[NTLK] 2010 thanks and a quick question...

[Jack Jenkins]

James,

While I echo your criticism of the article, I do have a followup question (and, again, I'm a religion student, so I apologize if I'm driving too deep!): your email implies that you take issue with the overall conclusion of the article - that is, the labeling of the Newton community as a "religious" entity - rather than the methodology of the article.

Thus, I suppose my question to you is this: do you disagree with how how Muniz and Schau DEFINE religion - that is, stories, beliefs, etc. - or with the CONNOTATION that comes from being a labeled as a religion?

Again, I don't want you to think that I agree with everything in the article (I don't), but I'm curious to see WHY folks (myself, a Newton user [albeit a new one], included) react the way they do. 

- Jack

(PS - the calendar fix worked like a charm!  No more 1993!)



[snip]

Thank you to the kind soul who emailed "Religiosity of the Apple Newton
Community" to me yesterday.

Prior to reading it, based on the title, I was thinking it was making
reference to the fact that many among us are religious in some respect and
are a bit vocal about it.  But upon closer examination of that research
paper, it's clear that it makes us out to be more of a "strange cult" than
talking about our religious beliefs.

Simply reading this paper made me feel strange.  While reading it I was
thinking, "why would anyone even take time to write something like this?"
But there are all many of hoops one must jump through to earn a good grade
or garner respect in Academia, so I can understand the underlying reasons.

Suffice it to say, I won't be reading it a second time.  I like my Newton,
but that in no way makes me some kind of freak or fanatical cult member.
Indeed, the really fanatics though tend to be the ones who go around and
over-analyze people.

It's amusing to see how the less one understands about human nature, the
more driven one is to over-analyze people.

--James Wages
[snip]