L*** vs. %list folks words -Not a review

[Peter Giordano]

The comments below are not a review since I've not read the book
(and doubt I will) they are comments on the general idea of a book
produced about TRP and about this list and the internet in general

Somebody said:
>This bickering is ridiculous.  If people want to know how much of their (or
>their fellow Pynchon-lers') words are in [***'s]  book, they should get ahold
>of it and count the bloody words.  Then they'll have a basis for argument.

I say:
I disagree about the above - People do not need to spend money
to line the pockets of a person they consider to be dishonest in order
to demostrate that the person is dishonest

Somebody said:
>I have the book but am not about to spend a week counting words, suffice to
>say that in reading it, the majority of the book [ ...]  a warm
>introduction/autobiographical section, [ ...]

I say:
Why am I not surprised that there is an autobiograophical section?

Somebody said:
... lengthy ruminations by [***] on a
>variety of subjects, brief commentary on his and others' posts, a short
>speculative essay on the future of the book, and finally, [***]' FAQ.

I say:
And there's the rub - The author of this book has made numerous comments
(on this list)
about the internet and electronic publishing which are factually wrong - These
comments would never be published by a regular publisher not because
they are "daring" but because they are wrong - What could possibly be the worth
of a speculative essay on the future of the book by a person who knows so
little
about publishing history or current publishing trends - Who knows, maybe it's
worth a fortune

Somebody said:
>   [....]  It also takes much of the Pynchon-l experience and many
>"newly" revealed Pynchon "facts" and makes them tangibly available to
>scholars

I say:
And it's so easy to provide facts if the person you're writing about does
not respond or lead a public life - The only reason the author of the book
in question can present "facts" about TRP and get attention is because
this person had a vague association with TRP over 30 years ago - Imagine
Norman Mailer's reaction if somebody who lived downstairs from him
30 years ago decided to advertise himself or herself as a Mailer
expert

I have know idea what the worth of the book might be - And I'm not
sure how much I should care about an ephemeral work by a virtually
unknown author - I do have some personal concerns about misinformation
and disinformation about the internet being spread around as fact  - And
I am mortified people who try to turn an insiginficant brush with a famous
person into a source of income

Peter Giordano
Williams College
Williamstown, MA