Aldebaran’s signature is: “My post is my cite[sup]TM[/sup].”
I must say that I think that’s just so witty.
It’s good to say that up-front rather than hide behind a cloud of supposed open-mindedness.
Personally, I know what I believe and I don’t want to be confused with little things like “facts.”
Anyway, when I saw her signature, it certainly did make me smile.
WRS
Aldebaran didn’t make that up. I suppose I can’t be positive, but I believe that the post demonstrates something that humans refer to as humor.
A) Shouldn’t this be in the pit?
B) Aldebaran did actually make that up. He said it early in his tenure here, and he meant it, too.
When I say he meant it, I mean that he was seriously proposing that his post was all the cite he needed; that he didn’t have to back up his sources.
Oh, I didn’t know that. I’ve seen it elsewhere since then and assumed it was a standard bit of mockery with a longer history.
She certainly is very witty, just don’t make jokes about her penis. She hates that. 
You know I thought Aldebaran was a girl for the longest time… Maybe it’s something about the way he writes.
Well…“She” has two wives. 
Oooops. For some reason I thought Aldebaran is a she.
WRS
Well if that isn’t a lovely sentiment for MPSIMS, I don’t know what is. :rolleyes:
Well now here’s an odd thought. Did Einstien need a cite? If you are really and truely an expert at something, and you’re not published, does it make you any less an expert?
Yes, he did. It’s called data.
uh huh. And you want him to cut-n-paste 1200 pages of it? :dubious:
No, but a link to a blog that talks about the data will usually suffice.
Perhaps that’s a bad example. Closer to home, I’ve got a motor builder that cam make a motor that produces X hp and Y torque. For the moment, lets just assume it’s true. You ask for a cite.
THIS is one of the biggest issues with the internet, A guy can make a factual claim, and spend the rest of his life convincing ‘the internet’ that he’s telling the truth. What REALLY happens is: he gets tired of defending himself and goes away, thus diminishing the community by his absence.
Yes, but we’re in a slightly different atmosphere here, message board-wise. We ask for cites at the SDMB because this is a board dedicated to fighting ignorance. Cites and proof are necessary elements thereof, and (unfortunately) anecdotal evidence just isn’t proof enough.
As to the two wives, I hadn’t heard that about him.
As one of Aldebaran’s loudest critics, I’ve grudgingly come to accept his minor foibles and pushy demeanor for two reasons:
It’s patently obvious that he believes everything he says, and that he isn’t simply some crank trying to stir up trouble. He says inflammatory things and comes across as rude from time to time, but I think that’s more due to cultural differences than a desire to be thought a jerk.
He’s very well-spoken, and amidst all the inflammatory things are usually golden nuggets of insight. I almost called it “truth,” but the truth is we can’t call it that because…well, “his post is his cite.” :rolleyes: However, that doesn’t mean we can’t learn a lot from him. We just have to ingest it all with several grains of salt, and realize that his POV is often colored by the atmosphere in which he lives.
But he’s an interesting cat nonetheless. I no longer want him to go away.
“My post is my cite” seems to imply an arrogant notion of infallability. While I enjoy (finally) his unique insight into the eastern mindset, I’m in no way convinced that gives him a hall pass on backing up his statements with fact when necessary.
I believe he has gone away.
This is not the first time he has stomped off in a huff, so it is entirely possible he will return. He actually improved somewhat after his first exit-and-return, so perhaps a further sabbatical might work the same magic.
Or, perhaps not.
Regards,
Shodan