Forwarding about Forwarding

Harris views life as a continuing conversation that everyone is a part of, but no one can summarize because no one has been a part of it the whole time. I like this metaphor, and I see how it works for life. The chapter went downhill after that. Personally I think the whole chapter could be shorted to just the beginning explanation and the bullet points on page 39. Forwarding is basically when one uses another’s point idea or quote to improve their point idea or quote, or improve the one they’ve just forwarded. I think the hardest part of Harris’ definition of forwarding is that it’s not arguing. In Harris’ words, “A Dialogue is not a debate… The arts of conversation are subtler than those of debate.” (See I just forwarded Harris talking about forwarding. It’s like looking up dictionary in the dictionary, and Googleing Google.)

Did anyone else notice that Harris talked about spheres to? Page 37.

According to Harris there are four different ways to forward texts: illustrating, authorizing, borrowing, extending. He then goes on to explain each in agonizing detail, until he explains that sometimes they work together and he forwards a piece by Barbara Ehrenreich saying it’s, “An example of intellectual writing at its finest.” Harris gets some cool cred here because Barbara Ehrenreich happens to be, in my opinion, an excellent writer.

On to forwarding in the blogs I’m following:

From AmericaBlog:

• Good morning.This morning, your President is speaking at the White House
  Tribal Nations Conference. According to the emailed White House "Daily Guidance
  and Press Schedule":
  
  As part of President Obama’s sustained outreach to the American people,
  this conference will provide leaders from the 564 federally recognized tribes
  the opportunity to interact directly with the President and representatives from
  the highest levels of his Administration.
  
  Now, that sounds like a good idea. And, it sounds very policy and substance
  focused. I look forward to the White House LGBT Conference when the President
  invites LGBT leaders and activists and gives them the opportunity to interact
  directly with the President and representatives from the highest levels of his
  Administration. I'm sure Brian Bond, the LGBT liaison at the White House, is
  working on this right now. If not, he should be. Rep. Michelle Bachmann,
  arguably the most extreme of the extremist GOPers in Congress, has invited the
  teabaggers to Capitol Hill today. They're taking a "last stand" against the
  health insurance reform bill. Busloads of teabaggers are descending on the
  Capitol. And, no matter how many teabaggers really show up, we'll be told it's
  millions. It should make for some good visuals and video.
  

That was easy, it was the latest post. I’ve noticed a lot of forwarding in the blogs. Most posts are someone taking a quote and expanding on it, unless their criticizing it which I think will e discussed in the next chapter. I included the part about Michelle because I’m very excited about maybe seeing footage from that and laughing my butt off. Since I’ve put in the AmericaBlog excerpt, I’m not sure if I have 250 words and I forgot to check before I put the quote in, so I’m just going to assume that I do.