DConf 2020 Canceled

[Patrick Schluter]

On Wednesday, 11 March 2020 at 20:30:12 UTC, Anonymous wrote:
> to all the people dogpiling the responses against Era's point 
> of view:
>
> the reason there is not more dissent, whether here or in other 
> respectable forums (eg scientific research in general), is 
> purely because of social mechanics (ostracization of 
> dissenters) - not the inherent unassailable truthfulness of the 
> apparent consensus point of view. when contrary information is 
> personally and professionally radioactive, is it a wonder 
> nobody wants to associate themselves with it?
>
> but here, as in so many elsewheres, "this is not the place." 
> I'm already pushing the boundary with this meta-post containing 
> no specific assertions, and will almost certainly put Mike in 
> the unfortunate position of having to put his foot down in this 
> thread (sorry Mike).
>
> I'm just pointing out that, anywhere that people's real life 
> identities are tied to what they are saying, there will be an 
> artificial consensus around safe, socially sanctioned 
> viewpoints. so you all essentially get an unrestricted platform 
> to say "lol we're so informed and naysayers are tinfoil-hat 
> nutters," but if somebody made a good-faith effort to respond 
> to any of your points, messages would start getting deleted and 
> the thread would be locked. and far from exceptional, that 
> happens EVERYWHERE.
>
> I don't expect any of you /respectable, rational/ people to 
> read it, but for the shy dissenters among us, here's a short 
> little essay on the circularity of scientific peer review (I am 
> not the author):
>
> https://www.reddit.com/r/accountt1234/comments/5umtip/scientific_circular_reasoning/

What, you're saying continents can move and that there's no 
phlogiston and no ether around? Dinosaurs did not gradually 
disappear and washing ones hands could avoid childbed fever? and 
that stomach ulcer are of bacierial origin?
Heretic, to the pyre.
More seriously: these were all examples of career killing 
"consensus scientific truths"™ that have been slowly showed to be 
not that truthful (after a lot of funerals).
So, a little bit of caution on the consensus opinion is required, 
especially if that consensus enables billion/trillion big 
industries (global warming, pharmacology, etc.).