[time-nuts] Group S/N

[Bill Hawkins]

Rex,

I've seen this happen several times since the late 80's. It is a
function of the number of people in the group (widening the bell curve)
and what we call human nature. Consider that no two people are alike.
Oh, we fall into groups, but differences appear within the groups, if
you have the ability to see beyond binary qualities. An IQ of 100
implies that there are as many above that level as there are below.

I well remember the effect that AOL had on reasonably scientific 
news groups. The ignorant and the stupid were able to raise the noise
level of any group, though I really didn't follow nambla to find out.

Alcohol doesn't cause intemperance, it lowers inhibitions. Ethyl
should be as poisonous as methyl, but a survival advantage was granted
by lowering the inhibitions against reproduction. Think about it.
What are bars for?

This list was marvelous when it was small. Now the volume is way up.
There are the hardware people that natter on about chips, and the 
scroungers that need a manual for the latest oddball thing that came
from eBay, and, lately, the Thunderbolt newbies.

And so, as one of those people who is different from all others, I
find the Delete key more and more useful. But, I don't delete everything.
The outrageously expanding population causes more noise, but also
causes rare opportunities for knowledge to appear. It is like panning 
for gold - you've got to eliminate the dross to find the nuggets.

Now, these excursions into "exact time of death" and other philosophical
questions may have no interest to the hardware group, but Time is a
subject that knows few bounds. Where else are we going to explore them?
If you are focused on hardware to the exclusion of all other things,
then use the delete key, Luke.

Consider this: A larger group provides a larger span of ideas. All of
them will not appeal to you, so you use the delete key more often. But
aren't you also saving useful things more often?

Bill Hawkins



-----Original Message-----
From: Rex
Sent: Monday, November 01, 2010 1:53 AM
To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
Subject: [time-nuts] Group S/N

I don't post much because I usually don't have much knowledge that might 
add to the discussions. I might ask a question if I thought the group 
was the right place, but not much of that recently either.

A couple years back we would have long threads that were about 
subtleties of the thing being discussed, which may have been excessive 
but were justifiable and in context.

As a casual observer and fan of the group, I have noticed a trend where 
dozens of comments get made on pretty much any topic that gets posted. 
Many of these posts seem to me to be kinda stream-of-consciousness where 
not much is there except a chatty kind of interaction. A bit of that is 
ok in any group, but I miss the days of the high S/N of yore.

So, with the intemperance given me by some alcohol consumption (during 
the Giants WS game) might I implore some of you guys who are frequent 
posters in the last couple of years to consider some restraint on making 
every post that might pass through your brain and just make it if it 
really might add some information that isn't conjecture or chit-chat?

There's fabulous brain power here and I appreciate that, but lately I 
find myself mostly deleting chaff to get to the wheat. Many times I'm 
not sure if I missed something good in that slash and burn. A couple of 
years ago that was less necessary, and (my opinion) I liked it better.

-Rex