The Credentialling of America

[Sandy Sandfort]

John wrote:

> Many years ago I explained that I,
> like Sandy, write explicitly for
> money, as much as possible, and
> the people who pay me expect that
> I will do whatever text can do to
> get readers to obey those who pay
> for the text.

Well luckily, unlike John, I've never had to whore myself when I wrote.  I
wrote what I thought and they published it.  I can see why someone who
allowed himself to do that might wish to reassert his manhood by battling
his own inner policeman.  If that works for John, so be it.  I shall
continue to write clearly so that my ideas will be communicated.  That does
not necessarily mean that it will be grammatically correct, boring or
uninspired--just meaningful.

> And to never write the way poets
> do, oddballs do, gibbering idiots
> do, for that will allegedly
> diminish the value of your writing
> the way the payers want you to
> write, that is to write as if their
> and your shit don't smell, your and
> their skin is hued the preferred
> color,  our accent the dominant
> unaccent of the day, you and they
> don't copulate the wrong kind of
> people, you and they have no faults
> to hide, you and they have no guts
> to face up to your inability to
> break away from hiding behind
> conformity not of your making.

Sounds like a personal problem to me, John.  I never had to do any of that
(nor would I).  Why did you?

> Shit, I understand Sandy all too
> well. And totally admire his talent
> to blow prefabricated sunshine
> where it's needed.

John, have you actually read any of my stuff?  Please point to some of my
"prefabricated sunshine."  If I really do it, I should know it so I can
capitalize on it.  :-D

> Even so I won't do what the
> grammatically correct crowd
> never cease trying to impose
> here.

John, you know, I know and most folks on this list know, I never argued for
grammatical correctness.  I DO favor comprehensibility.  Don't you think
it's a cheap shot to trivializes real concerns about communication by
mischaracterizing critics as grammar cops?

> Or to say it my way, correct writing,
> clear writing, comprehensively
> coherent writing, is just another
> way to tyrannize, bully, hector...

"War is peace"  How Orwellian...

> This is a friendly joke, as ever,
> in respect for the asshole
> language rules-makers here. (Spit)

You know, John, there aren't any rules-makers on Cypherpunks.  You can write
all the gobbledygook you want; no one will stop you.  By the same token,
though, anyone here is free to point out that the emperor has no clothes.


 S a n d y