New & horrid task - 1.1.2 Freewill, choice & fate

[Smythe, Boyd T {FLNA}]

1.1.2 Freewill, choice & fate - Boyd

There are 236 posts in this category, and I have read them *all*. [Casts a
killing glance in Carolyn's direction.] It was enough to permanently
discombobulate my groove. Oh, wait, never mind...here comes my favorite KC
and the Sunshine Band song, 'Get Down Tonight.' [Begins jitterbugging
interspersed with bits of funky chicken.]

Anyway, on to the posts! Overall, they were quite well coded. Many had over
20 codes, and one had over 30! In general, Freewill is addressed in many of
the best posts on the list.

Main Topics Covered:
* Does Weapon!Harry really have choices, or is he being connivingly
manipulated?
* Other choices (of good vs. evil, proffered fate vs. chosen reality,
religious/historical/generational parallels).
* Prophecies/dreams, Heirs, the Hogwarts Quill, the Sorting Hat and other
expressions of fate.
* _Lots_ of time-travel discussions of "changing the past" or how the past
has already been changed. (Is that redundant or an oxymoron?)
* Child development & abuse--what makes someone evil? Did they ever really
have a choice?
* House elf servitude--nature or nurture?

Awards for Most Obtuse Post Topics in this Category:
* Club #4575: Do these have free will: images of Harry's parents in the
Priori Incantatem and Mirror of Erised, and Diary!Riddle. Or are they merely
relativistic reflections of a past reality upon our current perceptions?
[OK, I added that last part.] Ouch, my brain.
* #19564: French edition translation of "[i]t is our choices far more than
our abilities that determine who we are." In French, "abilities" became
"actions." Aha, a clue! Yes, it is now so obvious what will happen in Book
7, isn't it?
* #18996: "...[t]hey have a class exercise of changing a hedgehog into a
pincushion. A hedgehog that one assumes was not created by magic for use in
class. Where does its soul go? Where does its life go? Is it murder? Lee
indicated that its soul just hangs around waiting for it to be Transfigured
back into some living being..." Ah, yes, *that* worn old theory!
* #38414: "How DARE they use Memory Charms? Seriously, I can think of
nothing more evil -- they ought to be Unforgivable." A few responses later
came this (#38426) on ethics for using Memory Charms, "Here's a question
then. How do you know _what_ are the ethics that guide you if you have lost
the memories of learning them and acting on them in the past? What if your
original guiding principles are no longer in your mind because they've been
stolen from you along with the other knowledge and memories?" I'm sure that
was a good point, but I seem to have forgotten why. <g>

Of note:
* #17156: Morag's FP on Socks--do they symbolize freedom? Love? You decide!
Very amusing. And just *possibly* the key to the whole series. [cue ominous
organ chord]

Questions/Issues:
* Quite a few posts that I would have categorized as 'Adds Nothing New.'
Does very short + no new points = Reject?
* How about where the "choices" quote is used to refute another's argument,
with nothing else of value in the post? Keep these repeated quotings due to
the varying contexts or chuck 'em as saying nothing new?
* A few said essentially, "I think that..." and never supported their
view--at all. Are these keepers if the thought is new?
* A few that were more personal reactions to the whole idea that Harry is
the One with the power to defeat LV, lamenting the lack of his choice in
that. At what point does such a personal reaction become rejectable (from a
coding standpoint)?
* Many posts discussed only time-travel. While the repercussions on freewill
of going back in time are obvious, should we continue marking both
categories in such cases? Note that the funniest of these by far is Joywitch
in post #1500.
* Post #1350 said in its entirety, "[o]f course Heinlein did a ton of stuff
about this in his Future History books." Why keep it?
* Post #18048 was in a good ongoing thread, but the post itself contained
rather useless responses/personal reactions. Shall we reject those posts
that Add Nothing New even if they come in the middle of a good debate?
[Please say yes!]

Wow, that was exhausting!

Now, has anyone seen my A Taste of Honey CD?

--Boyd
"boogie, oogie, oogie...."