"Are you there?" Weird chat
4:38 PM anonymous: hi..u there?
| 28 minutes |
5:07 PM grout: no
what a daft question
if I don't answer
it means I am not there
how can I answer if I am not there
?
5:09 PM anonymous: I asked this 20 minutes ago, so it means you haven't been there if you did not answer me until now
grout: duh
anonymous: and why are you so bothered by the question?
grout: because it's not logical
are you there?
see
5:10 PM it's very annoying
anonymous: then what is the right question to ask if i want to check if you're at the PC
grout: hmmm no answer
you say hi, then leave it
if there is no answer
then the person is not there
5:11 PM it's not complicated
if I read the question it means I am there
But if I cannot read the question
I cannot answer it
anonymous: i don't need you to teach me how to speak...u are the one who cannot talk nice...
5:12 PM grout: so why ask a question that someone cannot read?
what's the point
anonymous: you feel like arguing or what???
grout: as if they can read it, then they are there
5:13 PM arguement?
Oh, are you disagreeing with me?
which part?
It's not an arguement, it's a teaching moment
lol
5:14 PM anonymous: :))..ok...u have some personality problems
grout: It's like telephoning someone, they answer and then you ask them is they are there
You say that like it's a bad thing ;)
5:15 PM It's no problem for me
I see you are not a fan of logic riddles
anonymous: it might be a problem because i don't need someone to teach me to communicate...i see nothing wrong with my question...
grout: ah well
5:16 PM "need" is a relative term
so are you the kind of person to knock on somes door, they open it and you say, "Are you in?"
I'm not sure I am the one with the problem, lol
5:17 PM Actaully, the correct answer to your question is, "yes, I am always here"
anonymous: when you knock on somes door and they open it...you see them...but when i see you available on gtalk it doesn't mean that your are in front of your computer...
grout: as the question can only really exist when it is read
anonymous: that's why i asked you if you are there
5:18 PM grout: ahhh, but if the answer is always yes, the question is redundant
5:19 PM anonymous: are u typing or what?
grout: but you weren't really asking if I am here, you are asking a different question
5:20 PM which is one of, "can you respond"?
but then that really isn't it
What would be the optimal question
If you can answer that, and understand why it needs to be asked, then you are a clever man
5:21 PM But, how do we really know if we are there or not?
anonymous: ok..i see you have no bad intentions...so the optimal question...
grout: And where exactly is there?
anonymous: is
grout: "bad intentions"?
5:22 PM why would I have bad intentions, the sun is in the sky, the birds are singing.....
anonymous: hi..can we speak now...or later?
grout: lol
anonymous: u need a girlfriend..believe me...
grout: ?
anonymous: i ask this question every day...and NO ONE told me that it is a wrong question
grout: hmmmm, you mistake sexual satisfaction for an over active mind
anonymous: you're the only
grout: it's perfectly possible to have both
5:24 PM anonymous: your mind is not over active at all...you're just trying to be what you cannot be...
grout: Only a guy without a gorgeous gf would get mad at that insult ;)
and what is that?
after all, you started this line of questioning
5:25 PM I do not claim to be anything other than I am
anonymous: man...i was looking for something else..not for this exchange...
grout: oh, then why ask the question?
5:26 PM It's a pretty cosmic question
"are you there?"
anonymous: to see if there's anyone there to hear my question...
:|
what's so anoying eventually?
5:27 PM grout: because if I answer, the question is not needed
5:28 PM I thought I explained that
Any answer I give would mean that the answer is yes
But, no answer could also be yes
except I can't tell you
5:29 PM because if I did the question would be answered yes
that is why it is annoying
It's exactly the same as people who stand on escalators
lol
anonymous: u know what...stop focusing so much...i don't want you to end up with a brain damage..
so...have a nice day..
5:30 PM grout: as explained in this video