Stan Zygmunt wrote:
> Gordie,
>
> Welcome back! I'm not sure you really understood
> the post from Dr. Lerner that you recently replied to.
> There were some rather nasty exchanges over the last
> day or two which contained charges that someone had
> improperly cited a reference or had supplied an
> inaccurate quote or one improperly pulled out of context.
> All Dr. Lerner was asking was that if you feel the need
> to point out an error made in another person's citations,
> you should in all fairness supply a correction.
>
> This makes good sense to me. It is certainly not helpful
> to the debate or to the person who has made such a mistake
> to simply say "You can't even get your references right!"
> (which is my paraphrase of several recent comments on the
> reflector). If someone has either deliberately or carelessly
> altered or misrepresented another author, by all means call
> him to account. But include a specific correction in order to
> set the record straight!
>
> I don't think this is too much to ask. It would certainly
> cut down on "knee-jerk" reactions which might later (as we
> have seen) need to be retracted.
Thank you for you response.
There are several issues here. The first is that of a serious breach of
common courtesy. Another has to do with how one communicates in an
informal discussion forum involving a wide range of backgrounds among
participants. While I was not oblivious to the former issue, my comments
were directed to the latter.
While a rigid imposition of formal rules of the sort suggested in Dr.
Lerner's post might mitigate the distasteful nature of some recent
postings, the real problem, in my opinion, lies elsewhere -- and any
solution needs to be found elsewhere.
So the question remains whether the suggested rules have merit -- in of
themselves -- for a discussion forum. I would argue that they represent
excellent suggestions, but nothing more.
For instance, it might not be possible to find the correct reference.
Should the error not be commented upon? Beyond this, the burden for
correcting an incorrect reference should reasonably fall upon the one
supplying it, if possible -- presumably the expert on the subject under
discussion -- rather than upon someone who is attempting to locate the
reference without success. A courteous note indicating that a reference
is wrong seems most appropriate. In most cases, this could be done by
private correspondence, but I can imagine circumstances for which a forum
comment might be appropriate.
These are some of my thoughts.
Just as I completed this message, I observed the posting of clarifying
comments by Dr. Lerner. I think I will not attempt to comment on them
here, but I commend their reading.
Gordie