"In control and communication we are always fighting nature's tendency to degrade the organized and to destroy the meaningful; the tendency,... for entropy to increase."
-Norbert Wiener, Cybernetics and Society

"The result of Wiener's book (Cybernetics) was that the notion of feedback penetrated almost every aspect of technical culture. Though the central concept was both old and commonplace in specialized circumstances, Wiener gave the idea legs by generalizing the effect into a universal principle..."
-Kevin Kelly, Out of Control.

The following is a cut-n-paste exhibition of the explicitness in the messages of feedback--implying and/or including interaction, participation, reciprocal communication, discussion, discourse, debate, applause, positive response (or "re"-anything for that matter), answers (feedback parameters defined by questions, sentences usually ending with a "?" sign), control (made possible through feedback and connoted by words such as monitoring, watching, steering, guiding, governing). Progress in a system means an increase in organization (decrease in entropy) through time, and requires the existence of a given purpose or goal which can be sought, i.e. the system controlled, by means of feedback. [note: Feedback is an essential component of the process of understanding] The system exists in an entropic and probabilistic universe, being itself a probabilistic entity, implying uncertainty and necessitating some degree of speculation, trust, faith, doubt, skepticism, and luck perhaps. That's really all there is to the enigma. (It's an absurd farce, and that's the truth--didn't say it would be easy) The riches are in the music.

Subject: >>>>>>>>> O R I G I N A L  M E S S A G E S <<<<<<<<<



Many of you have contacted me to 'repost' my original

messages:





You have heard the message Pink Floyd has delivered, but have you listened? 

Perhaps I can be your guide, but I will not solve the enigma for you. 

All of you must open your minds and communicate with each other, as

this is the only way the answers can be revealed. 

I may help you, but only if obstacles arise. 

Listen. 

Read. 

Think. 

Communicate. 

(KNOCK-KNOCK, that's the feedback process)

If I don't promise you the answers would you go. 



    - Publius 


(Are we having fun yet?)


So it seems that some of you have speculated with the past and found

nothing. Fair enough. 

But, is it impossible to believe things have changed? 

You're all so concerned with my identity - but you're just shooting

the messenger. The message itself is what's important, and not who

delivers it. 

Some of you may be beginning to understand. 

Remember: 

    If I don't promise you the answers would you go. 

    Do you think that I know something you don't know? 



    - Publius





Some of you are asking thoughtful questions (a tip of the hat to

Geoff Lee and Duncan Anker, among others, who have contacted me

directly). Now, let me provide a few answers that will perhaps

inspire more of you. 



First of all, as you read further, you will better understand why my

identity cannot be revealed. Let it be said again that I am a

messenger, simple as that. I cannot tell you who has sent me, but I

can say that I was directed to you because you're a strong

collective body of Pink Floyd fans and experts. 



Those of your newsgroup who have chosen to "flame" my postings

because I won't divulge my identity are clearly choosing to focus on

the messenger and not what has been disclosed in the messages...


More importantly, to those of you who have been following my earlier

messages, do not be intimidated by the jeers of the others...


in this case there is a central purpose and a designed solution...


a unique prize has been secreted. 



    How and Where? 

    The Division Bell 

    Listen again 

    Look again 

    As your thoughts will steer you 

    Leading the blind while I stared out the steel 

      in your eyes...


FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, I have watched and found that you have

speculated on one level of meanings...

So now I have been given a

task - as your "guide" - to begin pointing you in the right

direction. 



LET ME BE CLEAR: For those of you willing to think through this

perplexing and intricate problem, a singular prize awaits. But, the

challenge is accompanied by a particularly complex solution. For

those of you who choose to ignore or even ridicule this posting, it

is your loss. It will be your own skepticism that precludes you from

participating. 



If you choose to discuss your progress openly on this forum, I will

be able to help steer you from time to time. 



CAREFULLY REVIEW my previous messages and this very posting for

additional help and a place to begin. 



Best of luck...  


While I am encouraged by the positive response to my last post, I

understand that many of you still doubt my authenticity...


Stand aside, and let those who have demonstrated the incentive to

embrace this challenge with an eager and open mind pass by

unencumbered by your flames and arrows...


   BEST OF LUCK to all who have begun researching the available

clues!...  Judging from recent

postings, many of you are asking intelligent questions and raising

provocative issues.  Progress is being made.  Do not be frustrated

in your initial attempts...


    Your newfound persistence has paid off and, in turn, let me

provide a few more hints to orient your research.  Though the

newsgroup discourse is generally moving in a positive direction,...


    I will also provide some new data to work with:

 

    My friends

 

    * A recipe for a solution

 

    Review the division bell material

 

    Orient yourselves a first time, then

 

    Open your minds again a second time to truly move ahead 

 

    Notice everything that has been presented

     

    since all the necessary Evidence has been supplied

 

    Direct yourselves with communication

 

 

    : and two more -

 

 

    Leading the blind while I stared out the steel in your eyes

    (this clue has already been posted, but has not yet been

     thoroughly addressed)

     

    A question: what exactly is a division bell and where could   

    this lead your thoughts?...


Recall what has been previously explained: "I may help

you, but only if obstacles arise."  I was not sent to directly

supervise, nor to instruct or acknowledge your progress on a

regular basis.  I was only dispatched to begin guiding you in the

right direction.  Clearly, many of you have followed my lead...

Organize

yourselves formally, plan a true method of investigation, choose

your leaders.  Rest assured that I am always watching and will

certainly return to aid in the event of any serious deadlock...


"It is the message that is important, and not who delivers it."


Yes, I've been watching your progress and

am duly impressed with the recent discourse.

Many of you have taken my words to heart and

identified significant associations between

the clues.  Organized communication is the key.

Your persistence and thoughtful analysis is 

leading you down the road to a solution...


Now, let me impart a word of advice: while

each DB component requires its own individual

degree of interpretation, carefully take note

of those subtle, connecting relationships between

seemingly disassociated clues.  I emphasize

this an essential step in the right direction.

 

Ask yourselves: how do these separate clues that

you have been researching and evaluating now find

renewed meaning within an overall, more unified

theme?  As an example, what does the following

lyric suggest and how does this relate to your

earlier findings:

 

 

 

    On the day the wall came down

 

    The Ship of Fools had finally

      run aground

 

    Promises lit up the night like paper

      doves in flight

 

 

 

Lastly, let me leave you with a final question:

 

 

 

    Why would the Newspaper be crumpled?

 

 

 

 

Continued luck to all in your search!...



Yes, I've been watching your progress and

am duly impressed with the recent discourse...


Yes, I've been watching your progress and

am duly impressed with the recent discourse...


Yes, I've been watching your progress and

am duly impressed with the recent discourse...


For all of you who are working diligently,

let me once again applaud your persistence

and point out another area of interest...


It is my impression that searching together

and exchanging information openly has

enhanced your progress...



Cheers again, your newsgroup has certainly

succeeded in elevating the "debate" to a 

new level of understanding...


Your interpretations are very astute, but it's

time to more explicitly review where this

information could lead you...


As you know, I've been monitoring the

latest discourse - remarkable indeed!...


By this time, most of you have seen the recent

Pink Floyd communiques as further prOof of the

enigma's authenticity...


Greetings to everyone.  I see that your work is progressing nicely...


It is time to give you another clue from "The Division Bell."...


You are getting closer to the solution...


Yet, much discourse has

occurred in my absence and many new

"investigators" have joined in

communicating regarding the Enigma.

 

Bravo, I couldn't applaud your tenacity further -

except with a new morsel to digest and examine!

 

But, "Is it a reference to failed negotiations?"...


For those of you who are despaired in your search, I

ask: How will you despair with a singular bounty still

waiting to unearthed?  Come now...

 

 

    - Publius




My friends, 


With months to stand back and observe

your progress, I must congratulate you

on your persistence. My planned and

prolonged absence from the newsgroup has

inspired the formation of vast groups of

people all over the world to work closely

and in concert with each other. Plus, the

lack of regular clues has encouraged not only a

thorough reconsideration of the existing pool

of evidence, but also a vigorously renewed

search through the music, lyrics and artwork

to discover even more information. 

You are all owed a sincere round of applause!

But now, as we move forward, a most exciting

turn of events is about to take place.

Thousands have already joined the search

and a great deal more will soon follow. 

And, while the ultimate prize still lies waiting

to be unearthed, let me help by pointing out

that there is another physical location that must

be visited before final progress can be made. As

I've been monitoring your discussions, I feel

this should now be made clear in order for you to

properly proceed. As a reward for your diligence,

I can help lead you to this landmark through a

small series of new clues. But, make no mistake,

this new information must be considered in relation

to all previous clues that have either been discovered

by you or provided by me. 

The first clue: 

There is great significance in the page numbers. 

While some of you might think this

statement vague, trust me. It is not. 

While I have been gone awhile, trust that I will

return shortly with the second clue. You are all

closer than you think.


Publius