It would be nice if I could talk with B''''''enjaminFranklin, But I cannot, He is gone.

But something of him remains in his writings. We can only imagine what he might say if we were to ask him about a current issue. Knowing of his affinity to communicate to those who surrounded him while he was here, we can be assured that he would not be above talking with us. He would use what he knew about things similar as a starting point, and would take if from there. He would ask of the issue: "What is it that is known about this?", "What is there about this that concerns us and our surroundings?", and possibly "What can be done about this?" and "Is it likely that influence can be brought to bear upon this by those who can affect or change it?"

It is a GoodThing that we can know of the past, for we can learn from it if we will. It is a GoodThing that we can preserve the historically significant and have reliable, accurate representations of it, preferably with as little interference with truthfulness and accuracy as is possible.

We learn about the details of happenings of events outside of the realm of our experience most accurately by reading first-hand accounts of the participants. We can know about these things through the art and practice of writings. While much of what is written has so little value that it fails to garner our attention and time, there are those things which are of such importance and significance that we have to stop and take a look.

There have been some significant and important people, and significant and important things which have entered the HistoryOfComputing through this wiki. Many of the participants are no longer here. It would be nice if we could talk with them about some of the issues, important to them, and now important to us, but we cannot, they are gone. If we are to discover something new of significance and importance about these issues, we must contribute based on an expertise which we have, or which we can point to.

Any conversation with the B''''''enjaminFranklins which we can have now, can only be based on what we may think he might say or do, not on what he cannot now do. It would be better for us to learn from history and shape the present by reacting with those with whom we can communicate.

-- DonaldNoyes

''How is this different from those who think they talk to Jesus? -- BenjaminFranklin''

Oh come now, whoever you are, you don't really believe I will fall for this!

----
See ArguingWithGhosts WikiNow PerpetualNow WinnersWriteTheHistory OnlySayThingsThatCanBeHeard
----
CategoryHistory CategoryWiki CategoryCommunication