Re: Interested in a moderated theory forum?

"Roy Hann" <rhann_at_globalnet.co.uk> wrote in message news:bvlgkc$9iq$1_at_titan.btinternet.com...
> "Paul G. Brown" <paul_geoffrey_brown_at_yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:57da7b56.0401251138.2ace16f2_at_posting.google.com...
>
> > > I've noticed that the TTM cult leaders tend to be like that.
> >
> > In fairness, Fabian Pascal has written extensively and with
originality
> > on these topics. He's become much more grumpy in recent times and I
> think
> > that's because many people who set themselves up as experts read
> *nothing*
> > about these subjects.
>
> Indeed. I've been reading FPs books and articles since the early 80s. I
> forget the name of his first book, but as a brief and lucid introduction
to
> relational database theory for the busy practitioner I've yet to see its
> like. At about the same time he used to publish regularly in an obscure
> little rag called "HP [Hewlett Packard] Professional". Those articles
were
> almost uniquely informative for working programmers and DBAs at the time,
> and written in a very patient tone.
>
> If I'd done such good work all those years ago but now find practically
> everyone publishing proposals for radical improvements to something they
> plainly don't understand, I think I'd be grumpy. But Pascal isn't grumpy.
> If you ever meet him you will find he is tenacious and focussed, and he
can
> usually defend his position, but when he can't he simply admits that he
> needs to think about it some more and asks questions. What more could a
> reasonable person having a reasonable debate reasonably expect? Would
you
> ask him to pretend--even briefly--that there is merit in something he can
> see plainly is wrong? What useful purpose outside of courtship,
parenting,
> or neighborliness is served by polite fictions? Would he be doing a
service
> by allowing someone to cling to a delusion? Would he be doing a service
to
> those who would and could learn, by expending his energy on one who won't
or
> can't? Pastoral care is not part of his job.
>
> Certain people on this group might not have the most comforting bedside
> manner, but the most dangerous ones generally ooze with it, and with what
I
> suspect is faux-reasonableness too. (After all, who, confident that they
> have a sure-fire killer argument within reach, would offer it meekly,
> pretending that it does anything else but utterly demolish their
opponent's
> position?)

Hmm, a girl, maybe? How 'bout a girl who is married to a pastor-turned-professor? For a possibly entertaining dialog between Mr. Pascal and me, see http://store.tincat-group.com/files/dw-fp-dialog.pdf

If you would like to do me a favor, please identify all statements from either of us that are not logical. I, for one, aim for logical discourse, but recognizing I'm not perfect, I offer comments and questions with a true interest in gaining understanding. So, when I think I have a completely logical argument against someone else's opinion, but do not have a strong industry backing for such a position, I first look to see if I am misunderstanding the position of others. You can call that meek (if I am, indeed, one of those to whom you refer). I would surely hope to be humble and always open to learn from others, but if we met, I suspect you would not call me "meek". Cheers! --dawn

>
> Roy Hann
>
>
Received on Fri Feb 06 2004 - 18:55:04 CET