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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: J. C. Dithers who wrote (48004)	5/19/2002 6:27:05 PM
From: The Philosopher	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

Those are legitimate concerns. The question, though, is whether you should let another poster's issues or limitations control your posting behaviors. That, IMO, makes it a somewhat different question. One can ask two very distinct questions. One, what responsibility if any do people who enjoy the repartee have to moderate their posting when they come across posters who can't handle it at their level? Two, what responsibility if any do people who can't handle the repartee have to avoid the environment where they might get hurt? It's an issue that permeates many areas of society. If I join a poker game at a casino, and one player is noticeably weaker than the other players, do I have an obligation to play around him and not take advantage, or do I have the right to figure if he wants to be in the game he's fair game and play my hardest? And if he does lose all his money, and more than he could afford to lose, whose fault is it? If I join a pick-up basketball game and find that I'm outclassed, do I have an obligation to leave the game to avoid getting hurt, or do the other players have an obligation to temper their games to my level? And if I do get hurt, whose fault is it? These issues don't have easy answers. And there are many people who resent that the questions are even asked.

To: J. C. Dithers who wrote (48004)	5/19/2002 6:38:37 PM
From: epicure	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 82486

We cause harm and do good all the time in 3d and in cyber space, and much of the time the good or harm is unforeseen. We are very limited creatures. We can imagine that we are causing less harm choosing one path over another, but I doubt it actually works out that way (save for obviously violent people, although even then, they may cause positive things- I just don't know, and haven't looked into it). Chains of causation are simply too complex for us poor little human critters to fathom. Reflection is somewhat useful after this kind of event, but the next event which is similar will be dissimilar enough to make comparisons useless. I think you need to do whatever you are comfortable with, but be aware that where ever you go and what ever you do, you will be affecting other people in ways you cannot imagine. Most of the time though (especially in 3d) you don't know how you've affected them- which doesn't make the results any different, but you might be more comfortable with that. I don't see the difference myself. That's just my opinion based on how I see the world. You may very possibly see it all differently.