John Chambers writes:
>Hmmm ... I see conflicting evidence here. If he's an academic, he
>should be completely at home with no-holds-barred discussions. Things
>like misattribution of quotes, quoting out of context, and blatant
>misrepresentation of others' ideas are the order of the day in most
>of academia, and especially in fields such as archaeology.
>
Perhaps it's because he's still working on a degree. Students tend to
be
somewhat isolated from this kind of academic banter, in my experience at least
(except, of course, from their thesis advisor and from other students). This is
partly because potting students is not sporting, and partly because, once they
get a paying job, they tend to put on weight and slow down, and become easier
targets.
Even then, it all depends on the context. Take a typical innocent
everyday academic remark, such as "I've carefully considered your position, and
for reasons A, B, and C, I've decided it has no merit whatsoever." When said in
conversation in an office in front of a blackboard, it means, "I'm skeptical.
Please convince me you are right, after all. A, B, and C may help." However,
the
same statement published in an academic journal means "I want to have a
lifelong
feud with you."
And then there's email, where the sender thinks of it as a
conversation,
and the receiver thinks of it as a publication...
Cheers,
John Walsh
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