Re: Percy, semiotics, and internet discussion groups


Subject: Re: Percy, semiotics, and internet discussion groups
From: David Welch (welchfam@GTE.NET)
Date: Tue Sep 28 1999 - 04:52:52 EDT


I think WP would be slightly bemused by the whole thing. First of all,
he would (I speculate) see the Internet as a fascinating manifestation
of the Delta Factor, a logical outgrowth of our triadic nature. I also
think he would see a sort of "message in the bottle" quality to all the
e-mails, discussion boards, and chat rooms. He would see the desire for
human intimacy straining against the bounds of technological anonymity.

As an ardent Catholic, we would be appalled at all the pornography on
the Internet, yet as the literary creator of Tom More and Lancelot Lamar
(and as a self-confessed sinner so poignantly aware of his own
fallenness), he would see the proliferation of smut with a certain
wryness and irony.

I think WP would see all of this, and much more than we can imagine. If
nothing else, the perplexing phenomenon of the Internet (and our
philosophical musings upon it) reminds us of what wisdom was lost with
WP's passing.

Dave

James L Piat wrote:

> Dear Dave
>
> Sorry about all that. I'm just a shadow boxing windbag. Welcome to
> the list. What do you think Percy would think?
>
> Cheers,
> Jim Piat
>
> On Sat, 7 Aug 1999 13:29:33 -0700 David Welch <welchfam@GTE.NET>
> writes:
> > For the past couple of months I have been eavesdropping on Percy-L
> > (via
> > the Archives) with guilty enjoyment. I have presently joined the
> > list,
> > arriving only to find that it has fallen silent. Quite a Perc(y)ean
>
> > predicament, to be sure.
> >
> > By way of introduction, I am:
> >
> > -A recent wanderer into the world of WP
> > -A Catholic convert
> > -An instructional designer/technologist/consultant by trade
> > -A student of literature, philosophy, and theology by passion
> > -A cross between a "Christian self" and a "lost self"*
> >
> > *This doubtless explains my deep affinity for WP.
> >
> > A question that I'd be interested to explore, if it is of interest
> > to
> > Others:
> >
> > What would WP, the semiotician, make of the phenomenon of internet
> > discussion groups (in particular an internet discussion group
> > devoted to
> > WP)?
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Dave



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