[Leica] If I Can't Understand It, It Is Garbage!

[Buzz Hausner <Buzz@marianmanor.org>]

Sorry, Mike, but just who has, "...a sneaking suspicion that an awful  lot
of this theory stuff is just so much flatulence!"?  Gee, it sure sounds to
me like a kinetic streak of anti-intellectualism on the LUG.  I am as guilty
as anyone of the assumption that anything I cannot understand is
incomprehensible.  Nonetheless, this is a position I strive to avoid.  While
its density in stretches exceeds that of spent uranium, I have gotten a lot
out of Susan Sontag's prose after working with it for a while.

	Buzz Hausner

- -----Original Message-----
From: Mike Gardner [mailto:mikeg@neca.com]
Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2000 3:02 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] sontag, etc.



- ----- Original Message -----
From: Guy Bennett <guybnt@idt.net>

>there is indeed an  anti-intellectual trend here on the lug. it's evident
in the >strong  resistance to serious discussion about theories of
photography, art
> photography, art in general, etc. every time one of these subjects come
up,
> a chorus of voices chime in about how worthless it is, how the public has
> been duped by it, and how foolish are those who might actually find some
> value in it. i personally find this unfortunate because there is much to
be
> learned (both about the issue at hand as well as about each other) in the
> exchange of ideas generated by such discussions.

I'm not entirely convinced that the problem is that people are
anti-intellectual as much as many are of a more practical bent of mind and
find these discussions as largely irrelevant.  I devote the majority of my
available energy and time to photographing and printing or using my
photography in some way.  Sitting around and typing deep thoughts to
faceless strangers via my computer board is simple counterproductive for me.
Maybe face to face over a good meal we might wax eloquent into the wee hours
of the morning but over an email list?
Nope.  Got better things to do.  I like my email 'lite'.  Good stuff about
lenses,  black and white information that I may be able to use, accounts of
people's travels, that's enough for me via this medium.

Finally, there is a sneaking suspicion that an awful  lot of this theory
stuff is just so much flatulence!
Mike Gardner
ps... Guy, I hope you can get that shift key fixed soon.  It would be a
'capital' idea!