Internet Discussions

[Reggie29]

Love the spelling!

[Driver8]

I read somewhere that, the way the brain processes information (it has to do with mnemonics, semiotics, knowledge acquisition, don't ask the details, my brother's the PhD) it only takes the first letter of a word, and the last letter of it, for the person to understand or recognize a word.

In fact, I hadn't noticed the spelling error until you mentioned it. It's on a second and more careful look that the mistakes appear to the observer, as the saying goes "the devil is in the details" (not in Zeppelin's music by the way

On the issue of internet discussions I'm happy that they exist and I'm happy I'm given the opportunity to participate in them, generally speaking.

On the other hand I think some people try not to appear as being wrong -They think that being wrong is the worst that could happen to them, not realizing that they could learn from those who are on the other side of the fence. It's in the process of trying not to appear wrong that some people recur to the most byzantine of arguments.

[Bingo]

7H15 M355463 53RV35 70 PR0V3 H0W 0UR M1ND5 C4N D0 4M4Z1N6 7H1N65! 1MPR3551V3 7H1N65! 1N 7H3 B361NN1NG 17 W45 H4RD BU7 N0W, 0N 7H15 L1N3 Y0UR M1ND 15 R34D1N6 17 4U70M471C411Y W17H 0UT 3V3N 7H1NK1N6 4B0U7 17, B3 PR0UD! 0N1Y C34R741N P30PL3 C4N R34D 7H15.

[TheStairwayRemainsTheSame]

l33t sp34k ftw

[Driver8]

Why people insist on using "byzantine" in such a negative way? The Byzantine Empire/period was a a time of incredible art, culture, philosophy, literature, law and science at a time while most of Europe was still in the dark ages. What replaced the Byzantines in much of that area, especially Asia minor, was not, and is still not better.

I admire the Byzantines for holding out against Rome, for so many centuries. I'm especially fascinated by the events sorrounding the tenure of Patriarch Michael I Cerularius. The schism of Christianity was an event with greater historical repercussions, some of which are still affecting today's geopolitical events.

On the negative connotation of the word byzantine, it's in the dictionary, it's not mine:

(merriam-webster)

byzantine

4. often not capitalized

a : of, relating to, or characterized by a devious and usually surreptitious manner of operation <a Byzantine power struggle>

b : intricately involved : labyrinthine <rules of Byzantine complexity>

I could also have said that some people in Internet discussions use intricated, labyrinthine and tortuous reasoning.

[Reggie29]

7H15 M355463 53RV35 70 PR0V3 H0W 0UR M1ND5 C4N D0 4M4Z1N6 7H1N65! 1MPR3551V3 7H1N65! 1N 7H3 B361NN1NG 17 W45 H4RD BU7 N0W, 0N 7H15 L1N3 Y0UR M1ND 15 R34D1N6 17 4U70M471C411Y W17H 0UT 3V3N 7H1NK1N6 4B0U7 17, B3 PR0UD! 0N1Y C34R741N P30PL3 C4N R34D 7H15.

For those that can't decipher this and I doubt there are many who can't.

It was apparent from the first word.

THIS MESSAGE SERVES TO PROVE HOW OUR MINDS CAN DO AMAZING THINGS! IMPRESSIVE THINGS! IN THE BEGINNING IT WAS HARD BUT NOW, ON THIS LINE YOUR MIND 1S READING IT AUTOMATICALLY WITHOUT EVEN THINKING ABOUT IT, BE PR0UD! ONLY CEARTAIN (SIC) PEOPLE CAN READ THIS.

[Driver8]

"Mexican standoff"

I actually heard a similar expression, in France, not sure if it exists in English, about a Mexican army ("armée mexicaine"). The major of a very large French city had used the expression, which sparked harsh critiques from the Mexican ambassador. The expression apparently denotes a team where disorganisation and little discipline reign. I guess this illustrates your point about the need for cultural sensitivity. I'm not sure whether the term has made it into the French dictionary, although byzantine as an adjective does exist in the dictionary.

A few years ago I read a very interesting book about the fall of Constantinople, I have forgotten the exact date of the event and I know it's on wikipedia, but my point is, that chapter in history was really sad how they razed down the city, destroying valuable historical artifacts and institutions.