Re: filtering cranks

From: George Hammond (ghammond@mediaone.net)
Date: Sat May 12 2001 - 14:51:04 EDT

  • Next message: george murphy: "Re: filtering cranks"

    Terry M. Gray wrote:
    >
    > Carol,
    >
    > I serve as the list owner and manager. I do not act as moderator. We have
    > defined this as a self-moderating group. If this group does not want to
    > pursue this discussion with George Hammond and then it should stop
    > responding to his messages--either seriously or tongue-in-cheek.

    [Hammond]
    Ahhh.. excuse me, but I don't think the complaint was about
    me. I am not a "poster to sci.geo.geology"... I think you
    are presumptively persecuting the wrong person.
       BTW, I have initiated only one post. EVERY other
    post I have made has been a solicited response to someone
    else addressing me personally.

     Frankly, I
    > have found some of the responses somewhat rude and would encourage the
    > principle of "not answering a fool" if that is your opinion.

    [Hammond]
    Nothing... I have said on this list
    can be considered "rude".

    >
    > While I don't have a lot of sympathy with George Hammond's views as I
    > currently understand them, I must admit that such ideas are not all that
    > unusual.

    [Hammond]
    Your sympathy or non sympathy toward my views is a
    personal matter, not a matter of "official business".
     Fact is, no one has
    ever advanced a theory anywhere near similar to mine,
    contrary to what you would like us to think. I am the
    first person in the world to advance a metrical theory
    of God based on Psychometry. Please do not use your
    "official" position to try and enforce your professional
    opinions. That is patently unethical and I'm sure the
    ASA would find it an abuse of your office.
      And BTW, what about Dr. George Murphy's rude personal
    attack on me, who referred to me as a "snarling crank",
    when obviously he was the one who was snarling? I didn't
    notice you admonishing him.
      I'm sure Chuck Vandergraaf is not the only one capable
    of playing a crude anti intellectual practical joke, there
    may be other similar "practical jokers" on the list.

     Someone referenced the recent issue of Newsweek with the God and
    > the brain articles. Interesting, but honestly, not that different from what
    > I'm hearing George Hammond say.

    [Hammond]
    Obviously you education as a "computer support
    scientist" disqualifies you from making such
    a judgement about a theory based on Physics,
    Psychometry and Biology, disciplines in which
    you have absolutely no expertise. And again,
    your position as list manager does not give you
    the right to advance such an statement by fiat.
      Again, please do not use your official
    capacity to "enforce" your personal opinions.

     Is it the work of a "cranks"? I guess it
    > depends on your definition of "crank".

    [Hammond]
    I hope your characterization of Newsweek Magazine as
    "the work of cranks" is not a statement in your
    "official" ASA capacity.

    snip

    > our computers have delete keys. It appears that George Hammond actually
    > read the instructions to this group and labeled his post (SOC/PSYC) so that
    > people not interested in that topic could ignore it. The thread is well
    > labeled and so those not interested in following it are free to ignore it.
    >

    [Hammond]
    Thank you for citing my strict observance of the rules.

    > So, there is the "list manager's" libertarian view. If any of the ASA
    > bigwigs want to state an alternative "official" position to the contrary,
    > let them speak.

    [hammond]
    BTW, as a list manager you must be aware that the
    frequently seen "is there a way to filter cranks"
    message is a commonly known "troll" posting in and of itself,
    and is frequently used by aggrevated cranks themselves
    in order to perpetrate anti-intellectual harassement
    against serious discussion and/or people of higher academic
    qualifications. As a list manager, you must be familiar
    enough with Internet dirty tricks to know that.
    As far as I can see, there was scant justification for
    posting such a message this time, and I would suggest
    that it may very well be some "toll" or "fire bug"
    simply wanting to start some trouble themselves.
    Surely the poster is aware of the mail filter function
    on there computer, and can killfile anyone's
    email address they want to.

    -- 
    BE SURE TO VISIT MY WEBSITE, BELOW:
    -----------------------------------------------------------
    George Hammond, M.S. Physics
    Email:    ghammond@mediaone.net
    Website:  http://people.ne.mediaone.net/ghammond/index.html
    -----------------------------------------------------------
    



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