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My response was really meant to be addressed to chmike, I put it as a response to your post only because you claimed, like so many others here do, that all that

My response was really meant to be addressed to chmike, I put it as a response to your post only because you claimed, like so many others here do, that all that matters are facts not "authority" (which you do call out) or "tone/style", which you don't specifically call out but is also a classic theme in these kind of discussions. Your response does fall squarely under the umbrella of my original advice though, I am not sure if the irony was intended or not. Your accusation of use of a straw man seems to also imply you view this as a debate instead of a discussion, which is sad but not uncommon.

lutusp 14y ago
> only because you claimed, like so many others here do, that all that matters are facts not "authority" I ... never ... said .. any ... such ... thing. Circle the words on the screen in front of you, where I ever uttered these words, anywhere, on God's green Earth. You need to start reading what people say, not what your overactive imagination believes they said. > ... seems to also imply you view this as a debate instead of a discussion ... When someone invents a position to conveniently argue against, of course it's a debate -- a debate between fantasy and reality. Notice how I have in each and every case replied directly to your words, which I quote in full. Notice how you don't have time to check in with reality before ascending your soapbox.
- chmike 14y ago
  Ryan was referring to my comment, not yours. So we all agree that "you never said any such thing". Let's move on.
- vidarh 14y ago
  > I ... never ... said .. any ... such ... thing. Can you then perhaps elaborate how else we should take this quote from you: > I suggest that you resist posting this kind of inquiry in a scientific discussion. In science, only evidence counts, not authority or expertise. In science, the quality of evidence is all that matters, not its source. As well as this in your reply to me: > The bottom line in science, and in any scientific discussion, is that authority and expertise are never important. The greatest amount of scientific eminence is trumped by the smallest amount of scientific evidence. Of course you might argue that this is not a "scientific discussion", but that would make both of these messages meaningless or intentionally obtuse in the context they were posted.

lutusp 14y ago

> only because you claimed, like so many others here do, that all that matters are facts not "authority" I ... never ... said .. any ... such ... thing. Circle the words on the screen in front of you, where I ever uttered these words, anywhere, on God's green Earth. You need to start reading what people say, not what your overactive imagination believes they said. > ... seems to also imply you view this as a debate instead of a discussion ... When someone invents a position to conveniently argue against, of course it's a debate -- a debate between fantasy and reality. Notice how I have in each and every case replied directly to your words, which I quote in full. Notice how you don't have time to check in with reality before ascending your soapbox.

chmike 14y ago
Ryan was referring to my comment, not yours. So we all agree that "you never said any such thing". Let's move on.
vidarh 14y ago
> I ... never ... said .. any ... such ... thing. Can you then perhaps elaborate how else we should take this quote from you: > I suggest that you resist posting this kind of inquiry in a scientific discussion. In science, only evidence counts, not authority or expertise. In science, the quality of evidence is all that matters, not its source. As well as this in your reply to me: > The bottom line in science, and in any scientific discussion, is that authority and expertise are never important. The greatest amount of scientific eminence is trumped by the smallest amount of scientific evidence. Of course you might argue that this is not a "scientific discussion", but that would make both of these messages meaningless or intentionally obtuse in the context they were posted.