thomblake comments on Don't Revere The Bearer Of Good Info - Less Wrong

82 Post author: CarlShulman 21 March 2009 11:22PM

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Comment author: thomblake 02 April 2009 02:12:49PM 15 points [-]

I think the biggest issue here is your tendency to not cite sources other than yourself, which is an immediate turn-off to academics. To an academic, it suggests the following questions (amongst others): If your ideas are so good, why hasn't anyone else thought of them? Doesn't anyone else have an opinion on this - do you have a response to their arguments? Are you actually doing work in your field without having read enough to cite those who agree or disagree with you?

(I know this isn't a new issue, but it seems it bears repeating.)

Comment author: TheAncientGeek 02 May 2014 03:51:03PM *  1 point [-]

This point could count against any amateur philosopher.

What is more pertinent: why insist you are doing better than the professionals? You should assume you are making ,mistakes and reinvemtimg wheels.

Why not learn the standard jargon? You may not have the time or inclination to learn the whole subject, but the jargon is the most .valuable thing to learn, because it enables you to communicate with professinals who can help you. If you are able to admit to yourself that, as an amateur, you might need help.

There are some failure modes that arepart and parcel of being an amateur, and some further ones that take you into crank territory.

Comment author: wedrifid 09 August 2010 02:36:39AM 5 points [-]

Other questions that are implicitly asked:

  • Why are you not signalling in group status?
  • Why are you not signalling alliance with me or my allies by inventing excuses to refer to us?
  • Are you an outsider trying to claim our territory in cognitive space?
  • Are you talking about topics that are reserved for those with higher status in our group than we assign you?