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
