From: Alex Ramonsky (alex@ramonsky.com)
Date: Sun Jun 01 2003 - 17:14:54 MDT
Harvey Newstrom wrote:
>Brett Paatsch wrote,
>
>
>> But a problem with this sort of discussion
>>is that those that really understand this stuff well are probably
>>grinding their teeth at the oversimplification and errors and yet
>>if we don't try and popularise this stuff in ways that make
>>sense to non-experts we don't learn.
>>
>>
>>
>
>It is a poor method of teaching that deliberately teaches erroneous facts
>because it is easier than teaching the truth. If we start spreading
>erroneous sound-bites that sound good instead of real science, then we
>become a pseudo-science. I have been disappointed at how much pseudoscience
>I had seen on this list, but I didn't realize that some people thought this
>was a good thing. Maybe this explains why so much of the "science" I read
>on this list is crap. People are learning the "simplified" versions, and
>building theories and future plans on them, never realizing that they are
>not dealing with reality.
>
This is too vague...Harvey, I appoint you 'Anti-pseudoscience
monitor'...Give us _warnings_ of anything you feel falls into this
category and tell us _why_ it does. I wholeheartedly agree with Brett on
this one; we are quick to judge and condemn but don't seem so keen on
coming up with better explanations or even teaching others what we know.
There is _far_ too much criticism, derision, and assertion of error
without proof and with quite a lot of rudeness on this list and hardly
_any_ real help pointing people to where the truth lies. If people know
truths they want to keep to themselves, that's fine. But folks go for
'erroneous soundbites' because they can't find anything better; there is
nothing else available, and we'll live on bread and water until the
cheesecake turns up. Show us a few slices of genuine cheesecake and
we'll eat 'em. If you think the science on this list is 'crap', get in
there and tell us _why_ it's crap and what bits of it are crap and prove
it. Give us, (and I ask this without sarcasm, but genuinely,) the
benefits of your wisdom.
I know it is a lot of hassle to explain things and you have to go
through all the crap of worrying about offending people, being
misunderstood, etc, but we are here on this list because we have
something in common. It's called the singularity and we're here to
_help_ each other and ourselves get through it in as positive and
intelligent a way as we can.
Best,
AR
Finally, some 'simplified versions' can be good. A first-aid course is a
simplified version of emergency health care and it still saves a lot of
lives.
>
>--
>Harvey Newstrom, CISSP, IAM, GSEC, IBMCP
><www.HarveyNewstrom.com> <www.Newstaff.com>
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