Re: terminology

[Todd Trimble <trimble1@optonline.net>]

In reference to Eduardo's recent comment

>I feel the need to clarify some of my postings.
>
> Due to some public and private mails I realized that most people though
> that I
> was talking about the nLab.
> Well, all the time, when referring to "ghetto" or "subculture" I was
> aiming to
> the WHOLE of the category community within mathematics, not at the nLab
> within
> the category community.
>

I for one didn't get the impression you were referring to the
nLab.  My own comment was in response to Andre Joyal who
wrote "The 'evil' terminology is promoted by a small group of
peoples active in the nLab. It does not reflect a commun usage
in themathematical community."

I thought this could lead to a misunderstanding about the nLab,
hence my comment.

> Actually, I was not even aware of the existence of the nLab.
Due to this
> controversy, I visit the nLab and at first sight I essentially (not fully)
> agree with Andre's comments about the nLab in his recent posting.
>
> I say, go ahead !, nice work !
>
> I can add that I liked the lack of solemnity and the freedom to write down
> your understanding without fear to be wrong, and the freedom of the reader
> to
> insert comments and ask questions. The whole thing is very useful to all
> interested in the subjects being written about, and should not to be taken
> as
> a book in final form, which is not intended to be. Encyclopedia (18
> century)
> and Bourbaki are very important, but some fresh air is also important.
>

Thank you for the nice words (and I'm glad that -- even if nothing else
gets resolved -- at least this discussion has heightened awareness of the
existence of this project!).

The nLab (and the companion discussion forum, the nForum) are still
young and small.  It's a wiki, like Wikipedia, so that anyone can edit it.
Therefore, if you or anyone else sees flaws in an nLab article, you have
a warm open invitation to improve it!  It's easy to edit, and we appreciate
your leaving a note at the nForum to mention changes you make, or to
discuss anything you like.

We are a loosely aligned group with perhaps a dozen or so very active
contributors, including Andrew Stacey, Urs Schreiber, Zoran Skoda,
Mike Shulman, Toby Bartels, David Roberts, Tim Porter, David Corfield,
and myself. Perhaps the only things that really unite us are a belief in the
value of category theory and higher category theory, and a belief in the
value of this project.  Of course there is also Andre Joyal's CatLab,
which runs on the same easy-to-use and highly effective software.

Todd



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