[EM] theorems about "point runoff" systems

[Abd ul-Rahman Lomax]

At 12:55 AM 5/5/2007, Michael Poole wrote:
>On an email list, out-of-line argument increases the cost for others
>to read or reply to the details of one's position.  This is
>appropriate behavior when one dispenses wisdom from on high, but is
>less useful when one wishes to engage in dialogue.

The mail from Mr. Smith was of the nature of a notice that certain 
material had become available. The general nature of the material was 
indicated. Could he have given more information? Sure. But he was 
simply sending a notice that content existed that may be of interest 
to subscribers to this list. He was not making an argument. If anyone 
wishes to argue with the content of the page to which he referred, 
they are, I am sure, welcome to bring that content here for discussion.

No cost is increased for anyone who does not choose to bear it.

Citing links of interest is not "dispensing wisdom from on high." And 
it is peevish to object to it. The post from Mr. Smith was not contentious.

In any case, the message to which I responded was in error. It 
claimed there was no link in the mail with theorems, and there was, 
and the message misquoted the original post by Mr. Smith, 
unaccountably omitting the URL. I have no idea how Mr. Kislanko 
managed to make that mistake, he must have inadvertently deleted it, 
but it's odd, since the whole point of his post was that there was no 
URL. He has to have concluded that there was no URL with theorems, 
probably from following the wrong link, the one in the signature, and 
then decided to protest, and deleted the URL in composing his 
protest. As I wrote, sometimes we really need to be sleeping instead 
of writing....