| From: | Doctor Doom <jch8169@*******.TAMU.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | ADMIN: Magic Debate (Vigorously Suggested Reading) |
| Date: | Thu, 8 Dec 1994 04:24:06 -0600 |
> I understand that debates on whether or not magick exists frustrates a lot of
> people; BUT as Magick IS a part of Shadowrun, it is relevant. Not very, but
> it is. More relevant than the discussions of the plotlines of Babylon 5 and
> Star Trek. If I cannot discuss the existence of Magick on this forum, then
> noone can discuss B5 and any other NON-relevant materials; even if one of the
> persons involved IS a list administrator. Same punishment for same crime,
> yes, even for the admin. If the admin don't follow the same rules and
> regulations as the rest of us, the rules and regulations should not be in
> place AT ALL.
I mark by the script 'pon yonder wall that we have supplanted the
previous debate for a tangential discussion of a derivative of the
previous debate.
What is so galling about the entire contemporary circumstances is that it
has derived from a mis-interpretation of my admonitions as well as the
regulations....
*sigh*
I. Subject: Anti-Magick debate Legislation
To begin with, the subject line: "Anti-Magic(k) debate Legislation" ...
[ I do not observe the "k" convention, as so-called magic tricks are merely
sleight of hand, feats of legerdemain and prestidigitation. Magic's
portrayal in literature and the testimony of those espousing familiarity
with its gifts is one almost invariably one of POWER. Manual trickery
and illusionary maneuvers do not adhere to this definition, and may not
therefore be said to fit the designation of Magic. Hence, in my own
practice, the distinction is unnecessary and superfluous. ]
... is a woefully inaccurate portrayal of the situation or my admonitions
directed to the list population. The discussion of "real" magic -- as
Reality itself is a milieu the nature or existence thereof may be considered
subject to debate by the denizens of the list -- is a /potentially/ salient
issue, and therefore open for debate and discussion. At no time did I state
or intend to intimate otherwise.
Admittedly, my concluding statement of admonition and threat could be
decried as /slightly/ unspecific; howe'er, given the content which
preceded it within the missive, with condemnations meted solely upon
the manner with which the point was approached, I did not and do not
presently consider such a deficit in distinction substantial.
The remark was not intended as a moratorium upon the discussion of Magic
as pertains to Life, but rather the cessation of the particular contemporary
manifestation of the topic, which had under my observation of the course of
its evolution mutated into something altogether undesirable.
Upon that last point, I shall elaborate; the ONLY reasons for which it
was deemed not as such was for the following factors:
Discourse upon certain topics has a tendency to foster umbrage amoung the
list population, particularly issues such as politics, gun control, and
religion ... once designated "nuclear" topics by Hayden.
The issue of Real Life Magic (tm) has demonstrated qualities which cause
it to be an point of contention that can often invoke vehement reactions
from participants, and the cause for this strikes me as obvious --
Metaphysical force manipulations are not considered merely implements to
many of its practitioners, but rather constitutes a factor within their
lives the significance of which causes it to produce a nigh to ubiquitous
impact upon their particular Weltanschauung (world view). Whether it is
a force of Nature within which one participates or an extension of one's
own personality and will, quite often it shall be incorporated into the
spiritual hierarchical belief paradigm one espouses or may be the very
foundation of the religion one observes.
Science has a comparative effect upon one's mindset. Pure science
technically has no requirement for the observance of God, gods, or Magic.
It is about dispassionate delving and revealing the rational nature of the
universe. Science may be considered under certain criteria and situations
to be a demi-religion of a sort, as its pursuit typically shall assimilate
elements of what would otherwise be called Faith, as one often has to
accept something as given in absence of personal proof or evidence. The
belief of Universal or Absolute Natural Laws which govern the workings of
the Cosmos could be chaulked up to Scientific Faith.
Neither "theology," if one wishes to place them in a competitive setting,
in conflict can claim to labor from a position of unassailable certainty.
Both views are /quite/ real to the maintainers of the view, and the gap
betwixt Proof and Sufficient Corroborative Evidence could be defined as
Faith.
Almost inevitably, when one discusses religion as it comes into conflict
with another, given the confidence with which one retains one's beliefs and
particular world view, one's ego is either consciously or unconsciously
infused into the equation (to vary degrees, to be sure) such that it at
least in some measure hangs within the balance of victory or defeat. Some
fortunate souls possess sufficient patience that this does not colour the
discussion; howe'er, there are times when dispassionate, explorational
conference gives way to the sentiments of animosity and accusation.
That having been said, the Magic discussion had succeeded in transcending
the bounds within which it remained relevant to ShadowRun -- I believe most
would accept the voracity of such an assertion. No longer were individuals
actually debating the topic, but rather were engaging in a religious
argument, a doctrinal conflict. Id est, the debate had run of such a course
as to provoke a psychological reaction among its participants and accordingly
surrendered its position to that of argumentation expunged of all civility.
Worse yet, one bore witness to exchanges of inflammatory correspondence --
which customarily accompanies such situations when one's ego is on the line
-- to the magnitude of correspondence warfare.
Further than that, individuals were then beginning to express their own
particular "gospels" (a term chosen to further cultiavate this religious
interpretation of the point of contention) in an evangelistic manner such
that it would brook no countermandation ... and hence drove the fanned
flames of fanatical fury still higher, thereby exacerbating the already
deteriorating situation.
Neither of these behaviours are acceptable. PERIOD.
II. The Designation of Rogue Topic.
It is true that non-ShadowRun related matters do not enjoy official
blessing or even toleration (in extreme cases) by the administrators.
Ne'ertheless, proceeding from the assumption that it is undesirable
to execute as well as unreasonable and impracticable to enforce a
universal ban upon all non-topical discussion, there are allowances
made for such phenomena.
Hence, even designated as a "rogue" topic for the aforementioned reasons
(with the exception of the flame factor -- that makes most any discussion
an anathema to the regulations) it still enjoyed a certain justification
of its existence and continued parleyance for a particular duration of
temporal progression, a certain "grace period." As per the Frequently
Asked Questions document, this term of reprieve from administrative action
is established at twenty-four hours.
This regulatory stipulation is the reason why that such conspicuously
tangential and irrelevant material such as Babylon 5, the Bread Pun War,
RIP announcements, and various political discussions are tolerated, for
a brief time. Should they proceed beyond the twenty-four hour mark,
and especially should they command a marked quantity of the mail from
the list such that it overpowers the en flux topical discussions, the
administrators seek to reign such diatribe into control.
Hence, we administrators /do/ adhere to our own stipulations (Yes, I am
coming to Fearless Leader's aide in regards to the reference to Babylon 5,
as he is presently incommunicado and unable to mount a defense of his
actions.), as is written within the FAQ document. These interludes may be
rather vexsome to the non-initiated member who marvels at the tolerance
by which such dross is afforded; howe'er, there is a mechanic in place for
their termination should they not wither and die within a day as is usual
behaviour for such threads.
III. Conclusion
In summation, here are the reasons for designating the Magic as pertains
to Life topic in its most recent incarnation:
1. The subject matter, in course of argumentation, had exceeded the
bounds of what yet pertained to ShadowRun.
2. In process of transgressing against topical focus, the vehemence had
escalated to the magnitude of flame exchanges.
3. In accordance with one, even had point 2 not been satisfied, the
thread would have been ordered to halt following the typical
twenty-four hour duration. As I recall, this period had passed.
4. As both 1 & 2 came to light, I elected to stop the topic as soon
as practicably possible, even if it were previous to the grace
period expiating, as flame war threads are to be stamped out.
And to re-emphasize, Magic and Life is a field which may be discussed WITHIN
REASON, that is to say, should one become exceedingly esoteric or bizarre in
pursuit of the topic and stray from the primary matter at hand or engaged in
yet another doctrinal conflict, expect for the topic to endure the dreaded
Wrath of the Administrators.
________________ _______ _______ ____ ____
\ _____ \ / \ / \ / \/ \ >>> Attack,
\ | | | |---___ | ___---| | || || | attack, and
| | | | |_____/ | \_____| | || || | if in doubt
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- | | | | | | || || | ATTACK! <<<
"Iron hand in a | |___/ / \_______/ \_______/|____| |____| -=-=-=-=-=-
velvet glove." | / ||
-- Charles V |_______/ Dread Executor of Administrative Tasks for Hayden
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
"There are times when one must govern liberally and times when one must be
dictatorial; everything changes, there is no eternity here."
-- Chancellor Otto von Bismarck-Schoenhausen
