Re: Dialogue/Monologue

Greg Ritter (gritter@FELIX.VCU.EDU)
Sun, 18 Feb 1996 08:22:07 EST


>
> Although Bob and Greg (more Greg than Bob right now) are
> writing their posts as though they completely oppose
> the other, I don't *think* either would oppose what I've
> outlined above. Is there a both/and? Bob seems to want
> to find a middle ground in which nothing is favored (though
> he himself seems to favor dialogue), but I can't tell yet
> if Greg is willing to budge.

Er....are you sure you have the names straight, Bruce? I was the
one who originally criticized Bob's either/or stance of
"replacement" and suggested that we should approach it as a
both/and situation. It strikes me that Bob's question of "What
should the monologic essay be replaced with?" isn't at all
"middle ground", but an exchange of one extreme for the other.

Of course, we never think we're the obstinate one when looking at
the issue from our side of the rhetorical fence, do we? :) What
is it that you see me not wanting to budge on, Bruce?

I don't think Bob and I completely oppose each other at all (for
that matter, I don't think Bob and Steve oppose each other,
either)....there we go with the either/or again! I think what's
happening is often what takes place in e-list (and RL!)
discussions: the participants have different evaluation criteria
and the process of dialogue is one of clarification of what those
criteria are.

>
> Bruce McComiskey
> East Carolina University
> enmccomi.ecuvm.cis.ecu.edu
>

--
Greg Ritter
gritter@felix.vcu.edu
ritter@urvax.urich.edu
http://www.urich.edu/~ritter