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> That's a rather condescending reply The reply begins with a sincere "...First, however, I would like to express my great admiration for you...". The denoted
by throwawayjava 8y ago
> That's a rather condescending reply
The reply begins with a sincere "...First, however, I would like to express my great admiration for you...".
The denoted intent of the letter is certainly not condescending.
Perhaps the content is what makes the letter condescending?
The letter, if written today, might come off as condescending. It states many obvious truths, such as the observation that space development provides valuable tools to Zambian nuns. Today, this is obvious [1], and to point out such obvious facts to an expert borders on condescension.
But GPS wasn't at all an obvious implication of NASA funding in 1970!
If the letter comes off as condescending today, it's only because time (and science funding) has turned the impossible into the pedestrian.
[1] http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2011/09/gps_humanitarianism.html http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2011/0...