Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 22:40:25 -0400 (EDT)
From: dicconf <dicconf at radix.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Beyond a Great Con...
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

On Sat, 22 Oct 2005, Mike B. wrote:

> At 11:13 AM 10/22/2005 -0400, dicconf wrote:
>
>> It is, however, dishonest to quote only part of a message, misinterpret
>> it, and then suppress the other part which showed that the
>> misinterpretation was groundless.
>
> This logic seems to assume that the misinterpretation was intentional.  In
> most cases of misinterpretation it is not.  It is a mistake that the one
> doing it is unaware of until informed.  The deletion of the
> counter-evidence would therefore not be intentional or dishonest as the one
> doing so is likely to have considered it irrelevant...which may even be
> what led to the misinterpretation.
>
> Language is an imperfect mechanism for getting a thought from one brain to
> another...

Check _that_ to nine decimals, as Doc Smith would say.

-- Dick Eney