benjamin said:
>   You just did. Again.

thanks for noticing, benjamin.

i think i added something to the thread.
which is always my reason for posting...

but i think it is good to inform people that
you don't think a topic is discussion-worthy,
because _they_ aren't adding enough value...

further, because it occurred to me, and because
i need a reason for _this_ post to be worthwhile,
i will note that the important consideration here
is that the _citation_ be available to the _public_.

after all, that's what a "citation" _means_, isn't it?

so, using the terminology of today and tomorrow,
the u.r.l. might well serve as the reference point...

but that's only _if_ the link has some permanence
associated with it.  it is that _permanence_ where
we fall down, for the most part, in today's world...

for instance, here's a reference to benjamin's post:
>   http://lists.pglaf.org/mailman/private/gutvol-d/2011-April/007748.html

but that fails because it's not available to the public.
and who knows how long that that page remains up?

likewise, a blog posting has a u.r.l., and that's good.
that serves as a "canonical reference", to a degree...

and -- at least under some blog systems -- each of
the comments has a unique u.r.l. associated with it.

but, referring back to the problem i just mentioned,
when we print out a blog post with all its comments,
or benjamin's post from the mailman archives, we'll
generally _lose_ the u.r.l.  furthermore, in regard to
_comments_ on a blog article, we usually never even
_see_ the u.r.l. which is associated with each of them,
and that increases the problems inherent in using it
as a referent we could use to discuss it with others.

this is one of those problems where a solution seems
like it _should_ be simple, but every time you think you
get a handle on one, you discover that it's too slippery.

which is why a "discussion" with people who haven't
even _thought_ about the issue very deeply, let alone
tried to come up with some _solutions_ to the problem,
is so unfulfilling.  and that is why i'm not going there...

even though i just did.

again.

and i will go there again, if i need to, to tell you people
even more things that will frustrate your "solutions"...

thus you will have to resign yourself to moaning about
the problem.  or how pagenumbers "can't" be a solution,
because, oh my god, you know, they're so old-fashioned!

or perhaps, like benjamin, you will be reduced to making
meta-comments.  which add nothing to the conversation.
except a little snark value, i guess...  and i do love snark...    :+)

anyway, have a good easter weekend folks...

-bowerbird