Re: A search engine for the archives; IT'S MOOT!

[jwerchan@lima.ohio-state.edu (James E. Werchan)]

>I completely agree with everyone who has posted so far that the archives
>should be searchable and that people who post to listservs have to realize
>that their postings have entered the public domain.  However, I also have
>some sympathy for those who would not like to have some of the things
>they've said being easily accessible to the public.  

For a couple of years, I've used Altavista to search for strings of stuff I
half recalled on wcenter.  It works fine.  

We'll have to remember what Cyberpunks know:  

*the information itself _Wants_ to be free to go wherever it's welcome.*  

We might think our chitchat is ephemeral, existing only in the moment, but
the act of spending money and resources on archiving it turns it into TEXT,
making it practically part of the economy (with responsibility,
accountability and canons of validity, etc.) and extending it through a span
of time, not just a moment.

things to do today:
1. wake up
2. smell coffee

Remember, bureaucrats sometimes don't like people to know what they said
either.   Everything is On the record.  Or maybe we should somehow anonymize
ourselves?  How about posting from .com ISP accounts instead of .edu
accounts?  And use pseudonyms.  And secret handshakes.  And hidden stairways
to the star chamber.  And black hoods. 

cheers,
james
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
                    Dr. James Werchan
(or maybe it's just someone who kinda looks a lot like him)
              Ohio State University at Lima
                    4240 Campus Drive
                     Reed Hall #135
                     Lima, OH 45804
                      419-995-8882
				
                    werchan.1@osu.edu	
								
  Come and visit: "http://www.lima.ohio-state.edu/~wacc"    
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