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From: bl947@torfree.net (Arlo Smith)
Subject: Re: The Inform Designer's Manual
Message-ID: <DKLJ6E.5sK.0.bloor@torfree.net>
Organization: Toronto Free-Net
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References: <201316Z28121995@anon.penet.fi> <4bv1m2$g0c@grid.direct.ca> <4bvcgt$qb4@joker.rz.hu-berlin.de> <4bvdks$it4@grid.direct.ca> <4c0a9p$n79@news.lth.se>
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 08:20:37 GMT
Lines: 33

Magnus Olsson (mol@marvin.df.lth.se) wrote:
: But while our ingrateful, loud-mouthed, obnoxious, cowardly, anonymous
: "friend" is in bad need of some manners lessons, he does have some
: points. 

What you call every bad name in the book I call 'energetic.' Perhaps it
wasn't the most tactful message ever written, but guess who's tactful?
Politicians. You got exactly how he felt uncensored and don't you want to
know how people feel? i just dont understand the reaction. I just dont.
Perhaps Gurdjieff could instruct me.... (I hope I'm not spelling his name
wrong!)

Just because someone thinks the manual could do with some clarifications
(on the more advanced material) doesn't mean he's a sociopath. Calling 
someone all those names is ... hurtful. You dont even know the person! 
Okay, so he didn't temper everything he said with the phrase 'I love you 
all,' but does it really matter? How can you find fault with the 
expression of true feelings? Whatever. I give up. Doesn't matter. You 
just dont seem to have much sympathy for people who have to struggle 
through this... I mean, the guy has obviously been having trouble and 
your response is to call him names!

Personally I've had to ignore some of the more advanced stuff (I'm not an
expert programmer but I really want to design a game), figuring most
tricks can be done using the core material (though less elegantly). The 
bottom line is, I think, the easier the manual is to understand the 
better. The 'manual is art' argument may be true, but I'm not referencing 
the manual for that reason, I want to understand the language thoroughly. 
If I want art, I'll read a novel.

Whatever. Anything I say is probably regarded as some heresy... so... 
bye

