Sulasailor
Very nice post. I like the personal analogy. Your reference to the "Law of Unintended Consequences" brought two other terms to mind. I believe they are both relevant to POET. They are: "Emergent Properties" and "Synergy". I came to 'emergent properties' by way of semiotic analysis (I'm an artist) whereby paradigmatic elements combine to form a syntagm (unit of communication) that contains properties that could not be predicted by an analysis of the component paradigms. Or according to the Oxford ditionary definition of "emergent: "(Philosopy) (of a property) arising as an effect of complex causes and not analysable simply as the sum of their effects." Synergy is perhaps a better representation here, since its emphasis is usually on a positive outcome. I.e. in some circumstances... 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts'. Judging by the discussions over the past couple of weeks (DNWL, Oogee, Rainer and Fairchij amongst others) I believe that Poet will become a personification of both these terms.
I am humbled almost every day by those that you have so accurately referred to as "the great minds of this board".
As Usual, GLTA
Mr. (Sir) HaL