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Date:      Sun, 27 Jan 2002 12:35:15 +0100
From:      "Anthony Atkielski" <anthony@freebie.atkielski.com>
To:        "Terry Lambert" <tlambert2@mindspring.com>
Cc:        <freebsd-chat@freebsd.org>
Subject:   Re: Why dual boot?
Message-ID:  <040601c1a726$b1195db0$0a00000a@atkielski.com>
References:  <3C4FBE5C.2AE8C65@mindspring.com> <20020123114658.A514@lpt.ens.fr> <20020123223104.SM01952@there> <3C4FBE5C.2AE8C65@mindspring.com> <4.3.2.7.2.20020124213809.00e6e5d0@localhost> <20020125131659.GB7374@hades.hell.gr> <3C51CD33.4E69B204@mindspring.com> <001b01c1a635$636a4170$0a00000a@atkielski.com> <3C5270E4.BF21F79B@mindspring.com> <011b01c1a659$fb98a670$0a00000a@atkielski.com> <3C52AB34.B8896C8D@mindspring.com> <018c01c1a675$f3dcc1c0$0a00000a@atkielski.com> <3C534259.A20067B2@mindspring.com> <02ba01c1a6ec$62983740$0a00000a@atkielski.com>    òÿÿÿ <3C539BC5.C1543E5D@mindspring.com> <038b01c1a70e$fcb0f200$0a00000a@atkielski.com> ¿Àå¿¿ ±(                                                           Èð   `ç¿¿   ³ð   0À	                                   øå¿¿            æ¿¿Ìæ¿¿¾(tæ¿¿¿ð8ç¿¿u(¨® (àÑ (Dç¿¿á (Ò (   Ó  aÒ(ç¿¿           àÑ (-   üæ¿¿6Ò(¨® (àÑ ( <3C53DFEB.C9F6E25A@mindspring.com>

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Terry writes:

> That's the definition of "anecdotally".

I know.

> It's repeated here for people who, unlike
> you, don't own Merriam Webster's dictionary,
> and have been taken in by your attempt to
> redefine the word "empirically".

How does defining a completely different word prove anything about my use of
the word "empirically"?  I used empirically from the beginning, and you
attempted to equate it with anecdotally, even though the two words are quite
different.  If anything, providing a definition for the latter term only
emphasizes this fact.

> If you honestly mean "empirically", then
> you won't mind giving everyone sufficient
> information so as to be able to duplicate
> your observations.

Since empirical knowledge is based on experience (or observations, but
experience is what I intended in my use of the word), they'd have to
duplicate my experience, and obviously that is not possible.

> > My own experience supports my assertions.
>
> Not empirically, it doesn't ...

Empirically means "based on experience."

> Wrong.

See above.

> Empirical: capable of being verified or disproved by
> observation or experiment.

Why do you cite only the third definition on page 379, instead of the first
two?

1: originating in or based on observation or EXPERIENCE ... 2: relying on
EXPERIENCE or observation ALONE often without due regard for system and
theory ...

(C) 1993 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.

[Emphasis added]

> All empirical evidence is, by definition, verifiable.

Nothing in the definition you lifted from the dictionary says anything about
verification.  Neither do the parts of the definition that you left out.

I get the overwhelming impression that you were not exactly sure what
"empirical" meant before you encountered in in my post, because (1) you
equated it with anecdotally, which was incorrect; then (2) you looked it up
to find out what it really meant; then (3) you tried to quote a part of the
definition that you thought might enable you to salvage your mistaken first
impression of its meaning, without success.  I can always tell when someone
has had to look up a word.

> Please contact:

No.  You may post your evidence here, if you wish, but I'm not going to
contact anyone or look anything up for you.

> Feel free to verify my assertions by contacting the
> companies noted above, all of whom ship FreeBSD based
> products, the "golden master" for which *sure as hell*
> is not the CDROM new users can download off the net.

No.  Present your evidence here, or we shall do without.  I will not do your
work for you.

I really don't understand why this is all such an issue for you, but then
again, the workings of the standard angry young male's mind have always been
somewhat of a mystery to me.  In any case, it's always fun to press people
to objectively justify purely subjective opinions and see how long it takes
them to admit that they really _are_ subjective opinions, and not
objectively verifiable realities.  Angry young males never admit it, of
course--they just fight and fight and fight, because fighting is what really
interests them.

My opinion is that dual-boot configurations are not worth the effort they
require to set up.  Your opinion differs from mine.  Neither of us can prove
our opinions to be objectively valid and correct.  Therefore the Herculean
effort you are expending to give the impression that you can provide such
proof is wasted.


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