vNti.
1,tift
ib luct
`IVIEME-NAZIS' page 19
ethical questions, he notes. If it
is possible to combat a "viral
meme" on the Web, he asks, "is
there any moral imperative to do
so? When we see a bad or false
meme go by, should we take
pains to chase it with a counter-
meme?"
Godwin's Law And Corollaries
odwin's Law of Nazi
Analogies .. As an on-line
discussion grows longer,
the probability of a com-
parison involving Nazis or Hitler
approaches 100 percent
Sircar's Corollary: If the dis-
cussion touches on homosexu-
ality or [science fiction writer
Robert] Heinlein, Nazis or Hitler
are mentioned within three
days.
Morgan's Corollary: As soon
as a Nazi comparison occurs,
someone, will start a Nazi-
them.ed discussion in the cen
sorship newsgroup.
Blum's Corollary to Godwin's .
Law: When the discussion gets
to "But he started it!" it's dead.
Van der Leun's Corollary: As
global connectivity improves, the
probability of actual Nazis be-
ing on the Net approaches one.
Godwin's Law on MUDS
(multi-user dimensions): Any
time the players outnumber the
wizards by 3 to 1 or more, at
least one wizard will be accused
of being a fascist with delusions
of grandeur.
Quirk's Exception: Inten-
tional invocation of Godwin's
Law is ineffectiml. ❑
scription of the different streams
of Judaism.
The most useful section is a set
of links to other sources of infor-
mation and guidance, including
direct e-mail links to more than
60 Conservative and Reform rab-
bis.
Though Dr. Epstein is not a
rabbi, his home page provides a
low-key, friendly gateway for
prospective converts and for the
Jews who want to help them
along.
Check it out at: http✓/mem-
Cybernauts By Choice
As the Web allows people to
spread harmful ideas rapidly, all
over the world, Mr. Godwin ar-
gues that "the time may have
come for us to commit ourselves
to memetic engineering — craft-
ing good memes to drive out the
bad ones." ❑
A wealth of information on conversion.
JAMES D. BESSER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
I
t's a fact that many rabbis
openly acknowledge: Converts
often make the most enthusi-
astic and serious Jews.
But joining the fold isn't always
easy, which is why a Long Island,
N.Y., professor who has written
books on the subject now offers a
home page on the World Wide
Web with a wealth of information
about conversion.
The Conversion to Judaism
Home Page, a project of Dr.
Lawrence J. Epstein, is simplici-
ty itself— a series of articles and
resources designed to help ease
prospective converts over some of
the hurdles on the road to Ju-
daism, and along the way, to prod
Jewish leaders to be more
welcoming.
At the top of the page is an ar-
ticle on "Should I Convert To Ju-
daism?" In practical, straightfor-
ward language, Dr. Epstein offers
suggestions for soul-searching. He
tells prospective converts that it's
important to learn about both
Jewish religion and culture; he
suggests studying religious texts,
but also listening to Jewish co-
medians to get a handle on our
community's special ethnic style.
He doesn't say whether a study of
Jackie Mason might encourage or
discourage conversion.
Other sections include a
streamlined comparison of Ju-
daism and Christianity, advice on
setting up congregational outreach
committees and a guide to Jewish
books and videos for those on the
conversion path. There are also
interesting and sometimes touch-
ing real-life stories about converts
and a reasonably objective de-
bers.tripod.com/–epst/.❑
Archeological Digs
On The Internet
Jerusalem — Information on 50
archeological digs, under way in
Israel this spring, summer and
fall, can now be found on the In-
ternet.
Details on locations, historical
background and volunteer oppor-
tunities can be found at
http://wvvw.israel.org/archdigs.ht
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