Rob Lanphier's control letter

[New Democracy]

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>Date: Sat, 26 Apr 1997 12:02:45 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Rob Lanphier <robla at eskimo.com>
>To: New Democracy <donald at mich.com>
>Subject: Re: Reply to Hugh Tobin on Condorcet
>MIME-Version: 1.0

>Donald,
>
>I think that I've been extremely fair in defending your right to post on
>this list.  I've asked other people to try to be understanding and try to
>figure out why you object to Condorcet so much.
>
>In reading your posts, I've come to the conclusion that you've made no
>effort whatsoever to try to understand how Condorcet really works, or to
>work through any examples that would prove out your assertions that it is
>wiser to truncate a ballot in Condorcet.
>
>Please explain to me what I should do here.  Two very valued members of
>this list have stopped participating in the discussions here because of
>their frustration at your propensity to make bold statements and not back
>them up with research.
>
>I don't want to kick anyone off of this list, because I think that
>everyone deserves a chance to be heard.  I take it on faith that people
>are going to use this list to communicate to one another, and not merely
>shout each other down.  Please don't prove me wrong.  Do the research,
>and back up your claims with more than rhetoric.
>
>Rob Lanphier
>robla at eskimo.com
>http://www.eskimo.com/~robla
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - April 27 1997
Dear Rob,

     This letter is unwarranted.

     There is no problem on this list that needs to be fixed.

     No one is being shouted down.

     This list is not a cult cell of Condorcet.

     No one needs to be brainwashed and converted to Condorcet.

     Did Steve put you up to this?

     Steve has problems. He has a good side and a dark side. Last year he
presented the concept of Electoral College Reform - that was good. This
year he presented Instant Consesus - that was excellent. But on the dark
side Steve has a history of censorship and misquoting. His misquoting
happens too often to be accidential.

     Steve is a control freak who feels that every thread must be filtered
through him before it is acceptable. This list is big enough for several
discussions to be going on at the same time - and each person can decide
which thread they wish to follow. Everyone has this freedom including
Steve. But Steve is a zealot and zealots must control.

     You ask me to explain to you what you should do here.

     The answer is simple - do nothing.

     To do something is to become a zealot like Steve.

     There is no need for you to control the discussions on this list -
that would be a form of censorship.

     There was no need for you to write the letter.

Don,

     PS - In  your talks with Steve did he happen to say what happened in
Pasadena last month at his much heralded meeting?

Donald Eric Davison of New Democracy at http://www.mich.com/~donald

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