testing this.

[Russell Nash]

It's possible for a person to delete their own account by going to profile and clicking the link on the left that says "delete this account". At least, I think it is - I obviously have no interest in actually testing this.

Try it out and get back to us. 

[Rachel Swirsky]

" I'm not particularly interested in defining SF, but if I were to give a working definition, I'd probably find it easiest to give one designed on excluding stuff based on subjective criteria (such as an impressionistic feeling of "this goes together with this")"

Me too, Eyetanz. I was reacting to what I felt was the thrust from some people in the discussion, but I didn't want to get too personal about that. Instead, I was vague and said something incorrect. Sorry. :-D

[Charlot.L]

I'm pretty much staying out of this thread for various reasons.  However, there is one thing that caught my eye in this, and I want to comment on the metaissues it raises:

If you do not want to define SF then you must answer the interesting question as to why you do not do not want to define Science Fiction.

Leaving aside the (accidental?) double negative near the end:  I disagree.  No one has any responsibility to answer this question.

Some people find it valuable and rewarding to analyze their entertainment to this depth.  I think that's great; more power to you.  Some people do not.  They would rather simply be entertained, or provoked, or inspired without this level of reflection upon the medium.  The point I want to make here, and this is very important, is that the choice not to reflect is equally valid.

You may not agree.  That's fine.  You don't have to.  The only thing you can't do is give people a hard time about it.  At least not here.  All opinions on a work are welcome and valued equally, whether it's "This was fun, whoo, dolphins having sex!" or a fifteen-page deconstructionist thesis proving the fundamental thematic emptiness of the work.  The deconstructionist and Dolphin Boy may not like each other, but the position of this community is that neither can challenge the other's right to express their opinion as they see fit.

I'm also aware that I can be perceived, in some of my recent statements, to be giving a hard time to you and other "Does this fit under the definition of SF?" people.  So I want to make my own position clear: I'm not against the discussion itself.  I think it's a good discussion.  I'm glad it's happening in this thread.  I won't lie and say I dig it personally; after a certain threshold, much shallower than yours, this form of rhetoric is really not my cup of tea.  But as long as nobody's under compulsion to read it or participate, I don't have to dig it personally.  The community doesn't run on my personal tastes alone.  The reason I've gotten tetchy on it in recent weeks is that the question, once it surfaces, seems to break out into argument and take over any thread (particularly story feedback threads) it manifests in, suppressing feedback from people who'd rather not address it.  That concerns me.  That's what I want to keep an eye on.

And that's why language like "you must answer the question" makes me wary, Dex.  I really hope this discussion keeps going as long as people want to continue with it.  But understand that yours is one of many equal opinions -- and that, from the perspective of the community, opinions that you don't perceive to be nearly as thought-out as yours, or even opinions that are nothing but the lack of an opinion, are also equal in value. 

If this offends you, alas.  But it's the way it has to work.

You are so wrong by trying to say that their is only one way to say something.  You really had to try hard to find something wrong with what was said and when you did you only could find one word "must".  When you were you shown that you were wrong about it you picked on another thing.  If that was wrong I'm sure you would look for something else to pick on.  You didn't answer the post because it was not said gentle enough for you? Yea, right.  I'm mad. Be upfront you don't like what the guy is saying.  Don't hide behind something else. I listen to Escapepod and then read the reviews. I don't write because I see the same thing there.  People jump all over someone over one word. But I joined today because your post upset me.  My parents came to New York from Haiti.  When we were young we lived outside of New York City but the yahoos didn't like us so we moved into the city.Now I'm in Georgia going to school and I see the same thing.  If you don't talk or dress or look like me you are the wrong one.

[SFEley]

FORUM ADMIN ANNOUNCEMENT

Hi, "Charlot."  Couldn't help noticing that you've made this post from the same IP address that Dex used to make his last post. 

I'm not an idiot.  And I will not tolerate this sort of half-assed deception and trolling on these boards.

That IP address has been banned.  If you try this again from a different address, you'll be caught and you'll be banned again.  You're not nearly as clever as you think you are.

I'm keeping this public because I believe Dex should be embarrassed by what he's just attempted, and also a notice to everyone else.  Anyone here is welcome to express any opinion, so long as it's not a direct personal attack on others; but if you try to jerk around the community and play childish head games, you don't get two strikes.  I will not have this place fall to the lowest common denominator.

[SFEley]

Oh, and this thread is locked.  Have a nice day.