Harry Veeder wrote:

> > > Money is made from something physical and exchanges hands,
> >
> > Not necessarily. Most money now is just data in computer banks. Money is
> > now pure information. (Information, of course, always has a physical
> > base, but that is not relevant to my point. -- And when it comes down to
> > it, I suppose that paper money is simply information as well.)
>
> What is your point? Is your point to deny the physical reality of money
> and hope I will go along with you? ;)

The point is that money is information, not physical objects. All
information has a physical basis, but that does not change the fact that
the two are separate things.

> People may not be trading coins or paper, when they do electronic
> transactions, but this dosen't mean money has lost its physical basis and
> now resides in some disembodied platonic relm.

I already said this. Now I've repeated it. Please drop the straw man
argument about "some disembodied platonic realm".

> Currency is literally anything which happens to be in current
> use by a society.

Argumentum ad etymologicum (appeal to etymology) -- this is a classic
informal fallacy.

> It might be polished stones or magnetic oxide
> deposits on a tape. Whenever a new physical/technological basis for
> money is adopted some people are left marginalized, and for those people
> money is not "simply information".

Why not? -- The number zero is a number like any other....

> In fact, in todays highly networked
> world, the physical/techonological basis for money is spread out through
> many human/computer interfaces. I suppose the expansiveness of the
> electronic/photonic money networks has inspired the modern myth that money
> is now "simply information". ie. It is hard to hold a network in your hand
> when you are just a node in the network.

Please read a little bit about information science before you declare
this a "modern myth". It would help your evaluation if you at least knew
what the term "information" means.

Well, I think I've been a little hard on you. Please don't take it the
wrong way....

--
---------------------------------------------------
Dan Clore

The Website of Lord Weÿrdgliffe:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/9879/index.html
Welcome to the Waughters....

The Dan Clore Necronomicon Page:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/9879/necpage.htm
Because the true mysteries cannot be profaned....

"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!"