I was looking up the dictionary definition of incorrigible this morning. I wanted to use it on a list serve as a response to someone who persists in believing that there is no difference between the complex and the complicated. He believes that all can be made simple and strucutred, the economy is not a complex system etc. etc. In order to achieve this simplicity he is offering one of the most simplistic consultancy methods I have seen for some time. For an amazingly cheeky $150 a go it's yours to use. You can also download a pop up which designates you as a knowledge person. I think maybe we should create an alternative un-knowledge logo!
I and others had made several attempts (ranging from the the gentle to the direct) to get him to read a basic text on complexity without success. He seems to have an unhealthy obsession with restricting the meaning of language to what he finds in the Collins Dictionary, so I thought I would retaliate in kind. Hence the quest for incorrigible
I was using the excellent on line Oxford and came across this wonderful quote on its home page:
An insolent reply from a polite person is a bad sign.Hippocrates (c.460-c.370 bc), Greek physician.
After reading that I will now monitor all comments with great care!
Before anyone says anything I know I do not qualify as a polite person. Curmudgeon I can live with.
Apologies for the changes to this entry this morning, I came in and out of naming names and decided in the end it was unfair to be that direct. I have posted a comment on the person's web site so they have freedom of choice to link back here. After all any publicity may be good publicity.
Comments (4)
Incorrigible, insolent - why not Impenetrability? http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22humpty+dumpty%22+impenetrability
One might need the 150 each Saturday night to pay them the wages?
Side-note: I very much like the idea of un-knowledge (like un-dead), but it it difficult to explain, too geeky.
Posted by christianhauck![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.cognitive-edge.com/blogs/dave/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 19, 2006 1:44 PM
Posted on September 19, 2006 13:44
While we are on Humpty Dumpty, the same chapter has the un-birthday
Not sure where you are going with incorrible & insolent but will leave that hanging in the air. Impenetrability is good though and its a brilliant reference given that HD pays words for working extra
Thanks for brightening the evening!
Posted by Dave Snowden![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.cognitive-edge.com/blogs/dave/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 19, 2006 2:34 PM
Posted on September 19, 2006 14:34
No special goal, I was just taking some extraordinary words starting with "I" from your post, and I added another, somewhat related one that came to my mind.
And a note about meanings of words. I am using a software that started as shareware and now has grown into a "real" business. It's Babylon at http://www.babylon.com/ . Unfortunately only available for Windows since it digs deep into the operating system in order to read the text from the screen upon mouseclick. I like it because: 1. it's extremely easy to use, and 2nd: you can create your own dictionaries, share them at their website (or get them from there), and when looking up one word (so easy: mouseover and contr.-click), you get this word in a pop-up window, as defined by all of those dictionaries that you loaded. So it's a multi-perspective view for this one word (or short phrase), from authorative sources, plus from grassroots exercises, whatever you chose. Yes there are other ways of achieving this, but not within 2 seconds.
Posted by christianhauck![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.cognitive-edge.com/blogs/dave/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 19, 2006 3:16 PM
Posted on September 19, 2006 15:16
Hi --
"After all any publicity may be good publicity."
Except an obituary. (Mark Twain).
Cheers,
-j
Posted by John Maloney | September 19, 2006 9:39 PM
Posted on September 19, 2006 21:39