From: "Tim Rhodes" <proftim@speakeasy.org>
To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Encoding and Decoding
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 1999 12:52:42 -0700
James McComb wrote:
[snip]
>The solution to these difficulties is to drop the misleading terms
>'encoding' and 'decoding' and use the neutral word 'transformation'.
>
>TRANSMISSION AS TRANSFORMATION: Every transmission event is the
>transformation of a meme from one physical representation to another. So
>i->m is a transformation, m->i is a transformation, and m->m is a
>transformation. The only symbolic difference between i and m in the
>symbolism is that i->i transmissions are disallowed.
This is more-or-less what I'd proposed, but with "i" & "m" in place of "G" &
"L". So naturally I agree with you and complement you on your obvious
intelligence.
But I wouldn't dismiss L -->L (or i -->i ) transmissions out of hand. It's
just that no one -- not even Richard -- has ever proposed a method by with
such transmissions might take place *without* involving at least one or more
intermediary steps. And I doubt they ever will.
-Tim
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