On the Not So Gentle Art of Looking Like an Arse

I posted today on a motorcycle list I'm a member of. I thought I was making a reasoned plea for understanding an element of one of the bikes I own, and provided links I thought helped bolster my points. I wasn't argumentative, thankfully, or contentious, but merely assumed I was making reasonable sense.

Nobody responded.

Later in the day a very kindly soul e-mailed me off-list, informing me I had completely misread the thread --they were indeed talking about something completely different. And sure enough, they were.

A few things. It taught me a lesson on jumping in on something I thought I knew I was talking about, and I didn't have a clue. I hadn't taken time to read the thread properly. That's just lazy on my part. It may be forgivable, but nonetheless carried the stigma of opening one's mouth before knowing what's at issue. Guilty as charged. I say forgivable intentionally because I was indeed being sincere in my response; if one has to err, maybe it's not so bad to err on the side of taking the risk of looking stupid. No outright sin in that. But again, lesson learned.

Perhaps just as important, it was gratifying to know there are good folks out there who aren't out to embarrass publicly. I was given the option - thanks to this good chap's willingness to e-mail me off-list of my error - to retract my mistake myself. That's encouraging and a sign of good will. A big salute in this guy's direction.

But it's all a bit silly, and no big deal. Right. Finally, though, and perhaps this is the point: It will happen here plenty, if this blog continues (a big if!) --lots of mistakes are sure to follow. It's my hope they are tolerated and that what really moves forward are important, entertaining, even enlightening discussions about classic bikes, literature, ideas, whatever spills forth. Doesn't hurt to hope, right?