Celebrity advice (was: Advice to a Junior in High School?)

[Terry Reedy]

"Gerrit Holl" <gerrit at nl.linux.org> wrote in message
news:mailman.1062010433.31609.python-list at python.org...
> Terry Reedy wrote:
> > " Every political choice ultimately reduces to a choice about when
and
> > how to use lethal force, because the threat of lethal force is
what
> > makes politics and law more than a game out of which anyone could
opt
> > at any time."
> >
> > Do you disagree?
>
> Yes.

I knew someone would ;-)

I'll just note that George Washington has been quoted as saying
something nearly identical about the time he retired.


Back to my understanding of what started this subthread and my concern
thereof.  Budding CS student A asks for advice about going into CS.
Person B suggests that A read various CS-related writings by CS
celebrities, including C.  Poster D says something like 'No, Don't
read C' because he has written 'dangerous' stuff on other topics
(disconnected from CS).  Quite aside from my disagreement about the
'dangerous' characterization, is the boycott suggestion sensible and
legitimate, or just flamebait?

Let's consider celebrity K(nuth).  I believe he has written something
on a somewhat different non-CS topic (religion ).  Suppose I were to
read it (I have not as yet) and view it as 'dangerous nonsense'.
Would that justify me suggesting to A, on this newsgroup, that he not
read K's CS writings?

Terry J. Reedy