spoon-discuss: Re: spoon-business: CFIs: Nobody's won just yet

[Rob Speer <rob@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, May 28, 2002 at 10:36:36PM -0400, Alex Truelsen wrote:
> [[Okay, here are two CFIs, a nice little last-ditch thing. Perhaps not as 
> well thought-out or stated as they could be, but...]]
> 
> CFI1:
> Statement: Universal Entropy has not been pushed over 500 by Wonko's 
> purchase of 5 DimShips and eir subsequent setting of said ships's Buoyancy 
> to 100 entropy each.
> 
> Analysis: Rule 493 states the following: "A DimShip is capable of carrying 
> a Player through DimSpace by taking on virtual dimensional values: Buoyancy 
> (positive virtual value) and Ballast (negative virtual value)." Note the 
> use of the word "a." Wonko can't be displaced by all 5 DimShips, and even 
> if e could, e still wouldn't be at 500 entropy, because nowhere does it say 
> that effects are cumulative.
> 
> Defendant: Wonko

Does this analysis hinge on the word "a"? If so, I'll have to agree with
Wonko and I believe a few other people that that argument is absurd.

The indefinite pronoun in English can be, and often is, generalized. "A
cheetah can run faster than a lion" applies to cheetahs in general. By
your interpretation it would imply "... and all the rest can't."

Plus it would totally screw up any other rule which uses the generalized
indefinite pronoun.

> CFI2:
> Statement: No player has been awarded a Win based upon eir virtual 
> dimensions as set by eir DimShips.
> 
> Analysis: Rule 493: "Ballast and Buoyancy are each limited to 100. Each can 
> be set to as much as 100, even at the same time, for displacement in single 
> or multiple dimensions. That is, no matter how many dimensions Ballast is 
> gathered for, total Ballast must be less than or equal to 100; same with 
> Buoyancy."

But isn't this referring to individual DimShips?

-- 
Rob Speer