Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!renner From: renner@uiucdcs.UUCP (renner ) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Can ideas be dangerous? - (nf) Message-ID: <5927@uiucdcs.UUCP> Date: Tue, 28-Feb-84 22:36:39 EST Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.5927 Posted: Tue Feb 28 22:36:39 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 2-Mar-84 06:42:16 EST Lines: 32 #R:ihuxl:-93300:uiucdcs:29200106:000:1552 uiucdcs!renner Feb 28 18:36:00 1984 > The bottom line of all this is that I think that there are a lot of > ideas that get spouted in this news group that are very dangerous. > ... I realize that it is not possible or desireable to restrain these > people from proposing these ideas, but I believe that they should be > rebutted as firmly and quickly as possible. I also don't think that it > is out of line to make certain deductions about the intelligence and/or > knowledge of the proposer, either. -- Phil Polli I am not convinced that an idea, in and of itself, can be dangerous. This might be an interesting topic for further discussion. I do agree with Phil Polli that it is dangerous to let certain ideas go unchallenged, and I believe that such proposals should be rebutted with the best arguments available. Personal attacks have no place in these rebuttals. Cheap shots and degrading insults are no substitute for a good counter-argument. The usual effect of insults on the net is to shift attention from the issue to the nature of the insults. When I see such an article, I conclude that either the author cannot write a valid counter-argument, or that he hopes to prevent dicussion of the issue entirely. Also, one should make sure that the idea rebutted is actually the idea proposed. It's easy to twist a proposal into something easily refuted. However, unless your intent is to convince others through deception, or to prevent any discussion through confusion, this tactic will not serve your purpose. Scott Renner {ihnp4,pur-ee}!uiucdcs!renner