As I've posted before, the way I read most Masque posts is to just read the first sentence in each paragraph. That reduces the post to one of normal length and usually conveys a decent summary. I've suggested to him he try to write a brief summary after typing his regular long post. That way he can type out all his ideas like always, with a summary of the main points at the end for those of us without time to read the details. He says he wouldn't have time to post as much if he took time to do that. I think that's a poor excuse. What Masque really doesn't want to do is to read his own post to see what he just said. Yet he expects us to read it.

Barring Masque acting on my suggestion, I will continue reading the first sentence of each paragraph. The rest of the paragraph usually amounts to repetition in various ways of the assertion he makes in the first sentence. Of course if there are calculations going on that's different. But for most topics he just does like everybody else, stating opinions as facts. These are of course my opinions and if anyone disagrees I will gladly point out that they may quite possibly be facts as well..

PairTheBoard

What a great word! I hadn't know of it before, thanks Mike. I'm adding it to my repertoire. It almost beats doppelganger but not quite.

No.* It is human nature and it is inevetable and impossible to change. When faced with someone who is inconsiderate of others in the group, humans don't give up hope** until the inconsiderate person either 1)wanders away to (presumably) annoy other people or 2) dies from internal bleeding due to the treatment they directly force the members of the group to apply.

*I'm assuming that you mean 'self-gratification' to mean something more than 'every action ever taken by a member of the species.'

**by 'hope,' I mean 'acting consistently as if they believe there is a chance that the inconsiderate person will change.'

There was no prejudgment. It is readily apparent that both parties are well-known to each other.

This is an incredibly incorrect statement about the human condition.

Writing style* is nebulous and ephemeral. It is also situational.

The "situational" bit is the hard part to change, which makes things look a bit more difficult to change than they actually are.

*read: personality

Brian, you don't need to change masque either.

Good thing language is very flexible. How considerate of it.

You are correct.

However, I've no plans* on changing how I act and interact with others. It is working out pretty well for me and most others and I see no need for me to change.

You aren't trying to tell me to act differently, are you? Seems a bit hypocritical if that is your intention.

*I don't even have any feels that I ought change. Should lose a few pounds and exercise more, but that doesn't seem relevant.

for all interested in this thread.

manipulation. successful manipulation.

kudos.

This is suprisingly wrong.

When faced with somethign gratifying, people rarely give up. When it's something they think would be good to change then they give up hope easily if it's no fun trying to change it.

Having a go at someone is gratifying for most of us, we all enjoy it. Some especially enjoy it if they have the crowd on their side vs a few. It's inevitably justified by saying the person deserves it or they are being worthy but that's generally hooey (even though it can be true as well)

I speak as somone who keeps going even when it's no fun. People think I'm odd and that's because it is odd.

Of course, just like when we talk about people being selfish. We can dumb it down to everythign we do is gratfyign or we wouldn't do it but that misses everything interesting.

I didn't want to get derailed or talk about that particular post but you make the point that the fact some might deem a post as nonsense doesn't mean that it is - not when it comes to the non-SMP type subjects.

It's another reason it would be better if we stuck to attacking the argument not the arguer. Or simply ignore post we have no interest in.

Great to see him post but I dont think it means Bruce is coming back.

One thing I was going to suggest, Masque, was that you do a kind of AMA thread. There would probably be a deal of interest in your work as a physicist, your influences, how you arrived at the ideas and position you have, etc. The amount of interest (e.g. from a mathematically literate but scientifically ignorant armchair reader like me) would of course depend on what level you were able to pitch it.

Also, I think there would be interest in the general culture of physics academia: job prospects, where the research funding is going, what's hot and what's not, etc.

Touché.

We don't have to try and change anybody to stand informed with anyone who declines un-welcomed behavior towards them. That's just creating a friendly and informative environment.

Touche touche.

Did he PM you that?

Sorry to hear.

Can we finally re-green Bruce and get things back in-line. I need help with these linear equations.

Maybe we can compromise. The mods can re-green him after he expounds on his contention that masque's math was correct, Bayes Theorem says we need to be bigoted against Muslims.

fyp

Usually doesn't mean always.

The topic is friendliness and sacrificing friendship and a friendly environment for the opinions of a majority who categorizes people in unfriendly terms is a contradiction.

Plus the environment allows for multiple hidden identities and has non-active participants (lurkers and non-SMP posters) so claims of majority are unreliable unless carefully verified.

In other words, lol poles.

It has nothing to do with it being gratifying. Most people get no enjoyment out of telling someone who sings poorly that they prefer that the person stops singing or work on singing more pleasantly or just do as those who aren't up to snuff do and just do it in the bathroom.