spoon-business: CFJ -- comments don't make props.

["Glotmorf" <glotmorf@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I submit this CFJ:

Props. 650, 651, 652 and 653 were made using text quoted from comments in other public forum msgs.  Therefore they have no effect, even if they pass in voting.

Def: Wonko

Reason:

Rule 8 reads, "Comment text shall not have the force of Rule; its purpose is solely elucidative or demonstrative."  The use of the phrase "shall not" implies future as well as present limits on use.  Therefore a comment's text can't be used to make or change rules or gamestate, not only when the comment is made, but from that point on.

A quote is a repeat of text from a source.  A quote, by its nature, cannot exist without the source.  Therefore, if a comment is quoted, said quote contains text that is tied to the text in the comment.  If the same words as those in a comment are used in a prop., but one is not a quote of the other, the two have nothing to do with each other; if it is claimed that that text is a quote, though, it is tied to the comment.  The claim of the text being a quote of a comment reflects clear intent that the comment text is being used.

The fact that the text was stuck in a comment once means the text was not meant to have the force of rule; to quote that comment text to give it the force of rule in order to get around one rule is to go against the spirit of Rule 8, not to mention the rule to be gotten around.

						Glotmorf