Reed Konsler wrote:
>
> Reed:
> >> I understand. But, the implication is that humans do what
> >> machines tell them to becuase the machine says so.
>
> Norene:
> >Well, don't they? I believe they do.
>
> I agree. I say so next. I agree with you.
>
> >> I prefer to think of the transaction as one of
> >> mutual faith and trust between the diner, the restaurant,
> >> and the credit company.
> >
> >Reed, I'm not a logic giant, but preferring to think of blind trust in
> >the blinking light as mutual faith doesn't make it so. People don't want
> >to and are not required to think that much. I can't imagine waitstaff
> >sitting around trying to decide if they trust a diner before granting
> >credit. They let Visa and AmEx do the job for them. Yes, the blinking
> >light is scary when you think of it, and it is symbolic of something
> >else, but that doesn't change its power. I can't remember why you were
> >using this analogy. I just thought I'd throw in that observation.
>
> I agree with you. I agree with you. I agree with you.
>
> I was trying to describe the MECHANISM which allows the impatient,
> thoughtless people to allow AmEx to do their thinking for them
> without worry. The little lights don't "scare" me in the sense you are
> implying...having mystical orientation doesn't preclude my recognizing
> the very mundane, digital, commercial nature of credit transactions.
> I'm not spooked by strange voodoo, my point is that there are infinite
> layers of meaning signified within that single flashing "approved".
>
> You are asserting that there is one, materialistic, way of interpreting
> the world. I agree with you.
>
> But there are more layers of meaning...and how (or if) we think of
> them is critical to our satisfaction and happiness.
>
> Reed
Norene
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Reed Konsler konsler@ascat.harvard.edu
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
-- "Contrariwise", continued Tweedledee, "If it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic." Lewis Carroll