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"Astroturfed"...that's hilarious. I'm a real person. I've been on the site for years. I think for myself and read and interpret data. Big Vinay Prasad is not pa
by timr 5y ago
"Astroturfed"...that's hilarious. I'm a real person. I've been on the site for years. I think for myself and read and interpret data. Big Vinay Prasad is not paying me to come here and spread the gospel of randomized controlled trials and rigorous science.
If you disagree with the data, you're more than welcome to bring rigorous arguments to the debate, and not merely propaganda.
> There are plenty of studies showing that masks work and that they reduce transmission and spread and there are even studies that show that mask mandates have a drastic positive effect in limiting community transmission and spread.
And, as noted, the vast majority of those "studies" are terrible, and the good studies show the opposite.
This is not a game of collecting "papers", and the side with the most papers wins. They're not monopoly money or science points. You have to read them and understand the details. A paper that uses biased or flawed methodology (i.e. most mask studies) is useless for drawing conclusions.
- dkonofalski 5y ago> I'm a real person Yeah. That's how astro-turfing works. > the vast majority of those "studies" are terrible, and the good studies show the opposite. Noted by someone who is a known charlatan that has been wrong on multiple occasions about even the most basic epidemiological ideas surrounding COVID. This statement alone is a perfect example of a "No True Scottsman" fallacy. Of course(!) all the studies that prove you wrong are terrible and only those that support your argument are great...
- timr 5y agoOK. I can see we're not going to be able to have a serious conversation about this.
- dkonofalski 5y agoOf course not, you're not arguing in good faith and immediately resort to logical fallacies to make your statements. How could we possibly?
- tarboreus 5y agoAccusations of astroturfing are against policy on HN, for good reason, since they can never be refuted.
- dkonofalski 5y agoOK. Then just refine my statement to say that the only responses making these claims are all coming from Vinay Prasad's site or providing links that are found and sourced on his site. The point is still the same.