This isn’t meant as a flame but I’m posting it here just in case it gets taken that way. A lot of you people will lay claim to something that you really don’t know anything about or answer someone else’s question with an answer based solely on the fact that there is an internet article up somewhere about it. This isn’t the only place it happens, either, but it is pretty rampant around here and you encourage it.
Plain and simple, this practice, I believe you call it siting is stupid. You all need to realise that when you do that you might as well say the following:
The stupidity continues when you actually make the articles argue with eachother by posting articles that “disprove” other ones posted by your adversaries. Just because it’s on a CNN website or something doesn’t mean its true and it certainly doesn’t make it gospel.
Many of the discussions here are over not so much difference of opinion or intellectually driven. They are just people posting junk that they have read on other sites and people responding with what they have read on still other sites. There is so much of it here that IT IS TEDIOUS TO WADE THROUGH. It’s worth it to try, though because there are some really great people here who have some interesting things to say.
I hope that this isn’t taken badly by the forum’s many “siters”. I do hope that you will take this to heart, though, and try to post your own thoughts more often instead of the ramblings of random bloggers and CNN articles.
Or did you intend to use the verb cite?
(Sorry, but if you are going to set out to correct people, putting a glaring error in your rant is going to invite a bit of unwanted humor. )
I know what you mean, but the fact is that our own thoughts, on factual matters, don’t mean squat when we can’t prove who we are or what our credentials are. You’ll find that there are those who have “proven” themselves (mostly through time and repetition building reputation) in certain areas: no one seriously doubts that Qadop the Mercotan is a prison doctor and qualified to answer questions about medicine, or **tomndeb **is (one of) the go-to guys for Christian theology or **Eve **for old movie stars. They can get away with their own thoughts on those limited topics without citation, much of the time.
But for most issues, it’s best to say what you have to say and then support that with quotable sources whose credentials are established.
I agree, it’s annoying when there’s nothing but cites. Then again, it’s annoying when someone poses a question that can be answered with nothing but another webpage, hence the (also annoying) “Google is your friend” comment.
I’ve also noticed that the first three responses to almost any OP will be pointless non-responses to the question in the OP, often making the exact same banal point, dumb joke, or minor correction.
Dude, you’re not even a good troll. It took me less than a minute to find the exact same conspiracy bullshit spam you posted in Cafe Society. Whose sock are you?
And the 8th post is always somone who can’t stand to see a little fun poked at his/her favorite message board, can’t understand irony, and/or encourages someone to calm down who is far less upset and takes this shit far less seriously than he/she does.
Ross Grumet, usually when a guest arrives and immediately posts a complaint, they’re acting like assholes or trolling or whatnot. However, I actually think in this case you have an interesting point, and well put.
I can give you an example of a GQ I answered merely via half-recollection followed by judicious Googling just yesterday; but that answer was irrefutable so probably doesn’t count. If you look at GD you’ll definitely see some of what you described, but a lot of very thoughtful input too. Do you have a specific example of a thread that piqued your OP?
Okay, let me get this straight. When you complain about how other people post, it’s light hearted, ironic fun that’s not meant seriously. When someone complains about how you post, they’re humorless, uptight, and overwrought.
I’m posting in the expectation that this thread will be deleted shortly, when this fuckwit gets banned. But, my post count won’t be decremented.
Years from now, when scholars assemble The Collected Works of Freddy the Pig (they will do that, won’t they?), they’ll be puzzled by the mysterious Missing Post # 2,057. Many theories will be proffered about its demise, each more exotic than the last, until the dark truth emerges of a conspiracy between the Rosicrucians and Jack Chick.
…and the 13th, 18th, 23rd, 25th, 33rd, 44th, 57th, 68th, 69th, 70th, 71st, 72nd, and 74th - 102nd posts could be a really stupid argument between us, but why bother? Forget I said anything.
Have you never done a research paper? You’ll learn about them later in high school. A little advice: Dont try to turn it in without a few cites and a bibliography.
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