rattus rattus’ blog

In The core trouble of feedback, I presented a WYRIWYG questionnaire.

When I used the acronym WYRIWYG for What You Request Is What You Get, (closely following the acronym WYSIWYG) I had no idea that it’s already being used at least by John Howe, see his web site wyriwyg.com where it stands for What You Read Is What You Get. His WYRIWYG even is self-referential and alas a little lying. Very well.

Patrik Tast uses WYRIWYG as an abbreviation for What You Receive Is What You Get to describe a piece of software. And, of course, there are other variations, too, such as WYAIWYG — What You Accept Is What You Get. Got it?

The portal of the St. Marx cemetery (Friedhof St. Marx) shows a hexagram, well known as Star of David. Yet, I was told that this hexagram was (and still is) not meant as a Jewish symbol.

Interestingly, a number of gravestones there show six-pointed stars which some consider variations of hexagrams. Though, I found one engraving showing a six-pointed star within a hexagram.

What is part of a symbol?

One of Heinz von Foerster’s favorite symbols was the Ouroboros. (Von Foerster often used a variation where 2 snakes devour each other’s tail.)

At the St. Marx cemetery some gravestones carry Ouroboros, many with an arrow pointing from left to right.

Are symbols just symbols?

I vividly feel as if I was an Ouroboros on fire.

It is my conviction that no one is any more or less a liar. We are all liars, says me who is one, too. Hence, nobody is a liar. But, this, of course, is not any less a lie.

Since it does not make much difference, as you see, I suggest to call you no liar, but I am a liar. Or, let’s all call this nonsense, but why then?

A bit beyond perception’s reach
I sometimes believe I see
that Life is two locked boxes, each
containing the other’s key.

— Piet Hein: Grooks

[Ratta & I always tell the truth. So, what do you want me to say?]