On Fri, 22 Nov 2002, Poor, Edmund W wrote:

Larry, why so bitter? Haven't I always shown you respect and spoken to you with civility? And people like kq and April and Zoe and elian and Brion and many, many more are so unfailing polite and courteous and helpful, too.

Oh, believe me Ed, I certainly wasn't complaining about everyone. Certainly *not* about you and the people you mention.

I think I know why I'm bitter (and you're right--I am--I won't accuse you of asking a complex question ;-) ). I have a tendency to be embroiled in difficult controversies because those are precisely the controversies that I pick, and, sometimes, create. As a result, I wind up getting slammed more than people who perhaps wisely choose to avoid such battles, or who (like you) state their positions in a gentler, less pointed fashion.

This is a damn shame, really, because if I were simply to work quietly on philosophy and other subjects I know about, people wouldn't pay me any mind at all. :-)

I guess I can look forward to doing that after a break.

I have more hope than ever for the success of Wikipedia.

I tend to agree now--my faith is renewed, though given Jimbo's remarks it seems it needn't have been shaken in the first place.

Your sifter idea is a great adjunct, by the way. (Magnus said he's going to make me an admin on that project, after the nice things I said about his 0.01 and 0.02 versions of the software.) Everyone will by trying like the dickens to get the coveted "Larry Award" -- the encyclopedic equivalent of a Pulitzer Prize!!

Puhleez...

A little refactoring, a little civility -- why, I think we can even get Julie to come back!

Maybe!

Take some time off, smell the flowers, and then jump in again: the water's fine!!!

Yes, I'm looking forward to a break.

Larry