Any experts here?

[FreidanX]

I was just wondering if here on the politics forumn, we have any qualified experts. By "expert" I mean a PhD/MSc/MA/BSc/BA in pretty much any field such as Political Science, Economics, History, Biology, Psychology, etc. that can apply to topics discussed on this forumn... I'm just curious as to who I'm actually talking to here.

This question was inspired by my numerous lurkings in a varitey of topics where I've seen various degrees of ability to handle knowledge. I've seen expertise here range from downright stupid (ie. a "therez no gayz in CHINA!!!" or "only 31 people EVER died from Chernobyl") to a few rare instances where real expertise was evident (ie. some posts in the philosophy threads I'm too lazy to dig up an example from).

I think it would also be very useful to know who's an expert around here so they could be called upon to give weight to valid arguments while dispelling the ones that are supported by buzzwords and mainstream popular opinion rather than actual facts.

So... yeah. If you're an expert, share it!

FreidanX (occasional poster, frequent lurker)

[Shih]

Masters in Enviromental Biology and heavy background in philosophy and theoretical physics.

[karasz]

ill have a my BS in political sciene in 2 years, with a minor in econ... but ive only taken 1 econ class so far, so i dont say much to that...

also just b/c someone doesnt have the piece of paper with a signature from a guy they probably never met doesnt me they dont have valid points...

although it would probably be smart if we used sources for stuff...

[FreidanX]

At 5/8/03 05:42 PM, karasz wrote: ...also just b/c someone doesnt have the piece of paper with a signature from a guy they probably never met doesnt me they dont have valid points...

I know, I know. I'm just annoyed by people who throw around mounds of shoddy incomplete evidence and use terms they don't even know the meaning (or even correct spelling) of in an attempt to pass themselves off as someone who knows what they're talking about. Kind of like the time I heard someone say on another message board "evolution is mathematically impossible" yet that single phrase without any citations or elaboration made up their entire post.

[karasz]

i wasnt aiming at any one in particular, i was just stating the fact...

do you have any credentials? (thats my big word for the day)

[FreidanX]

At 5/8/03 07:03 PM, karasz wrote: i wasnt aiming at any one in particular, i was just stating the fact...

do you have any credentials? (thats my big word for the day)

Heh. Nope. I'll have my BSc (HONS) in Developmental Biology in 3 years.

All right. So our current tally of polotics forumn experts is:

1. Shih - MSc Environmental Biology (+ some philosophy/theoritetical physics)

[I guess I'll count non-graduates as well in case we don't find that many people with degrees on this forumn]

2. karasz - BSc (Pol. Sci/ minor Econ) in 2 years

3. FreidanX - BSc (Developmental Biology) in 3 years

...anyone else?

[FUNKbrs]

At 5/8/03 03:57 PM, FreidanX wrote:

:here range from downright stupid (ie. "only 31 people EVER died from Chernobyl

DAMNIT! I quoted a source for that one! I even left a damn link to the site! Maybe if you had checked up on my source you would have realized that that was actually TRUE.

[Freakapotimus]

Not really :( I went to college for 3 years studying English/2nd Ed, but I didn't get my BA. Right now I'm working on my AAS in Computer Information Systems, but I want to finish the English BA after (concentrating in Writing and Linguistics, and possibly minoring in history).

[TheShrike]

Well, my field is Computer Science, and I'm still working on that.
I'm not out of school yet, but I do have several creds like the ever so easy to get MSCE.

I also have quite a few programming languages under my belt (C++, Java, etc), but Flash is my new favorite since I can easily be both logical and artistic. Anyhoo.... that's enough about that.

I try and post sources if I feel that they'll be needed to help prove my point, or if they might not be seen as truth by others.

And then sometimes I'm lazy. Oh well.

[bumcheekcity]

I'm not an expert. Most of my information is ganied by either common sense or Government Internet Site Search which turns up only pages with .gov ending and is brilliant.

[Slizor]

Well currently I have a GCSE(16 year-old qualification) in quite a few things, the most relevant being history. I'm currently getting my AS-levels in History, Politics, Philosophy and English Language and I should (note: should, dependent on me trying) go off to do Politics in a year or so. That's all I offically have.

[NEMESiSZ]

Everyone thinks they're going to get rich off computer science, enjoy maxing out at $50k/year after ten years in a cube, losers.

[TheShrike]

And what does Nemmy want to be when he grows up?

[Commander-K25]

At 5/9/03 04:57 PM, NEMESiSZ wrote: Everyone thinks they're going to get rich off computer science, enjoy maxing out at $50k/year after ten years in a cube, losers.

Only if you take the lowest route and become Just Another Coder. If you actually have talent, you can make very good money. Sysadmins and such regularly make 80,000-100,000.

And whatever happened to doing what you love?

[NEMESiSZ]

Nope, sysadmin jobs are all reserved for imported India "prodigies" who don't know any better than to accept low pay.

Computer science is no way to make a living these days.

[FreidanX]

At 5/9/03 10:04 AM, FUNKbrs wrote:

At 5/8/03 03:57 PM, FreidanX wrote:

here range from downright stupid (ie. "only 31 people EVER died from Chernobyl

DAMNIT! I quoted a source for that one! I even left a damn link to the site! Maybe if you had checked up on my source you would have realized that that was actually TRUE.

Really? I did check up on that source. I'll just say that I find the objectivity of an article presented by the World Nuclear Association debatable at best. While there were likely only 31 initial casualties (even if that count originally came from the Soviet government), that article also states there were only 10 subsequent deaths from thyroid cancer ever since. Just becuase it happens to be on the internet on a professional looking website does not make it "TRUE."

By your logic, I could pull up an article like this one:

http://www.theonion.com/onion3630/dolphins_evolve_thumbs.html

... to prove that the evolution of opposable thumbs in dolphins and word of their conspiracy to take over the world is "TRUE."

While it might be a little extreme to use an article from The Onion for me to prove my point... do you get what I'm saying? Don't defend something pulled off the internet like some kind of zealot with all those exclamation marks and overcapitalized letters... it's a largely biased form of mass-media just like any other. Unless you are in fact an environmental biologist who has done research in Chernobyl or a medical official who has seen the real extent of the casualties... can you really say that an article that says there were only 30-40 casualties in Chernobyl is any more "TRUE" than one that says there were significantly more due to birth defects and thyroid cancer?

[Shih]

At 5/9/03 05:52 PM, Commander-K25 wrote:

:: And whatever happened to doing what you love?

*lol*
Doing what you love, good fucking luck.

[mrpopenfresh]

Im too young to get any real credentials, but i get all of my information from the CBC (those guys know what theyre talking about)

[AbstractVagabond]

I don't have a BS in anything, but I can be full of BS. Is that close enough? :-)

[bumcheekcity]

At 5/10/03 06:12 PM, mrpopenfresh wrote: Im too young to get any real credentials, but i get all of my information from the CBC (those guys know what theyre talking about)

CBC? Whats that?

Im taking my GCSE in History. Im hoping for an A*

[FUNKbrs]

At 5/9/03 08:27 PM, FreidanX wrote:

At 5/8/03 03:57 PM, FreidanX wrote:

While it might be a little extreme to use an article from The Onion for me to prove my point... do you get what I'm saying? Don't defend something pulled off the internet like some kind of zealot with all those exclamation marks and overcapitalized letters... it's a largely biased form of mass-media just like any other. Unless you are in fact an environmental biologist who has done research in Chernobyl or a medical official who has seen the real extent of the casualties... can you really say that an article that says there were only 30-40 casualties in Chernobyl is any more "TRUE" than one that says there were significantly more due to birth defects and thyroid cancer?

1 I am DEFINITELY a pro-nuclear power zealot, and proud of this fact. (My father was a reactor operator on a nuclear sub)

2 If I was writing a term paper on the safety of nuclear power and I quoted the report that number was based upon, it would be considered valid. While I agree that web sites arent as credible as books, I thought the source was appropriate for the medium I was using to convey my message (the Internet).

Mainly Im just miffed because I finally do some reasearch to support my claim, back it up with a source link, but I still get a thread devoted to the fact that my post and posts like it are irrelevant and misinformed.

[Freakapotimus]

At 5/9/03 04:57 PM, NEMESiSZ wrote: Everyone thinks they're going to get rich off computer science, enjoy maxing out at $50k/year after ten years in a cube, losers.

taking the CIS courses now because my job reimburses me for job-related, degree-oriented classes. One I get the AAS I'll get a raise, meaning more money to go to school for something I really like. Right now the CIS degree will get me more than the BA in English.

[D2Kvirus]

90% through an MA in Media Studies. I can let rip about fictionalised/sensationalist/fear-mongering news coverage because, hey, it's my course. Including the so-called War.

[FreidanX]

At 5/11/03 03:19 PM, FUNKbrs wrote: 2 If I was writing a term paper on the safety of nuclear power and I quoted the report that number was based upon, it would be considered valid. While I agree that web sites arent as credible as books, I thought the source was appropriate for the medium I was using to convey my message (the Internet).

*Sigh* I suppose that's true. We are just posting on a message board and not writing a PhD thesis.

Mainly Im just miffed because I finally do some reasearch to support my claim, back it up with a source link, but I still get a thread devoted to the fact that my post and posts like it are irrelevant and misinformed.

No no no. I'm not trying to say they're "irrelevant" or "misinformed" ... just inconclusive. I'm not saying that just becuase someone isn't an expert they shouldn't still do some digging up and try to present an informed point of view... I guess what I'm trying to say is that since most of us are NOT experts we should be more receptive to alternative points of view and not defend a certain point of view over-zealously just becuase it happens to be presented on an internet/magazine article, on T.V., etc. I think if rather than saying something definitive like "This article proves X about Y, etc." one should say "This article suggests X about Y" or "I think X about Y, here's an article that shows this may be true, etc."

Oh, and that wasn't directed toward you specifically... just the people who treat whatever they hear, read, or see on TV, internet, etc. like it's written in the fucking bible (or better yet, the people who treat whatever's in the bible like it was fucking written by God himself.)

[... and FUNKbrs, I suppose it was hypocritical of me to quote that post yours I used as an example as "stupid" seeing as how it was only stupid from my point of view... Especially considering I could have EASILY used one of the many posts on this forumn for an example that really are universally stupid and not just stupid from a certain point of view... no hard feelings?]

[FreidanX]

All right... so our updated tally of experts, in order of quickest reply, is:

1. Shih - MSc (Environmental Biology) (+ some philosophy/theoretical physics)

2. D2KVirus - 90% done MA (Media Studies) [Pushed up the list becuase I'm assuming he/she has a BA]

[Non-graduates included to make list look bigger:]

3. karasz - BSc (Pol. Sci/ minor Econ) in 2 years

4. FreidanX - BSc (Developmental Biology) in 3 years

5. Freakapotimus - 3 Years BA (English/Ed)

[Can someone please give me the gist of what GSCE's and MSCE's are? I don't think I've ever heard of them in Canada... are they something like BSc's or MSc's in computers/electronics? I need to know before I decide whether to include them in the list...]

[D2Kvirus]

GCSEs are what you get for passing Secondary School, which is basically the same as graduating High School. I say basically, since the standard over here is higher. it goes:

PhD
MA/MSc etc
BA/BSC
A-Level
GCSE
Flunk-out

Oh, yup, I already have a BA, a 2:1, thank you very much.

[H-Dawg]

Yo yo yo yo yo, peep dis, y'all: Da H-Dawg gots him a PhD in Cultural Studies, dig? But, I'm not necessarily convinced dat some muthafuckin' degree n'shit is DA SHIT all da time, dig? 'Fact, I seen me some pretty fucked up shit commin' from da mouths of some a dem doctors, y'all, so beware just cuz some punk-ass muthafucka be wavin' a badge in y'all's face, it don't necessarily mean you automatically be steppin' inta his car right a way and goin' down town wid' the dude, y'knowwhatI'm sayin? Ya gotsta take EVERYTHING wid a grain a salt, y'all. H-Dawg, OUT!

[FreidanX]

At 5/13/03 09:50 AM, H-Dawg wrote: Yo yo yo yo yo, peep dis, y'all: Da H-Dawg gots him a PhD in Cultural Studies, dig? But, I'm not necessarily convinced dat some muthafuckin' degree n'shit is DA SHIT all da time, dig? 'Fact, I seen me some pretty fucked up shit commin' from da mouths of some a dem doctors, y'all, so beware just cuz some punk-ass muthafucka be wavin' a badge in y'all's face, it don't necessarily mean you automatically be steppin' inta his car right a way and goin' down town wid' the dude, y'knowwhatI'm sayin? Ya gotsta take EVERYTHING wid a grain a salt, y'all. H-Dawg, OUT!

---

Hez whaz'up dawg? Got mez uh q!!!
Is it necessary to write like that? It makes you impossible to understand. People who write non-sensically like that usually get made fun of and told to get off the politics forumn.

I'm assuming that you're trying to say is that degrees don't everything and that everything should be taken with a grain of salt. In other words... EVERYTHING I ALREADY SAID IN PREVIOUS POSTS!!! Did you not read them? Did you feel the need to translate them into wigger-style ebonics?

I am only an 8grader, but i am already involved in politics. I got no title that claim that i am a professional, but i think i know more than most of the pupils in school. About history, politics and that. So i THINK that i know enough, but i got no title. But i at least know more than those idiots here, writing things like "arabs is youst a bunch of scarabs and parasites, but we have to use our money on giving them freedom and democracy". So, i am one of these guys keeping to facts. So you know...

[H-Dawg]

Hez whaz'up dawg? Got mez uh q!!!
Is it necessary to write like that? It makes you impossible to understand. People who write non-sensically like that usually get made fun of and told to get off the politics forumn.

I'm assuming that you're trying to say is that degrees don't everything and that everything should be taken with a grain of salt. In other words... EVERYTHING I ALREADY SAID IN PREVIOUS POSTS!!! Did you not read them? Did you feel the need to translate them into wigger-style ebonics?

Whoa! Don't be hatin! It's all good bro! I was just havin' me some fun, and takin' my topic more seriously than myself or my PhD, dig? Seriously, just kiddin' around. If y'all are lookin for some DOPE source information on a number of the issues we have been discussing in these forums, my doctoral advisor pointed me toward this cool website: http://www.zmag.org/weluser.htm. Z-magazine is one of those "lefty" sites, but it has some FANTASTIC writers writing for it (like Chomsky, etc etc) and the facts are always relevant and shocking. Also, check out Harper's Weekly, which is a weekly email posting from Harper's magazine. This is a VERY scary and intriguing look at the week in politics, written in a very ironic and sardonic style. Sure to fascinate and horrify! H-Dawg, OUT!