The Tragedy of The Tragedy of The Commons 1.1
Hi. Look I know I said a few weeks back that I’d get round to answering Tim Worstall’s questions / objections in the comments to ‘The Tragedy of The Tragedy of The Commons‘. Having just spent a few hours ranting about Facebook, one might (with some legitimacy) exclaim, “Well if he’s got time to do that, where’s our fecking response then? Eh?”
You might then go on to suggest, a little more quietly but still audible to anyone in the same room, that “it’s ‘cos he doesn’t have a response”.
Which wouldn’t be the case, I assure you. It’s simply the fact that as I began to write the response, I realised that I was rehashing my thesis with slightly more bizarre imagery and a good deal more swearing. Thing is, I don’t actually want to be doing that right now for a whole bunch of reasons. So I’m going to have to delay my response a little longer.
Sorry. But there you have it.
We await your measured words…..good that you’ll leave out the swearing for of course I’m very maiden auntish on such matters…
July 26th, 2008 | 9:14am
by Tim Worstall
Bollocks. I only fuckin come here for the arse-titting swearing. You shitsmear.
July 26th, 2008 | 9:47am
by merrick
Ah no, you miss my point. When I eventually get round to writing on the subject here, chances are there will be the occasional cuss-word. It’s part of the schtick of this place. Not to a pigdogfucker or devil’s kitchen level obviously, but part of the schtick nonetheless.
Personally I’m quite proud, for instance, of the point in the Facebook post where I move from “C.I. fricking A.” to “Coca fricking Cola” to “cat fricking sanctuaries” in the space of a couple of lines.
No, my problem is that… the thing I’m really struggling with right now, is finding the academic tone required for my thesis. My writing style veers between a kind of intellectualised stream-of-consciousness and the “conversational”. Given that most of my favourite writers have that aspect to them, that’s not a complaint by any means.
But I’m struggling (a little) to force myself into a dryer and more rigid style. And to keep it consistent. It’s too bloody easy for me to slip into old habits. I’ve already had to weed out one “Aaaaanyways” and a “No. Seriously!” It’s just too problematic at the moment to be writing about the same subject in two very different styles. My natural “conversational” tone bleeds over into my work, and that’s not very helpful.
July 26th, 2008 | 11:25am
by Jim Bliss
You have my earnest sympathy. I’m meant to be writing my thesis as I’m collecting my last few bits of data. Actually, I tell my supervisors that but really I spend most of my time trash-talking on t’interweb. Academic writing is such dry, soulless shite, isn’t it. I’m constantly getting pulled up for attempting to inject passion into my writing.
Word.
August 13th, 2008 | 10:58pm
by punkscience