People make mistakes. We are certainly fallible creatures.
Technology is made by humans and as a result, it is sometimes faulty. Sitemeter is a technology that was developed by fallible beings and is at times, faulty to the say the least.
Anyone that had any lengthy amount of time in the blogosphere well knows that Sitemeter, sometimes does not provide accurate information, especially in regards to location of some visitors. Why is that? Beats me. To find the answer, you'll have to ask the fine folks at Sitemeter.
I while back, a blog friend of mine that lives in a certain town began showing up as visiting my site from a town almost 200 miles away. At some point subsequent to that, my location was being read as a town 200 miles away, or so (on my sitemeter as well as others). I never cared to pursue the issue much and still don't care to. But there has been an incident of a commenter accusing of me and another commenter of being the same person, due to the mere fact that both of our locations show up as the same town.
Never mind that the service providers are different. Never mind that our ISP addresses are different. Never mind that my service provider probably does not service the town in question. But that doesn't seem to matter. This person seems to have it in her head that because Sitemeter says it is so, it must be true. All confidence has been thrown to the faulty technology made by fallible human beings and none has been given to the host of this blog, when she was told this information.
Let's be clear here. I am not a liar, a sneak, nor do I go to other peoples blogs for the sole purpose of making accusations and stirring trouble. I may be wrong, mistaken, and I may even miscalculate (I am one of those fallible humans that I speak of). But make no mistake whatsoever, I am not a liar. I do not have time for these kinds of childish games.
Anyone certainly can ask me a question and I will reply, in one of two ways:
1. I will answer the question honestly and truthfully, to the best of my ability.
2. I will not answer the question at all, by politely declining.
One thing I will NOT do is lie. You can count on that.
So let it be known now, I am not here to play silly games. The vast majority of my readers are not here to play silly games either. We are all adults, I expect that when we post comments here we do not make unfounded accusations against me, or anyone else.
As this (or any other) blog grows, there will be people that for whatever reason have found it hard to trust others (probably based on past experiences on other blogs) to filter through here, on occasion. But I can without a doubt assure all of you that there is no attempt to cause any kind of deception here, or on PYY. There never has been and there will never be.
Most of my regular readers already know where I live, but for those that do not, it is in a suburb of Indianapolis. I have lived all over the world, have seen many places and things throughout my life. But right now this is where I live. I do not, will not, nor will I ever have any desire to represent myself, as anyone else in the blogosphere. And accusing me of such childish behavior, will not be tolerated.
13 comments:
LASunsett
Gee...I'm sorry you had to deal with that! I had the feeling there was going to be problems with that girl because she didn't seem to have the maturity to know when to stop. When she made remarks about my age, I chose to ignore her,yet she kept on making stupid remarks. I had no idea she woud go so far as to start insulting you.
Like you said, there is nothing wrong with disagreeing on the content of the post and it's find to discuss the material. All that stuff about age, the sitemeter etc. was just ridiculous and really rude.
I did laugh when I saw your comment about the differences in our political choices. You were right on there! :-D
Hope the rest of the discussions today go well. I also hope that doesn't end that thread, it seemed that we just got started and it left me pondering all kinds of things before I fell asleep. Thanks for the great blog, I'm really enjoying it.
Hi LASunsett. You can consider changing the privacy setting on your sitemeter account. By racheting it up, you can close the detailed traffic reports (location, isp, ip information, and all) off to all but yourself. Frankly, I don't see why as the host of a blog you would want to make this information publicly available. This may actually scare an odd privacy-conscious potential commenter to keep silent on some subjects. The total visit counter is enough. And, you can have that count displayed on your pages instead of the sitemeter icon.
Most of us are accessing the Internet through ISPs that assign IP addresses dynamically. Some of us may have static IP addresses. In either case, the physical location of the computer is ultimately what some database says it is. Sitemeter cannot correct an erronous location information stored in this database as it is owned and maintained by other parties (ISPs in most cases).
So I ask: does God not exist?
ME, yeah, you really were getting started there. Little that didn't fly right over my head was enough to scare me. It's a mess to an outsider. I Whether you believe or not, you gotta love Islam and its simplicity.
ME,
//I'm sorry you had to deal with that! I had the feeling there was going to be problems with that girl because she didn't seem to have the maturity to know when to stop. When she made remarks about my age, I chose to ignore her//
As you already know, this is a difficult medium to hold discussions on. Occasionally, there are misunderstandings. You know me well enough to know that I am what I am and if there is ever any doubt, you are always free to ask me for clarification. But evidently not all have developed that kind of trust.
AOW, who also is a person of high integrity, has vouched for her character, and I will accept her word on this as she has never steered me wrong in that area. Like you, I may not always agree with everything she believes, but never in a million years would I question her integrity.
And let me say that I am glad that you are enjoying this. I hope that you will continue to participate as often as you are able. And I am still waiting for you to channel a message from God on the winning Powerball numbers. Hoosier Lotto and Lucky Five would also be welcome, as well. ;)
Anonim,
Thanks for the information. I will look into doing that so that this does not repeat.
//So I ask: does God not exist?//
I am not sure what you are getting at, but I have to say, yes. God does exist.
//Whether you believe or not, you gotta love Islam and its simplicity.//
The thing about Christianity that a non-Christian must understand is how fallacies have crept into the doctrines over the centuries, Sorting through them all is quite complex.
There are those in Christianity that maintain that many things in the Bible are to be interpreted literally, not metaphorically as the writers intended. Therein lies the beginning of misunderstanding and the substance of radicalism. I am sure that Islam and other religions are not different in that respect.
Thank you for your comments, both here and at PYY.
anonim
//ME, yeah, you really were getting started there. Little that didn't fly right over my head was enough to scare me. It's a mess to an outsider. I Whether you believe or not, you gotta love Islam and its simplicity.//
Yeah...I know, I would love to just keep it simple. But, to be honest, I think it can be simple if you just don't get bogged down with all the little details. That's the only way I've been able to stay involved in an organized religion. The Catholics don't make it easy, that's for sure. For me, I just enjoy the Mass, participate in the Sacrament of the Eucharist and pray from my heart. I have the feeling that God is just fine with that. To be honest, I don't think He cares if I understand the Trinity. He just cares that I trust Him enough to know the answer is out there.
I also hope that God has a good sense of humor, otherwise, I'm screwed! :-D
LASunsett
I'm working on those Lotto numbers for you, but the line has been busy. I guess I'm not the only one wanting to find out. I'll keep trying...uh...do I get a cut in the winnings?
LA,
Thank you for your kind words.
AOW,
//Thank you for your kind words.//
You are most welcome and certainly deserving of them.
ME,
//I'll keep trying...uh...do I get a cut in the winnings?//
Of course but my lawyer will have to contact your lawyer and see where negotiations can begin.
Now keep dialing.
:)
LASunsett: I wasn't trying to get at anything by my question. It was a lame attempt at humor maybe. You know, something like: better be theological at PPTOG. I hope you could tell by now that I am not contrarious. I have always gotten along well with measured and modest people (in real and virtual worlds both) irrespective of how they may label themselves. That of course doesn't mean I don't jump when there is something to be gained over a good argument. And I know you don't have no problem with that.
ME: Your human side shines through your writings. Amen to your hope for a God with a good sense of humor. Otherwise, things get not only complicated but also ugly. (You know, being a non-believer, I just can't say amen without a justification... ;)
LASunsett, here is a non-humorous question. You say: "that a non-Christian must understand is how fallacies have crept into the doctrines over the centuries." Does that mean you are against (or have doubts about) the act of spreading the word in a doctrinaire fashion (as different from merely living while believing)?
As for Islam's similar problems, I tend to think the complication with Islam is for the most part historical and political rather than theological. The theological core of Islam is extremely compact. Even the great Sunni-Shia schism follows from a question of governance and power (by people of merit or people of heredity). Sure, centuries have deposited quite a lot of politics and blood on top of that, and some theological differences exist between the two sects. The Shia for example believe in the messiah (last/lost imam of the 12 imams) concept (12 tribes, one lost, of Israel?) whereas there is no such thing for the Sunni. But this can't be exaggerated.
I am with you on literal-metaphorical interpretations and consequences.
Anonim,
//I hope you could tell by now that I am not contrarious.//
Oh, I know you are not. You are far from it. That is why I always welcome your comments and opinions even if they do not line up with mine.
You are a gentleman and a scholar, never forget that.
I just wondered if you were getting at something that was deeper than the obvious things on the surface, that's all.
//Does that mean you are against (or have doubts about) the act of spreading the word in a doctrinaire fashion (as different from merely living while believing)?//
Not especially, but I must say this with maximum caution. There is a time and a place for everything. If we are going to evangelize, it must be done within the limits of standard protocol of the environment that we are in at the time.
For instance, standing on the street corner preaching the Gospel, while it is someone's right to do so, is an annoyance to all. Not only that, it's not going to be very successful in persuading people to come to the same conclusions, as the one doing the deed. Moreover, it will alienate more than anything else.
Workplace is another no-no. We are not there to evangelize, we are there to work. If we do that on company time, we screw the employer out of time that he/she is paying us for. If for no other reason that is enough. But if you want another reason, the success rate of that endeavor will go as well. as the guy on the corner. Zilch, nada.
If we are going to do this it must be:
1. On a personal level, only if the other person is receptive of it. the same results will happen if you try to ram something down someone's throat that are not wanting to swallow and thus, you will alienate them.
2. In the confines of a church service or activity. One must assume that if a person attends a church service or activity, they are making themselves receptive to this. But again, it cannot be forced on anyone. If resistance is met, it will no more harm than good, to the overall cause.
Bottom line: Free will must be both recognized and respected, by those that wish to further the teachings of Christ. That's why I have no qualms about putting my views out on this blog. The person that comes here can either choose to come, or not. Then if they choose to come, they can choose to agree or disagree with me. They can put that disagreement in the comment section, or not.
Correction:
it will no more harm than good, to the overall cause.
should read
it will DO more harm than good, to the overall cause.
(Sometimes I wonder how I do this, the "n" key is nowhere near the "d" key.)
LASunsett, thanks for taking the time to share your views on evangelizing. I have a general concern about the monopoly-on-truth phenomenon (of Christianity and Islam both). That's why I asked. Your measured/restrained views are noted.
Re: The other thread: yes, my head is spinning. But, I could at least follow MsM (no wonder).
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