# A serious question for Sam Stone on Factual Errors **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 11, 2021, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881 "2021-12-11T12:32:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 36
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/701 "2023-03-22T20:04:54Z")
What a load of crap. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/702 "2023-03-22T20:05:27Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Maybe you don’t read these posts as demanding groveling, but I do. And others do as well. I mean, I suppose to some, any admission of a mistake is seen as grovelling. The point is that he’s _never_ admitted to a mistake. Point me to where a pileon happens _after_ he admits to a mistake, and I’ll admit you may have a point. You don’t need to grovel to say, “I was wrong.” But there are some, apparently including yourself and those “others” that you reference, who think that you do. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/703 "2023-03-22T20:07:40Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > And especially in the Pit, where anything I say generally kicks off a new round of attacks. That’s because you generally double down, inviting a new round of attacks. I mean, look at this long screed you wrote in defense of never having to say you are wrong. When saying, “Huh, I was wrong” would be so much easier. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/704 "2023-03-22T20:09:11Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > That’s because you generally double down > [@Now that Elon Musk has bought Twitter - now the Pit edition](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition/963442/3359): > > It’s tuples all the way down!   ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/705 "2023-03-22T20:09:29Z")
All of Sam’s apology posts are on Biden’s laptop and that’s why we don’t want it investigated! ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/706 "2023-03-22T20:44:32Z")
Personally, I think several posters are giving Sam _too much credit_. Granted, the most recent updates to this thread were regarding a pretty mild example of Sam’s behavior to date, but I think many of the posters here feel that Sam is merely misled, or blinded by bad sources. I don’t think so. In my initial posts in the thread, I also pretty much said the same, misled, wants to be right, wants to _win_ the argument. But by 525, I was with @RitterSport - he’s evolved into a being indistinguishable from a troll. I said this back in 545, and I’ll repeat it: > [@ParallelLines](#): > > I think he’s honestly become a troll. He may not fully realize that’s what he’s doing, or may believe that he’s just trying to get some of his own back, but it’s trolling all the same. There is no way a person of Sam’s actual intellect can’t be called out over and over again for not reading his own cites, for factual errors, or for the low quality of his ‘evidence’ and not realize that there’s a disconnect. It makes _much_ more sense if he feels that he can win by obtaining ‘liberal tears’ or our anger. Because like a certain class of bully, he thinks he’s winning if he makes you angry. Which is why he’s ignored. And I encourage you to do the same. This is just feeding him what he wants. It doesn’t mean that Sam isn’t intelligent, or that he can’t post in an educated matter on other topics, but on political elements his pretense of rational debate is just that. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/707 "2023-03-22T20:53:04Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > There is no way a person of Sam’s actual intellect can’t be called out over and over again for not reading his own cites, for factual errors, or for the low quality of his ‘evidence’ and not realize that there’s a disconnect. This is the big thing for me. Especially not reading his own cites. So often, it has been incredibly obvious that he’s only read the headline. For me the one where this is most clear was the report on political violence where the headline included the word “left” and so he ran with it. The of course there was The Onion article on Musk firings as well. And isn’t about groveling, it is about just saying “I fucked up”. We _all_ make mistakes. Recently, I got tripped by a fake Trump tweet on reddit. Not only did I not notice it was old, but it was fake. Did I make excuses? Did I double down on how it could have been real? Or that Trump really was a bad guy? No. I simply said, I got this one wrong on two accounts, and moved on. But Sam not only refuses to acknowledge when he’s got it wrong, he double, triples, quadruples, quintuples, etc. on making excuses for why he didn’t. > [@ParallelLines](#): > > Which is why he’s ignored. I recently went that route. I hated to do it, because his contributions on some threads are truly really excellent. He is knowledgeable about technology. And we’ve had our fair share of poseurs on this board on many subjects, but Sam isn’t one of them when it comes to tech or software development. He was (almost certainly) wrong about Twitter’s recent problems being due to Agile development, but it doesn’t change that’s he knowledgeable about technology. Whatever, what can you do. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/708 "2023-03-22T21:01:45Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > It’s nice when people do, but it’s not the standard behavior here, Hard disagree. It’s fairly standard behavior for folks to return with “mea culpa” or (practically our slogan) “ignorance fought” when they make factual errors. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/709 "2023-03-22T23:58:53Z")
> [@BeepKillBeep](#): > > I recently went that route. I hated to do it, because his contributions on some threads are truly really excellent. He is knowledgeable about technology. And we’ve had our fair share of poseurs on this board on many subjects, but Sam isn’t one of them when it comes to tech or software development. Same for music discussions. Hell, he’s named after a song from one of my favorite singer/songwriters! And that song! ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2023, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/710 "2023-03-23T04:21:57Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > Granted, the most recent updates to this thread were regarding a pretty mild example of Sam’s behavior to date, but I think many of the posters here feel that Sam is merely misled, or blinded by bad sources. Not me. He’s lied over and over. He gets called out for lying repeatedly. To me that’s what is unforgivable. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2023, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/711 "2023-03-23T04:36:20Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > A lot of demands for ‘apologies’ for being ‘wrong’ I see as just another tactic to attack Even just concede that you erred. I sometimes say _oh, oops_, and I think others feel slightly less deprecatory toward me (it _is_ a big hill). Running away makes you look like a troll, sealion or coward. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2023, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/712 "2023-03-23T09:13:02Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Called it! So did I. > [@Gyrate](#): > > Because he then - quite deliberately - repeats the errors. After being rather conclusively shown that he is mistaken in his understanding of events, he simply goes silent for a while and then blithely posts every debunked point as if they had never been discussed before. **That’s** why he gets pitted for it - not for being wrong, but for posting in obvious bad faith. I refer you to this earlier in this thread, although it’s been pointed out to **Sam** many times by many people in many threads: > [@Gyrate](#): > > As already pointed out, the _existence_ of the laptop was never the issue; it was the claims of the _contents_ that were rightly considered dubious. Yet here you are, pretending that the mere existence of the laptop somehow proves you right and us wrong. Yet here is **Sam** again: > [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > I said the Hunter Biden laptop might be real, and appears to have damning info on it. I got dragged into the pit for that, but man, it sure looks like I was right. He’d rather repeat the lies and cry persecution when called out for them than ever admit error, poor judgement or outright fabrication. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2023, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/713 "2023-03-27T19:41:02Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > And look what I’m being asked to ‘apologize’ for. I said the Hunter Biden laptop might be real, and appears to have damning info on it. I got dragged into the pit for that, but man, it sure looks like I was right. It sure does NOT look like you were right. First, you allegedly know a thing or two about software, but apparently can not tell the difference between software and hardware in this case. Thousands of emails purportedly from the laptop computer of Hunter Biden, President Biden’s son, are authentic communications that can be verified through cryptographic signatures from Google and other technology companies, say two security experts who examined the data at the request of The Washington Post. > The verifiable emails are a small fraction of 217 gigabytes of data provided to The Post on a portable hard drive by Republican activist Jack Maxey. > … > The vast majority of the data — and most of the nearly 129,000 emails it contained — could not be verified by either of the two security experts who reviewed the data for The Post. From: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/30/hunter-biden-laptop-data-examined/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/30/hunter-biden-laptop-data-examined/) Some of the files have been verified to be Hunter Biden’s files. Nothing about the laptop itself has been verified as far as I know. It’s far from certain that the laptop that fell into Mac Isaac’s possession is hardware that was ever owned by Hunter Biden. Second, and more importantly, it does not appear that there is information that is damaging to Joe Biden among the files on that laptop. We know this because people who were highly motivated to put information that is damaging to Joe Biden into the public eye have not done so. Instead they have supplied vague references to a ‘Big guy’ stripped of all context. If they had information that was damaging to Joe Biden they’d be shouting it from the mountaintops. They’d be sticking in people’s faces anytime someone pointed a camera at them. They for sure would show us this damaging information in context if it existed. Sam fell for this exact shit with the Sussmann indictment from Durham’s team. Here’s a quote form that indictment: > On or about September 15, 2016, Originator-1 responded to Tech Executive-1, stating, in part, that the paper’s conclusion was “plausible” in the “narrow scope” defined by Tech Executive-1 . Which implied but did not state that the DNS researchers were knowingly, falsely claiming that there was communication between a Trump Corp server and an Alfa Bank server. Much ado was made how the researchers cherrypicked or outright made up the data that was behind the Alfa/Trump connection. We pointed out that it sure seemed weird for Durham to quote three nonconsecutive words from an email to imply but not state that the researchers didn’t believe their own claims. If Durham had emails where the researchers discussed making things up he would show it and he would state it. Instead we got this wishy washy, context free, hint that he handed to the right wing media so that they could take the ball and run with it. Here’s those three words in context: > In the narrow scope of what you have defined above, I agree wholeheartedly that it is plausible. If the white paper intends to say that there are communications between at least Alfa and Trump, which are being intentionally hidden by Alfa and Trump I absolutely believe that is the case. Sam swallowed that Durham indictment hook, line, and sinker despite the fact that Durham was pretty obviously not a straight shooter here. Then he Swallowed Durham’s indictment of Danchenko showing his willingness to believe obvious lies when they align with conclusions that he has already reached. When someone implies that they have smoking gun evidence but does not show it, you can be assured that they are trying to pull something. YOU can. Sam can’t. I’ll close with one more example of Sam’s tragic gullibility the speaks for itself. > [@Donald Trump Declassifies all Documents Related to Russia/Collusion and Hillary Emails](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-declassifies-all-documents-related-to-russia-collusion-and-hillary-emails/922448/20): > > But the idea that Trump would say he’s ordered the declassifying of everything when he didn’t doesn’t really pass the smell test for me. Too easy to check. But I’m sure we will find out shortly. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2023, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/714 "2023-03-27T19:48:03Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > As already pointed out, the _existence_ of the laptop was never the issue; it was the claims of the _contents_ that were rightly considered dubious. Yet here you are, pretending that the mere existence of the laptop somehow proves you right and us wrong. This totally tears it for me regarding Mr. Sam Stone. He’s been told this and told this and told this over and over in a variety of different ways, by many different posters here. And yet he trots out this bullshit that “Ohhh, the Hunter Biden Laptop Is Real” again. He’s clearly literate. He clearly understands that words mean things. Which tells me that he’s most definitely deliberately posting this complete bullshit in order to get a rise out of us. He’s simply no more than a fucking asshole troll at this point. He may have had value before, but has none whatsoever now. He’s burnt his bridges, and now is content to live under the smoking remains. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2023, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/715 "2023-03-27T20:31:20Z")
All of his posts should come with an automatic warning: “This poster appears to be very intelligent, but be warned, he lies all the time, so you can’t trust a word he says.” ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2023, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/716 "2023-03-27T20:39:29Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > He’s simply no more than a fucking asshole troll at this point. > [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > “This poster appears to be very intelligent, but be warned, he lies all the time, so you can’t trust a word he says.” Yes. He’s a serial liar. He has been called out countless times on his lies and he ignores those accusations the same way his lord and savior Donald Trump ignores everyone he owes money to. Sam Stone is just completely full of shit. He deserves no sympathy from anyone. The board would be much improved if he decided to stop bothering to post anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2023, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/717 "2023-03-28T00:59:58Z")
You are all just so adorable, I can just magine the way the flecks of spittle glisten in the air when you rage. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2023, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/718 "2023-03-28T01:16:45Z")
Try imagining the flecks of spittle that glisten in the air when we laugh at you and your pathetic attempts at trolling us. Stop flattering yourself with the idea any of us care enough about what you say to rage. To repeat, we laugh at you, you sad little troll. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2023, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/719 "2023-03-28T01:16:59Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > I can just magine the way the flecks of spittle glisten in the air when you rage. Go ahead, imagine people actually give a shit about you. I mean, that’s why you troll this board, isn’t it? Because you imagine people getting angry at the things you make up. What you’ll find is not rage, but dismissal and annoyance. You’re a serial liar, exposed and impotent. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2023, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881/720 "2023-03-28T01:38:21Z")
Less imagining and more actual fact checking wouldn’t hurt you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881.md?page=35) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-serious-question-for-sam-stone-on-factual-errors/955881.md?page=37)