Posted by Robert Ruork on December 16, 1997 at 04:40:25:
In Reply to: Re: Spanish article on "The Moon Moth" posted by Joe Schwab on August 01, 1997 at 18:11:40:
: Per the little Spanish article recently posted, indeed it contains nothing objectionable, and in fact, closes with an interesting analogy. The author discusses, in the main, the uses of masks and musical instruments on Sirene. The main idea here is that members of Sirenese society disguise themselves according to societal standards of "strakh"--inherent dignity deserved and earned through prominence and worthiness.
: The closing point, in question form, is that when persons enter Chat sessions, they symbolically mask themselves according to a perceived idea of their own strakh. This statement suggests that there exists (at least perhaps on Spanish Chat channels) an excess of pretension, that Chat members arbitrarily assign their own disguises, and that these may not be in proper accord with their true social standing.
: On Sirene, strakh is conferred upon the recipient, and the protagonist nearly suffers dire repurcussions when he over-estimates his own self worth through the inappropriate choice of a mask, which he has no societal right to wear.
::To be sung to the accompaniment of a stimic: "The fact that 'one should not be compelled to use a similitude foisted upon oneself', that is, their real persona, and people joyfully become 'avatars' on the web taints the notion of any eventual coadunation of the internet as an entity and also prevents authenticated, non-repudiable indivuals from forming any truly valid quorum or minyan beyond the simple amassment of lucre.'