On Sep 22, 2011, at 2:06 PM, Jed Rothwell wrote:
Horace Heffner wrote:
Some questions for you and other self-appointed experts here:
This remark seems to have some emotional content.
Darn right it does. I am annoyed.
DO you know of any requirement for anyone here on vortex-l to be
an expert to comment?
Not to comment. I have no objection to comments, or to strong
opinions. However, experts skilled in the art have said that
Galantini's methods are correct. You may disagree but in an
academic discussion it is not good form to be dismissive or
presumptuous. You may be thinking: "Professor X is a nitwit who
doesn't know the first thing about this" but that's not how you say
it. You say: "Perhaps I misunderstand what Professor X is saying,
but she appears to be overlooking Newton's law of cooling . . ."
There is no requirement here that people adhere to proper academic
decorum. This decorum is, needless to say, hypocritical. It is
supposed to be. It keep people from getting offended. It helps to
keep the conversation focused on the facts instead of
personalities. People who "tell it like it is" look sophomoric, in
my opinion. People who are dismissive run the risk of being
themselves dismissed. It is better to leave some room to retreat in
case it turns out you are wrong.
- Jed
What is so bad about being wrong. It is the human condition.
Best regards,
Horace Heffner
http://www.mtaonline.net/~hheffner/
