[r-t] Proposed definition of a peal

[Matthew Frye]

> - It would be nice to define methods after defining what ringing
>   itself is, if possible, lest we create unattractive circularities.

Yes, by all means define ringing before methods, but peals and truth should come after methods as peals are made up of methods (in it's broadest meaning) and truth is a property of a method/touch/peal. 

> - More importantly, I don't think all change ringing has methods
>   composed of leads. For example Dixonoids are not composed of leads
>   the same way normal methods are.

Perhaps basing it on a lead wasn't the best idea, perhaps a plain course (which dixonoids have?) or dealing with the definition of stage in the definitions of a method.

>   And I think there may well be
>   change ringing in the not distant future where there are really just
>   blobs of place notation in some strategic places. Some of the current
>   link methods are near that, and weep loudly with all the pain we
>   cause them by squeezing and distorting them so we can pretend they
>   are our more familiar shapes of methods.

What is ringing apart from blobs of place notation in strategic places? You just define the method as the blob of place notation, or if it's only 1 change, you define a new call.

> In summary, while it would undoubtedly be eaiser for us, the writers,
> to express our thoughts in terms of the leads we are most familiar
> with, I think think that makes the result less generally useful. And
> I've got to believe a reasonable wording can be had without recourse
> to such a large hammer. Though I've not yet figured out what that
> method-free, clear wording is, and remain hopeful that someone more
> facile with such things than I am will beat me to it.

I don't think that it's the wording that's the main problem, you're trying to define both the start and the end at the same time and you then miss out the bit in the middle. I think that it's really 3 braod things that need defining:
1. What ringing is
2. Methods (and calls?)
3. Peals/truth
_________________________________________________________________
Get Hotmail on your mobile from Vodafone 
http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/107571435/direct/01/