Of Our Kind (OOK), Of The Body (OTB), And Otherwise, Wikipedia As The Immune System Of The Cabal Critter Options

[Jonny Cache]

Rescuing yet another brilliant theory from a context where it is doomed to be ignored.

Yeah, that'll work.

Jon Awbrey

Somebody was piecing together the SlimVirgin story, but then, in the nick of time …

Jimbo to the rescue!

Here we see the the immune system of the organism Wikipseudpseud pseudio in action. In order to understand what is happening in this case it is pertinent to recall the functions and the properties of immune systems in general.

We give the name «Immune System» (IS) — from the Latin for duty-free and standing together — to the whole collection of agencies in a Collective Agent (CA) that facilitate the preservation of its Collective Identity (CI) by recognizing the distinction beteeen agencies of that collective and agencies not of that collective.

Defined in these terms, the IS of a CA X implements a specific information-theoretic or logical function, namely, the function of recognizing what agents are part the collective X and what agents are not part of the collective X. Agents of X are allowed to participate in the activities of X, while agents not of X must not be allowed to participate in the activities of X.

Jon Awbrey

This post has been edited by Jonny Cache: Sat 24th November 2007, 3:42am

[The Joy]

If I'm getting this right (and I often don't), the policies and functions of Wikipedia serve to protect the Cabal as the policies and the interpretations of them prevent "trolls" or "viruses" from attacking the arguments or characters of Cabalists?

The Wikipedia is itself a shield to the Cabal? Shouldn't the Cabal act as the shield to the Wikipedia? Who's defending who?

[Jonny Cache]

If I'm getting this right (and I often don't), the policies and functions of Wikipedia serve to protect the Cabal as the policies and the interpretations of them prevent "trolls" or "viruses" from attacking the arguments or characters of Cabalists?

The Wikipedia is itself a shield to the Cabal? Shouldn't the Cabal act as the shield to the Wikipedia? Who's defending who?

Someone asked on another thread why Jimbo doesn't just rid himself of SlimVirgin. To state it more generally, why doesn't the Body Politic of Wikipedia rid itself of any number of Agents who are obviously doing its espoused mission more harm than good? Mere observation tells us the following. The Cabal that forms the Power That Is Of The Body identifies certain agents as being Of The Body (OTB), more especially, Of The Cabal (OTC), and the Cabal will cut them off no more easily than you or I would give up an arm or a leg without overwhelming reason to do so.

The Cabal defends itself using Wikipedia as a shield. Ordinary editors are so many skin cells and scabs that can be sloughed off without batting an eye.

Jon Awbrey

[The Joy]

The purpose of a brain or these agents is to defend and maintain the body, not to take advantage of it or hurt it for one's own gains.

Won't over time the body die? Its own guardians or Agents abusing it? An agent sounds like a disease that needs the body to survive in order for the disease to survive and gain strength, but eventually it ends up destroying the body itself. Given that the disease in this case controls the immune system, the only way for the body to survive is if the Agents leave or are evicted.

I can't see an easy cure short of the body dying and being rebuilt from square one.

[Jonny Cache]

The purpose of a brain or these agents is to defend and maintain the body, not to take advantage of it or hurt it for one's own gains.

Won't over time the body die? Its own guardians or Agents abusing it? An agent sounds like a disease that needs the body to survive in order for the disease to survive and gain strength, but eventually it ends up destroying the body itself. Given that the disease in this case controls the immune system, the only way for the body to survive is if the Agents leave or are evicted.

I can't see an easy cure short of the body dying and being rebuilt from square one.

I am using «agent» as a generic term for anything that acts.

Staying with the immune system metaphor, «antigens» are agents that act «against our kind» and consequently stimulate an immune response, for instance, the production of agents called «antibodies» that act to neutralize the antigens in question.

The question that we have to ask is what type activity is being facilitated by the organism or organization in question. Is it the production of an accurate, balanced, competent encyclopedia like the ads say, or is it something else? What sort of activity causes an agent to be identified as an antigen by the Cabal? Is it because that agent interferes with the activity of producing a quality encyclopedia, or is it because that agent interferes with some other project, some hidden agenda for which the encyclopedia project provides a convenient cover?

Jon Awbrey

[Moulton]

The dominance hierarchy is unstable.

[The Joy]

I believe that Cabal members generally despise each other. Yet they realize if one breaks the pact, the whole system collapses.

Cabalista A may despise Cabalista B, but for their mutual defense pact (the system) to remain and for those in the Cabal to benefit from it, they must work with and support each other. Like a Cartel, I guess.

Each Cabal member defends and covers each other. Failure to do so results in everyone's dirty secrets to be discovered. I think blackmail is how everyone keeps everyone on board. That's what I figure, though it is a bizarre and counterproductive system to be sure.

If an editor uncovers an act of corruption by a Cabal member, all Cabal members are required to act against the editor lest the mutual defense pact collapses and the Cabalistas destroy each other.

It is like Survivor, only bloodier psychologically and sociologically wise. In the end, everyone wants their POV or agenda done, but rely on other potential back-stabbers in order to succeed. Those that attempt to destroy the alliance internally or externally will pay dearly.

The tribe has spoken.

[Jonny Cache]

I believe that Cabal members generally despise each other. Yet they realize if one breaks the pact, the whole system collapses.

Cabalista A may despise Cabalista B, but for their mutual defense pact (the system) to remain and for those in the Cabal to benefit from it, they must work with and support each other. Like a Cartel, I guess.

Each Cabal member defends and covers each other. Failure to do so results in everyone's dirty secrets to be discovered. I think blackmail is how everyone keeps everyone on board. That's what I figure, though it is a bizarre and counterproductive system to be sure.

If an editor uncovers an act of corruption by a Cabal member, all Cabal members are required to act against the editor lest the mutual defense pact collapses and the Cabalistas destroy each other.

It is like Survivor, only bloodier psychologically and sociologically wise. In the end, everyone wants their POV or agenda done, but rely on other potential back-stabbers in order to succeed. Those that attempt to destroy the alliance internally or externally will pay dearly.

The tribe has spoken.

By Jimbo, I think he's got it !!!
Landru Be Praised !!!

Jonny

[Jon Awbrey]

⌁ It's That Old ⌛ Eternal ⌚ Return ⏎ All Over Again ⌁

⌁ Jon ⌁

[Jon Awbrey]

Recovering the initial context …

Rescuing yet another brilliant theory from a context where it is doomed to be ignored.

Yeah, that'll work.

Jon Awbrey

Somebody was piecing together the SlimVirgin story, but then, in the nick of time …

Jimbo to the rescue!

Here we see the the immune system of the organism Wikipseudpseud pseudio in action. In order to understand what is happening in this case it is pertinent to recall the functions and the properties of immune systems in general.

We give the name «Immune System» (IS) — from the Latin for duty-free and standing together — to the whole collection of agencies in a Collective Agent (CA) that facilitate the preservation of its Collective Identity (CI) by recognizing the distinction beteeen agencies of that collective and agencies not of that collective.

Defined in these terms, the IS of a CA X implements a specific information-theoretic or logical function, namely, the function of recognizing what agents are part the collective X and what agents are not part of the collective X. Agents of X are allowed to participate in the activities of X, while agents not of X must not be allowed to participate in the activities of X.

Jon Awbrey

[Jon Awbrey]

Looking back over the last 5 years of unwilling experience with Wikipedia, I think the biggest thing that its more remote observers do not get is this —

• What is the main product of the Wikipedia process?

Just by way of Sockratic inquiry and all, I guess I'll leave it with a question mark for now.

Jon

[thekohser]

Looking back over the last 5 years of unwilling experience with Wikipedia, I think the biggest thing that its more remote observers do not get is this —

• What is the main product of the Wikipedia process?

Just by way of Sockratic inquiry and all, I guess I'll leave it with a question mark for now.

Jon

May I take a guess?

"Discord".

Or, if I may be a little more specific, "Addictive discord".

I'd be interested to hear what others say. Also, side bets on who first offers the answer of "a free encyclopedia".

[Jon Awbrey]

   
Hint

Consider the context of the question. We have been exploring the aptness of the analogy between biological immune systems and cult defense systems, so the analogous question for the biosystem would be —

• What is the main product or purpose of the immune system?

Jon

[Milton Roe]

   
Hint

Consider the context of the question. We have been exploring the aptness of the analogy between biological immune systems and cult defense systems, so the analogous question for the biosystem would be —

• What is the main product or purpose of the immune system?

Jon

It keeps smaller organisms from getting inside you and eating you alive, as they naturally would do if you were dead.

[Moulton]

The Immune System keeps smaller organisms from getting inside you and eating you alive, as they naturally would do if you were dead.

You are what eats you.

[Zoloft]

The immune system produces stuff like pus... sloughed-off white blood cells I believe (not a biologist am I).

So like the Wikipedia it regards outsiders as attackers and hurls bits of itself into action to destroy the invaders, often to the detriment of the corpus it's trying to protect?

[Jon Awbrey]

Looking back over the last 5 years of unwilling experience with Wikipedia, I think the biggest thing that its more remote observers do not get is this —

• What is the main product of the Wikipedia process?

Just by way of Sockratic inquiry and all, I guess I'll leave it with a question mark for now.

Jon

May I take a guess?

"Discord".

Or, if I may be a little more specific, "Addictive discord".

I'd be interested to hear what others say. Also, side bets on who first offers the answer of "a free encyclopedia".

Wikipedia sure produces a lot of discord, but I guess a charitable interpretation would start out by calling that a by-product. On the other hand, there could conceivably be an ulterior motive for generating discord, if only as a distraction of attention from something else. If discord is addictive to some people, and it sure seems to be, then that might give the Wikipedia Probody a reason to push it, but the question behind all that is — What is the WP:BODY trying to preserve in the process?

Jon

[Milton Roe]

The Immune System keeps smaller organisms from getting inside you and eating you alive, as they naturally would do if you were dead.

You are what eats you.

Except you're no longer you, but THEM. As A.E. Housman wrote:

The Grizzly Bear is huge and wild;
He has devoured the infant child.
The infant child is not aware
It has been eaten by the bear.

Or the limerick (written by Monkhouse or somebody)

There was a young lady of Niger
Who smiled as she rode on a tiger;
They returned from the ride
With the lady inside,
And the smile on the face of the tiger.

[Jon Awbrey]

The immune system produces stuff like pus … sloughed-off white blood cells I believe (not a biologist am I).

So like the Wikipedia it regards outsiders as attackers and hurls bits of itself into action to destroy the invaders, often to the detriment of the corpus it's trying to protect?

What is the corpus?

What are the protectors trying to protect?

How do they decide “insider” vs. “outsider”?

How would they know if they decide wrong?

Jon

[Zoloft]

The immune system produces stuff like pus … sloughed-off white blood cells I believe (not a biologist am I).

So like the Wikipedia it regards outsiders as attackers and hurls bits of itself into action to destroy the invaders, often to the detriment of the corpus it's trying to protect?

What is the corpus?

What are the protectors trying to protect?

How do they decide “insider” vs. “outsider”?

How would they know if they decide wrong?

Jon

It's an autoimmune disease... like lupus.