Comments on Bouphonia: Flailing About

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2008-09-07T17:14:00.000-07:00

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You have a point, Phila, the comments are remarkab...

2008-03-22T05:04:00.000-07:00

You have a point, Phila, the comments are remarkably diverse at Eschaton, there are some great people who comment there but if you go past a certain line you will get massive flack and little support from others.

The simple advocacy of realistic pragmatism to advance aspects of leftism in the political context we are actually in, of forgoing childish rhetoric in order to win elections, is enough to set off the system of would be regulation of all discussion. It's as much the lack of support as the reaction itself that has made me reluctantly conclude that there are better uses for my time.

It's not only Eschaton, it's even more true of other places. I've come to conclude that those kinds of blogs aren't a place I want to go anymore.

I might read Atrios' posts but the culture on his ...

2008-03-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

I might read Atrios' posts but the culture on his blog threads has turned competitively conformist.

I can't blame anyone for getting sick of the dynamic over there, but I honestly don't see the conformism. For one thing, the arguments over there have been going pretty much nonstop for weeks, and while they're not always fun to read, let alone to be involved in, I've found a lot of 'em to be informative. YMMV.

The specific argument Res refers to was a stultifying waste of time, but that was all about one commenter who's had an axe to grind against RMJ for a long time. Almost everyone else pretty much let it go, outside of a couple of comparatively subtle comments. Most people there are smart and reasonable, IMO (our own RIL being a perfect example).

But again, can't blame you for feeling that way. I tend to take long breaks myself.

I like Atrios and some of his frequent comment pos...

2008-03-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

I like Atrios and some of his frequent comment posters, but after not going there for several months, trying it again over the past two weeks, I'm done with it. I might read Atrios' posts but the culture on his blog threads has turned competitively conformist. Won't bother commenting on them again.

RMJ is one of the most honest and informed people on the blogs. But the enforced viewpoint has nothing to do with either. It's all about pose.

Thanks, Res! As a loyal Pharyngula reader, I'd alr...

2008-03-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Res! As a loyal Pharyngula reader, I'd already seen that story, which is indeed funny.

I'm pretty sure I don't have to explain to you where I was coming from in that little spat, or to reiterate that my problem with Dawkins is more academic than ideological (well, that and the fact that I'm sick of seeing RMJ get picked on and misrepresented for making perfectly valid points based on his area of expertise).

But I should add that this argument has taken place many times at Eschaton, with pretty much the same cast of characters, and if this version seemed especially nasty on my end, it's because some of the tactics have gotten very, very old. I don't much mind being yelled at or insulted or called names, but I don't like being willfully misrepresented. So really, it's not even about the actual issue so much as the personalities involved.

Phila, Sorry to go off topic, but thought you'd ge...

2008-03-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

Phila, Sorry to go off topic, but thought you'd get a kick out of this. See you at E. -res

William Deresiewicz scans the MLA job listings for...

2008-03-20T16:23:00.000-07:00

William Deresiewicz scans the MLA job listings for a clue to what ails the teaching of literature.

Why would anyone get exercised over what ails the teaching of literature when it's the reading of it that's dying? You wonder how much disinterested reading of some of those authors in that list goes on today? I mean reading not associated with writing papers or themes or dissertations.

Got a feeling that people are reading Gwendolyn Brooks for personal enrichment than are reading most of the other winners of the big name awards of the past.

I'd express some opinions but my iconoclasm quota was all used up earlier tonight at Eschaton.

tears over "the killing of criticism,"

Reminds me of the day when I first went into the lit stacks at the university library and noticed that for most authors the criticism of just about any of the authors required more space than the authors themselves. Why read the criticism when it takes less time to read the author? If the author didn't give you the best clue about what they meant, isn't that a sign of trouble?