4 ms·

The problem is that you still need someone to evaluate the research. I can find a citation that says thing X, and then a different citation that says !X. This

The problem is that you still need someone to evaluate the research. I can find a citation that says thing X, and then a different citation that says !X. This is twice as much of a problem when public health authorities like the CDC will issue statements or guidance that is directly contrary to the clinical research, as has been done repeatedly in claiming that masks work to slow community transmission of SARS-2 despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary

rglover 5y ago
Then an anarchist approach is preferred. Leave everything up, link to the citation, and be done with it. The problem here is the drive to babysit people's minds. There's an arrogance of "who knows best" which creates this exact problem we're seeing. People need to put a bullet in their ego and shut up.
- __blockcipher__ 5y ago
  Yes, I agree, and that's the world I want as well. One where we don't have this notion of centralized authorities who serve as sources of truth.
fitzie 5y ago
I disagree. for example, a journalist could simply ask the CDC about page 20, in this leaked presentation here:. https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/cdc-breakthrough-infections/94390e3a-5e45-44a5-ac40-2744e4e25f2e/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/cdc-breakthrough-infe... where it uses metrics of ~20% effective in protecting masks wearers from catching the disease in a model. instead, we have the media saying that rand is wrong, and CNN chasing doctors that dare say that masks don't prevent all spread. the media has long decided that some facts are best not shared, but now they are complicit with a censorship regime where we all know that masks don't work 100%, but we also know that we will get punished for saying it out loud. things that were called misinformation from CNN: - masks don't always work - vaccines sometimes have side effects - you will most likely survive covid - vitamin c and d will help you fight covid.
- __blockcipher__ 5y ago
  To be clear I’m not saying there should be a centralized authority. I’m just saying that a “use citations” rule doesn’t get around the conundrum that somebody has to evaluate the citations.

rglover 5y ago

Then an anarchist approach is preferred. Leave everything up, link to the citation, and be done with it. The problem here is the drive to babysit people's minds. There's an arrogance of "who knows best" which creates this exact problem we're seeing. People need to put a bullet in their ego and shut up.

__blockcipher__ 5y ago
Yes, I agree, and that's the world I want as well. One where we don't have this notion of centralized authorities who serve as sources of truth.

fitzie 5y ago

I disagree. for example, a journalist could simply ask the CDC about page 20, in this leaked presentation here:. https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/cdc-breakthrough-infections/94390e3a-5e45-44a5-ac40-2744e4e25f2e/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/cdc-breakthrough-infe... where it uses metrics of ~20% effective in protecting masks wearers from catching the disease in a model. instead, we have the media saying that rand is wrong, and CNN chasing doctors that dare say that masks don't prevent all spread. the media has long decided that some facts are best not shared, but now they are complicit with a censorship regime where we all know that masks don't work 100%, but we also know that we will get punished for saying it out loud. things that were called misinformation from CNN: - masks don't always work - vaccines sometimes have side effects - you will most likely survive covid - vitamin c and d will help you fight covid.

__blockcipher__ 5y ago
To be clear I’m not saying there should be a centralized authority. I’m just saying that a “use citations” rule doesn’t get around the conundrum that somebody has to evaluate the citations.