6 ms·

Scott Adams used to give great career advice and cartooning tips. I think he got bored a few years ago and decided to become a professional troll. I will write

Scott Adams used to give great career advice and cartooning tips. I think he got bored a few years ago and decided to become a professional troll. I will write some examples after work.

wging 11y ago
I have no idea whether you're calling this article trolling or good advice.
- existencebox 11y ago
  This article seems to hold up to my personal anecdata, and that of many of the mentor figures I've had over the years. (I'd also note the 2007 publish date) However, I've (as with the parent) read some of his writing recently that made me just shake my head and want to stop, and I say this as a die-hard Dilbert fan. His opinions on trump being some sort of personal-image savant at "hacking psychology" (don't recall the actual wording but it was spiritually similar) stand out to me as one I read and felt was somewhat far fetched.
  - autarch 11y ago
    Re: his articles on Trump. I'm not sure if he's right, but I do appreciate that he's been willing to make very specific predictions about the future. So far it seems like he's been pretty good at predicting how things will turn out for Trump. Maybe he's entirely wrong about why, of course.
    - existencebox 11y ago
      I don't fault his making predictions; but an occams razor explanation seems FAR more compelling to me, that a character like trump provides an outlet for sentiments that haven't been well served by any _marginally_ viable political candidate. Combined with a boisterous personality (which dovetails well with what seems to be a rising anti-establishment sentiment in certain groups) and celebrity background, it fits neatly into America's tendency to lend more credence than might be deserved otherwise to stars, regardless of their individual domain specific merit. (c.f. other celebrity anti-vaxers and the recurring trend to have non-political notables on political talk shows)
      - drumdance 11y ago
        Hindsight bias. Political pros have been predicting his demise for months, then backtracking to explain "what's really going on." Only Adams has been unwavering in his predictions and the explanations behind them. There are no celebrity anti-vaxers running for president, and just because non-political notables appear on talk shows doesn't mean they would poll well in Iowa. I think Adams goes too far in predicting a general election landslide, but I'm impressed he has the balls to do it.
- ageek123 11y ago
  He has written a few articles that stray pretty far from modern Political Correctness orthodoxy; I think that's what is being referred to, not this article in particular.
- kelukelugames 11y ago
  This article is great. I've applied it successfully. I'm kind of funny + I am an experienced software developer = viral comic. https://twitter.com/KeLuKeLuGames/status/553404094958694400 https://twitter.com/KeLuKeLuGames/status/553404094958694400 I am improving my writing and art skills so I can create higher quality comic strips.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
harlanlewis 11y ago
Is this how he trolls? http://misogynistdilbert.tumblr.com/ http://misogynistdilbert.tumblr.com/
- JSeymourATL 11y ago
  If I'm trapped in a burning car someday, a man will be the one pulling me out. That's the team I want to be on. Brilliant!
kelukelugames 11y ago
Okay I'm home now. Let's dissect the most famous example. 1) Adams compares women to children and people with mental disabilities. 2) Claims he didn't and that everyone who thinks that has bad reading comprehension. Also plays the victim card anytime someone accuses him of misogyny. 3) Writes article about hypnosis. Adams says he can convince people that two things are related without doing it directly. Gives example similar to the time he did with women and children. 4) Praises Trump for being a master wizard, whatever that means. Gives example where Trump associates two things without stating it directly. 5) Claims everyone is an outragist for thinking that Trump associated Mexicans with rapists. And a quote: "They [Gawker] love me. And I love their hate-traffic, so everyone wins." https://twitter.com/ScottAdamsSays/status/669004328326172673 https://twitter.com/ScottAdamsSays/status/669004328326172673
- aptwebapps 11y ago
  I'm not up to date with the Trump stuff but what I thought was particularly disingenuous about the first example was that he said in advance that he was going to write something ambiguous that people would 'misinterpret' and then he made fun of them when it happened. As far as I'm concerned, if you write something with the goal of communicating a particular idea to a particular audience then that's what you said. It doesn't matter at all what other meanings could be construed and whether they are more logical or not. If I say something to a few people and I know that one of them will misunderstand it (the reason doesn't really matter) in a way that makes the statement untrue then I've just lied to that person.
  - kelukelugames 11y ago
    On one hand I think he knows exactly what he is doing. He mentions phrasing and word choice in some of his posts. On the other hand, he might just be completely clueless about race and gender issues. He says things like "If women want to avoid catcalling then why don't they just move? I moved to improve my life." Maybe a little of column A, and a little of column B.
    - zo1 11y ago
pervycreeper 11y ago
You discovered that your political views differ from his, and now this somehow invalidates his formerly "great advice"?

Scott Adams used to give great career advice and cartooning tips. I think he got bored a few years ago and decided to become a professional troll. I will write some examples after work.

wging 11y ago

I have no idea whether you're calling this article trolling or good advice.

existencebox 11y ago
This article seems to hold up to my personal anecdata, and that of many of the mentor figures I've had over the years. (I'd also note the 2007 publish date) However, I've (as with the parent) read some of his writing recently that made me just shake my head and want to stop, and I say this as a die-hard Dilbert fan. His opinions on trump being some sort of personal-image savant at "hacking psychology" (don't recall the actual wording but it was spiritually similar) stand out to me as one I read and felt was somewhat far fetched.
- autarch 11y ago
  Re: his articles on Trump. I'm not sure if he's right, but I do appreciate that he's been willing to make very specific predictions about the future. So far it seems like he's been pretty good at predicting how things will turn out for Trump. Maybe he's entirely wrong about why, of course.
  - existencebox 11y ago
    I don't fault his making predictions; but an occams razor explanation seems FAR more compelling to me, that a character like trump provides an outlet for sentiments that haven't been well served by any _marginally_ viable political candidate. Combined with a boisterous personality (which dovetails well with what seems to be a rising anti-establishment sentiment in certain groups) and celebrity background, it fits neatly into America's tendency to lend more credence than might be deserved otherwise to stars, regardless of their individual domain specific merit. (c.f. other celebrity anti-vaxers and the recurring trend to have non-political notables on political talk shows)
    - drumdance 11y ago
      Hindsight bias. Political pros have been predicting his demise for months, then backtracking to explain "what's really going on." Only Adams has been unwavering in his predictions and the explanations behind them. There are no celebrity anti-vaxers running for president, and just because non-political notables appear on talk shows doesn't mean they would poll well in Iowa. I think Adams goes too far in predicting a general election landslide, but I'm impressed he has the balls to do it.
ageek123 11y ago
He has written a few articles that stray pretty far from modern Political Correctness orthodoxy; I think that's what is being referred to, not this article in particular.
kelukelugames 11y ago
This article is great. I've applied it successfully. I'm kind of funny + I am an experienced software developer = viral comic. https://twitter.com/KeLuKeLuGames/status/553404094958694400 https://twitter.com/KeLuKeLuGames/status/553404094958694400 I am improving my writing and art skills so I can create higher quality comic strips.

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]

harlanlewis 11y ago

Is this how he trolls? http://misogynistdilbert.tumblr.com/ http://misogynistdilbert.tumblr.com/

JSeymourATL 11y ago
If I'm trapped in a burning car someday, a man will be the one pulling me out. That's the team I want to be on. Brilliant!

kelukelugames 11y ago

Okay I'm home now. Let's dissect the most famous example. 1) Adams compares women to children and people with mental disabilities. 2) Claims he didn't and that everyone who thinks that has bad reading comprehension. Also plays the victim card anytime someone accuses him of misogyny. 3) Writes article about hypnosis. Adams says he can convince people that two things are related without doing it directly. Gives example similar to the time he did with women and children. 4) Praises Trump for being a master wizard, whatever that means. Gives example where Trump associates two things without stating it directly. 5) Claims everyone is an outragist for thinking that Trump associated Mexicans with rapists. And a quote: "They [Gawker] love me. And I love their hate-traffic, so everyone wins." https://twitter.com/ScottAdamsSays/status/669004328326172673 https://twitter.com/ScottAdamsSays/status/669004328326172673

aptwebapps 11y ago
I'm not up to date with the Trump stuff but what I thought was particularly disingenuous about the first example was that he said in advance that he was going to write something ambiguous that people would 'misinterpret' and then he made fun of them when it happened. As far as I'm concerned, if you write something with the goal of communicating a particular idea to a particular audience then that's what you said. It doesn't matter at all what other meanings could be construed and whether they are more logical or not. If I say something to a few people and I know that one of them will misunderstand it (the reason doesn't really matter) in a way that makes the statement untrue then I've just lied to that person.
- kelukelugames 11y ago
  On one hand I think he knows exactly what he is doing. He mentions phrasing and word choice in some of his posts. On the other hand, he might just be completely clueless about race and gender issues. He says things like "If women want to avoid catcalling then why don't they just move? I moved to improve my life." Maybe a little of column A, and a little of column B.
  - zo1 11y ago

pervycreeper 11y ago

You discovered that your political views differ from his, and now this somehow invalidates his formerly "great advice"?