[Foundation-l] Priorities

[Guillaume Paumier]

On 10/23/07, Gregory Maxwell <gmaxwell at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 10/23/07, Guillaume Paumier <guillom.pom at gmail.com> wrote:
> > I simply don't like peremptory statements that sound like "it's so
> obvious
>
> You will also, apparently, simply snip hard facts that disagree with
> your position.  :D


Oh not at all. I do agree the  English language Wikipedia has the biggest
viewership / size / etc. But these are figures. They cannot be extrapolated
to an abstract thingy called "success".

> that you must agree with me". Success is so hard to measure, and depends
> on
> > so many factors and personal feelings, that such vague arguments are
> > useless.
>
> I don't think "you must agree with me"  I said "Define success?"
> because I agree with the notion that success can't be trivially
> defined in a matter that everyone will agree with.


The "you must agree with me" was referring to Anthony's message, not yours.
When you (not you personnally) switch from numbers to opinions, you assume
everybody must share your way to define success. If the argument is "The
English language Wikipedia has the biggest viewership, so etc." or "The
English language Wikipedia has the biggest number of articles, so etc.", I
am totally ok with that. They are facts. They are a sound basis to a
discussion. Vague statements like "The English language Wikipedia is the
most successful" are not.

Maybe it's just my scientific bias that pushes me to rely on facts rather
than unspecific, abstract statements :)

-- 
Guillaume Paumier
[[m:User:guillom]]
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have
imagined." Henry David Thoreau