Scholarly importance of Barry Popik's research

[Peter A. McGraw]

--On Tuesday, July 30, 2002 11:07 AM -0500 Gerald Cohen <gcohen at UMR.EDU>
wrote:

> I'd like to clarify the enormous scholarly importance of Barry
> Popik's work. To zero in on his off-topic messages is to miss the
> point of what Barry is all about.
> Those messages are very much a side-show

I think Ron made quite clear (in the quote below) that he in no way "misses
the point of what Barry is all about."  He is simply asking that we be
spared the side-show.

"I mentioned the fact that I
personally find little of interest in Mr. Popik's lexicographical postings
ONLY as a way of emphasizing that I nonetheless firmly support his posting
them. I am told by people I respect that Popik's work is extremely useful to
the many lexicographers who participate in ADS-L, and it has always been
clear that they are very interesting to many of the subscribers. I
occasionally read them myself when the particular word is of interest to me.
I am grateful that he generates so much interest in ADS-L and thereby in the
study of American English, which is the central purpose of this list.

"What I do object to is when he uses the list for irrelevant personal
purposes."

****************************************************************************
                               Peter A. McGraw
                   Linfield College   *   McMinnville, OR
                            pmcgraw at linfield.edu