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From: <HIDDEN>
Newsgroups: comp.soft-sys.matlab
Subject: Re: Doubt on usefulness of the FEX
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:30:18 +0000 (UTC)
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"Kenneth Eaton" <Kenneth.dot.Eaton@cchmc.dot.org> wrote in message <gi8mhb$ap8$1@fred.mathworks.com>...
> "us " <us@neurol.unizh.ch> wrote in message <gi8lbo$l11$1@fred.mathworks.com>...
> > oh, and this i almost forgot: my 13 year old daughter just started with ML; and
> > her current project is a teddy-bear drawing snippet; and she plans to put on
> > the FEX (for educational purposes?!)...
> > HOW DO YOU THINK I AM GOING TO FEEL ABOUT THIS...
> 
> I'm glad to see you inspiring the next generation of ML users at such a young age. I 
> didn't learn ML until I was 19... I would have loved to start earlier!

While these words from <us> and Kenneth add a warm and pleasantly mild touch in this otherwise somewhat cold day and age, I still would like to return to the upper (and possibly main) theme of this thread for two reasons:

1. I think that an important issue is discussed, 
2. and that it is fading away at (as I write) position 185 on the Recent posts list,
    and going down fast -- while a more recent post asks for a moderated FEX.

So, here you are, my 2 ?re(*) worth of tougths:

As so many times before, <us> gets it right when writing

> i like the FEX as it is - and would not like to see it changed (after all)...
> as any other mature and open (minded) society, it reflects the zeitgeist 
> of its citizens (whether you and i like its excesses or not), generously
> allows them to live in freedom, and - most important - is able to nurture 
> even its utmost marginalized members - segregation is well known to toll the 
> downfall of a civilized people...

I am equally much annoyed as anyone when wading through nonsense FEX contributions and "Do my homework..." posts when searching for something specific. But would I like to see them censored by someone else (than me)? 

Absolutely not!

The right level of censorship is what we all as thinking individual can do -- 
exercise our own right and responsibility to choose what to read and what 
not to read.

Besides, when feeling a little bit philosophical, I quite enjoy reading some of the contributions (and comments) from  FEX "favourite" contributors (at both ends of the 'professionalism/usefulness dimension') and contemplate the breath  .... :-J


best,
Lars

(*) ?re is the 'Swedish cent' and is pronounced much like "Euro", 
but unfortunately with few other communalities...