In a generally passé attempt at humorous self-deprecation, I have previously given this blog the attemptedly-ironic label of “pointless.” But a pointless blog is an impossible logical construction, as is the idea of a pointless action itself.
Only pure entropic randomness can produce actions without a point. It is impossible for a cogent human to commit a voluntary act without motivation; even if the motivation is unclear to the conscious mind, it is nonetheless driven by something, somewhere, at some time, be it subconscious or consciously suppressed. A random act is motivated by the desire to commit a random act.
An action may be observed externally to have no apparent point. An action which fails in its perceived goal may be called “pointless,” but while the effect can recontextualize the cause, it cannot reach back and actually change the cause.
Thus, the concept of pointlessness, in the context of human action, is flawed. There is no such thing as an action without a point — only an action without an observable one.
This blog, for example.
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By your arguement, this comment is not pointless because it is a response to your post. A series of random letters would accomplish that. In reality, it is not pointless because it has a point, or purpose. That purpose is to illustrate your confusion of point/purpose with motivation. You lump all three together, but motivation is something different. You can be motivated to do something that accomplishes nothing, but the action remains pointless without an intended result. Chaos is not a point; it is the lack of one. Black is not a color; it is the lack of light. Random actions may be motivated by a desire to be random, but when it accomplishes nothing, it is pointless. Action - actual desired outcome = pointless. I appologise for being blunt, but a point is something sharper than you describe.
Comment by Tim 11.12.06 @ 4:00 pm