Date: Thu, 22 Sep 94 17:44 BST
From: ronc (Ron Chrisley)
To: bkeeley@UCSD.EDU, ronc
In-reply-to: <9409160110.AA01209@mugwump.UCSD.EDU> (gysin@mugwump.UCSD.EDU)
Subject: Re: [ronc: Answer to N&Q of 9/9/94]

   Date: Thu, 15 Sep 94 18:10:48 -0700
   From: gysin@mugwump.UCSD.EDU (Brian Keeley)
   Reply-To: bkeeley@UCSD.EDU

   P.S. Oh, btw, I am currently reading _Imagologies_ and am quite
   disappointed!  Philosophy as vapourware!!

Good description.

   Even ignoring the substance
   of their arguments that make refutation or even disagreement
   impossible (since philosophy ought to be "posing" and its content
   "images" then there is no longer any place for criticism... all you
   can do is strike your own pose and try to compete for the attention of
   the masses with even niftier images),

That's the gist of their position...

   most of the technology they talk
   about DOESN'T EVEN EXIST!  They use words refering to well-defined
   technologies, like "hypertext", but the things they say about this
   technology indicate that they are talking about a version of hypertext
   that doesn't yet exist.  They *say* theory is driven by technology,
   but what they *practice* is theory driven by science fiction and the
   wet-dreams of technophiles.

I found the lack of specific examples to sometimes work the other
way: they seemed to only be talking about email, and ignoring irc,
muds, Mosaic, newsgroups, etc.

   As I read this book, I can't help feeling
   that I am trapped in Gibson's "Gernsback continuum".

Don't know the ref. [Oops.  Massive cybercred points lost by me there,
I'm afraid.]

   Anyway, I don't
   know how much of this stuff you actually buy,

Not much.

   and what about it that
   rocks your world,

It's just thought-provoking, and visionary.  But irritating,

   but I'm thinking of writing a quick one-page review
   thingie for Maggie's Sussex Philosophy.  Perhaps we could do a
   point/counter-point. ("Brian, you ignorant slut..."  :-)

Can I call you Jane?

I don't think I would necessarily want to disagree with you much.

   If you like the typology (I hate the way the glossy pages pick up my
   fingerprints...

Yeah...

   and how many trees died to print this glossy monstrosity??
   ...), check out Avital Ronnell's _The Telephone Book_, which actually
   has something to say about the philosophy of media.

OK, will do.

   Wait... this was a postscript, right? 

You philosopher you.