[Freedombox-discuss] Introducing the Technical Advisory Committee

[J.A. Terranson]

On Sat, 28 May 2011, Ted Smith wrote:

> On Fri, 2011-05-27 at 22:50 -0500, J.A. Terranson wrote:
> > On Fri, 27 May 2011, Ted Smith wrote:
> > 
> > > Hopefully now the people on the mailing list who stupidly propose and
> > > stupidly shoot down PET-related freedombox things will shut up, since
> > > it's clear they have no actual say.
> > 
> > "Stupidly"?  Is it "stupid" because it's a view you disagree with, or is 
> > it stupid for some other STUPID, ad-hominem reason?
> > 
> > //Alif
> > 
> 
> A lot of (sure, not all, but most) the PET-related ideas are stupid, 

*I* think most, if not all of the current ideas for the FB are 
*technologically unworkable* (at this time anyway), but thats a *long* way 
from "stupid".  Sorry Ted, but by declaring everything as "stupid", it is 
*you* who are arguing from false authority (and with straw arguments no 
less).  Do you even listen to yourself?

> and shooting down ideas because they aren't in keeping with the "vision 
> of the FreedomBox" is stupid unless you work for the FBF and actually 
> can state with authority what is and isn't the freedombox.

As an "open" project, *everyone* is both encouraged and entitled to put 
forward their own visions of the FB - that said, the box *is* the dominion 
of the FBF, and their word *is* the last one.  The ideas put forward from 
"outside" the FBF are *not* "stupid" just because you don't believe they 
are (a) viable; (b) correct for the FBF's "vision"; (c) any other reason 
you can state.

"Stupid" is an attack term and nothing more. It doesn't add to the 
discourse, in fact, it just makes *you* look "stupid" for arguing from 
behind that curtain.

> The mailing list has turned into a platform for:
> 
>       * people with little to no PET experience to propose crazy ideas

The list is specifically *designed* to solicit such input Ted.  Even 
uninformed or, to use your next ad hominem, "crazy" inputs: specifically 
because they *may* lead the FBF into new directions.

<SNIP>
>       * people to shout down the above people with non-existent
>         authority.

Um, PKB: see above.

> For a project that got a pretty good amount of money on kickstarter,
> that's just stupid.

And there's the trifecta. :-( 

//Alif

-- 
I hate Missouri.  Land of the free, home of the perjuriously deranged.