Thurn, Thurn, Thurn (und Taxis, too!)

J. Eric Townsend writes:

>Eric Hughes writes:
> >      alt.w.a.s.t.e
>
>please make it alt.waste, or alt.w-a-s-t-e if you must have seps
>between letters.  The additional '.' characters will cause a
>hierarchy:
>
>alt.w
>alt.w.a
>alt.w.a.s
>alt.w.a.s.t
>alt.w.a.s.t.e

For the first 3/4 of "The Crying of Lot 49," Oedipa Maas thinks she is
seeing "WASTE" written on boxes and mail drops. It is only later, as she is
travelling through Berkeley by AC-DC ("standing for Alameda County Death
Cult"), that she notices the periods, writ very small (.).

So calling our cyberspace mail drop "alt.waste" would have resonances with
this Oedipal error, allowing the correcting of newbies.

Don't Ever Antagonize the Horn.

(I hear you crying "No maas!," so I'll stop with the puns.)


-Tim


--
Timothy C. May         | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,  
tcmay@netcom.com       | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
408-688-5409           | knowledge, reputations, information markets, 
W.A.S.T.E.: Aptos, CA  | black markets, collapse of governments.
Higher Power: 2^756839 | Public Key: by arrangement
Note: I put time and money into writing this posting. I hope you enjoy it.

Timothy C. May says:
> J. Eric Townsend writes:
> 
> >Eric Hughes writes:
> > >      alt.w.a.s.t.e
> >
> >please make it alt.waste, or alt.w-a-s-t-e if you must have seps
> >between letters.  The additional '.' characters will cause a
> >hierarchy:
> >
> >alt.w
> >alt.w.a
> >alt.w.a.s
> >alt.w.a.s.t
> >alt.w.a.s.t.e
> 
> For the first 3/4 of "The Crying of Lot 49," Oedipa Maas thinks she is
> seeing "WASTE" written on boxes and mail drops. It is only later, as she is
> travelling through Berkeley by AC-DC ("standing for Alameda County Death
> Cult"), that she notices the periods, writ very small (.).
> 
> So calling our cyberspace mail drop "alt.waste" would have resonances with
> this Oedipal error, allowing the correcting of newbies.

Yes, Tim, but none the less creating newsgroups with .s used as
puncutation instead of as heirarchy seperators is considered Very
Rude. I think there is no reason for us to do something that is
considered Very Rude even if it is a good joke. Dashes are likely a
good compromise.

Perry

> > So calling our cyberspace mail drop "alt.waste" would have resonances with
> > this Oedipal error, allowing the correcting of newbies.
> 
> Yes, Tim, but none the less creating newsgroups with .s used as
> puncutation instead of as heirarchy seperators is considered Very
> Rude. I think there is no reason for us to do something that is
> considered Very Rude even if it is a good joke. Dashes are likely a
> good compromise.
> 
> Perry

I'm confused, Perry. I was acknowledging that "alt.waste" (with no
periods, no punctuation, in the "waste" part) would be nearly as
acceptable as the more Pynchonesque form.

Is "alt.waste" a rude formation in some way?

-Tim


-- 
..........................................................................
Timothy C. May         | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,  
tcmay@netcom.com       | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
408-688-5409           | knowledge, reputations, information markets, 
W.A.S.T.E.: Aptos, CA  | black markets, collapse of governments.
Higher Power: 2^756839 | Public Key: PGP and MailSafe available.
Note: I put time and money into writing this posting. I hope you enjoy it.

Timothy C. May says:
> 
> > > So calling our cyberspace mail drop "alt.waste" would have resonances wit
h
> > > this Oedipal error, allowing the correcting of newbies.
> > 
> > Yes, Tim, but none the less creating newsgroups with .s used as
> > puncutation instead of as heirarchy seperators is considered Very
> > Rude. I think there is no reason for us to do something that is
> > considered Very Rude even if it is a good joke. Dashes are likely a
> > good compromise.
> > 
> > Perry
> 
> I'm confused, Perry. I was acknowledging that "alt.waste" (with no
> periods, no punctuation, in the "waste" part) would be nearly as
> acceptable as the more Pynchonesque form.
> 
> Is "alt.waste" a rude formation in some way?

Sorry -- I misunderstood. "alt.waste" would be perfectly fine.

Perry