How often do you actually do research on controversial topics before making decisions

[Malak]

Most things that are "controversial" are merely controversial because of nutjobs who refuse to accept reality and reason, and they lack anything remotely considered logic.

Your topics of choice are ridiculous. If evolution was so cut and dry, it wouldn't be debated by people with actual PHD's and more experience on the subject than anyone in this forum. Your opinion means nothing on the subject. You are exactly the point to the OP, making a decision without knowing better. If someone with more knowledge and experience says you are wrong, how do you respond? Therein lies the issue.

 

[Mo0o]

Pretty much always but not the "hours of research" you speak of. I'll look on wiki for a quick overview, look up various news articles to get up to date on the topic. Reading the discussions online can be helpful as well

 

[IronWing]

Your topics of choice are ridiculous. If evolution was so cut and dry, it wouldn't be debated by people with actual PHD's and more experience on the subject than anyone in this forum. Your opinion means nothing on the subject. You are exactly the point to the OP, making a decision without knowing better. If someone with more knowledge and experience says you are wrong, how do you respond? Therein lies the issue.

U just plain dumb. Also tedious.

Anyway, I carefully researched the iPhone and determined it to be a ridiculously expensive method of communication.

 

[Malak]

Pretty much always but not the "hours of research" you speak of. I'll look on wiki for a quick overview, look up various news articles to get up to date on the topic. Reading the discussions online can be helpful as well

Wikipedia is not considered an acceptable source for research by anyone. News articles can often be biased and rarely offer enough usable information to make an informed decision. But then, your decision means nothing to begin with.

Fact is most topics exist beyond your ability to influence and your opinion on them means nothing. Arguing most topics is a waste of time, the only real use is for the comedy of how enraged people get over the silliest, meaningless things.

 

[Schadenfroh]

I go to P&N, search for posts by three members on the topic and take the opposite side.

 

[destrekor]

Your topics of choice are ridiculous. If evolution was so cut and dry, it wouldn't be debated by people with actual PHD's and more experience on the subject than anyone in this forum. Your opinion means nothing on the subject. You are exactly the point to the OP, making a decision without knowing better. If someone with more knowledge and experience says you are wrong, how do you respond? Therein lies the issue.

Sure, but on those topics I listed, I have based my opinion on, honestly, hours of research across various scientific journals.

I know better than to make an uninformed decision. I simply have come to the conclusion that the amount of evidence that exists on those topics, and how much of the scientific community swings to one side of the other, offers up enough evidence to make a reasonable decision.

Sometimes, just because a topic has dissenting opinions, does not detract from the fact that the consensus agrees (and on those topics, massive consensus offers a great deal of evidence to stand behind - based on the evidence that has been brought to the table).

 

[Turin39789]

To save folks from the effort of clicking on Yoyo's link, and for the poirposes of having it preserved -

How do you afford rent in college housing? Not like dorms, but like the studio apartments or 1 bedroom apartments they offer. I don't get how you could even have two people in a studio apartment unless you're a couple.. or you love sleeping really close to your other friend in a tinyass place. 1 bedroom places make more sense with the 1 bedroom for one person and then the living room for the other... but I don't get it otherwise... how do you afford it?

It seems ridiculous to live close to campus if I have to be in a place with 3 other guys in a tiny ass apartment. Fuck. I rather live outside of the city with a couple of other guys in a 1500sqft house or something for cheaper.

Since everyone doesn't know here's the dealio, yo:

• I have a 100% tuition waiver. (This means I don't pay for tuition, it's completely free)
• I have my books paid for most probably. (I think my father decided to pay for my textbooks)
• I have about $925/month as income without a job, and I'd like to stay without a job. The reason I have this income is because I get money for going to school full-time. (This is part of VA benefits, Chapter 35, dependents of survivors blahblah)
• All good? Idk.

 

[Mo0o]

Wikipedia is not considered an acceptable source for research by anyone. News articles can often be biased and rarely offer enough usable information to make an informed decision. But then, your decision means nothing to begin with.

Fact is most topics exist beyond your ability to influence and your opinion on them means nothing. Arguing most topics is a waste of time, the only real use is for the comedy of how enraged people get over the silliest, meaningless things.

Both these statements are untrue. Wikipedia is not reliable enough to citation but it's accurate enough for a general overview on any topic. News media outlets do not provide a global perspective on the issue but it provides coverage on the most controvresial aspects. If I have more questions, I look them up specifically. I like discussing certain topics because it helps me consider more aspects of a certain issue that i might not have considered otherwise.

 

[zinfamous]

And the typical childishness comes out.

To respond to the OP, what examples do you have for what would be considered "controversy" because I think there is a line between controversial and drama. Like the theory of evolution is controversial, while the question of whether Lady Gaga is a man or not is pure drama.

there is nothing, absolutely nothing controversial about the theory of evolution.

stop trolling your boat down the river of fail.

 

[zinfamous]

Your topics of choice are ridiculous. If evolution was so cut and dry, it wouldn't be debated by people with actual PHD's and more experience on the subject than anyone in this forum. Your opinion means nothing on the subject. You are exactly the point to the OP, making a decision without knowing better. If someone with more knowledge and experience says you are wrong, how do you respond? Therein lies the issue.

The fact of evolution is not debated by those who hold PhDs in a relevant field.

that itself, is a fact.

a physicist or an astronomer has about as much experience in the field as a does a Catholic priest to ladies night at Hooters.

But feel free to firmly shackle yourself to the cold, lonely world of a pious and undeveloped medieval Europe while the rest of the world benefits from the medical and scientific advances brought forth by the discovery of the natural law of evolution.

 

[darkswordsman17]

And the typical childishness comes out.

Yeah, because its not childish at all to be a willfully ignorant person such as yourself.

You might think your questions are valid, but that's because you don't even begin to understand most of what you're questioning, so you write it off and claim its beyond anyone's comprehension. Its like you can't figure out long division, so you claim Calculus isn't valid, which is why you get people calling you an idiot.

 

[coldmeat]

I predict we will not see TridenT return.

 

[Malak]

The fact of evolution is not debated by those who hold PhDs in a relevant field.

that itself, is a fact.

I'm still confused on whether you are a troll or really that ignorant.

 

[IronWing]

I'm still confused on whether you are a troll or really that ignorant.

Pride and stupidity are a silly combination. I should remind myself that folks who reject the fact of evolution aren't ignorant, they are just fucking idiots. The ignorant can learn. Fucking idiots will always remain fucking idiots.

 

[theprodigalrebel]

Kindly illustrate with vivid examples for I find the content in the original post sorely lacking.

 

[moshquerade]

I predict we will not see TridenT return.

He's online :sneaky:

 

[Malak]

Pride and stupidity are a silly combination. I should remind myself that folks who reject the fact of evolution aren't ignorant, they are just fucking idiots. The ignorant can learn. Fucking idiots will always remain fucking idiots.

I'm going to throw this out there, even though you'll probably ignore it because the only thing you know how to do is attack. Your attitude is consistent with someone that is so deeply afraid of being wrong that they lash out immediately without any rational thought to avoid any damage to their protective shell. For that reason, I can't be offended by anything you say. Your ego completely inhibits your ability to comprehend or learn from actual observations of reality. You, like most people, are a floater. You enjoy skimming across the surface of existence, never even looking down into the depths.

Getting into someone's mind is just a matter of walking the trail of their words. Out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. The patterns found in these discussions are repetitive and easily predicted. The few people actually smart enough to make any opinion quite often point out the pattern, but is ignored. And once you get there you wonder... why bother? They can't understand, they don't even realize how silly it all is. Why bother trying to say anything at all?

Sometimes I laugh, sometimes I just shake my head. But then I remember why.

 

[IronWing]

I'm going to throw this out there, even though you'll probably ignore it because the only thing you know how to do is attack. Your attitude is consistent with someone that is so deeply afraid of being wrong that they lash out immediately without any rational thought to avoid any damage to their protective shell. For that reason, I can't be offended by anything you say. Your ego completely inhibits your ability to comprehend or learn from actual observations of reality. You, like most people, are a floater. You enjoy skimming across the surface of existence, never even looking down into the depths.

Getting into someone's mind is just a matter of walking the trail of their words. Out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. The patterns found in these discussions are repetitive and easily predicted. The few people actually smart enough to make any opinion quite often point out the pattern, but is ignored. And once you get there you wonder... why bother? They can't understand, they don't even realize how silly it all is. Why bother trying to say anything at all?

Sometimes I laugh, sometimes I just shake my head. But then I remember why.

You'll make a great preacher. You just took a couple hundred words to say "fucking idiot".

 

[guyver01]

I predict we will not see TridenT return.

What??? after everything else... you think THIS is enough to stop him?

:'(

 

[destrekor]

I'm going to throw this out there, even though you'll probably ignore it because the only thing you know how to do is attack. Your attitude is consistent with someone that is so deeply afraid of being wrong that they lash out immediately without any rational thought to avoid any damage to their protective shell. For that reason, I can't be offended by anything you say. Your ego completely inhibits your ability to comprehend or learn from actual observations of reality. You, like most people, are a floater. You enjoy skimming across the surface of existence, never even looking down into the depths.

Getting into someone's mind is just a matter of walking the trail of their words. Out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. The patterns found in these discussions are repetitive and easily predicted. The few people actually smart enough to make any opinion quite often point out the pattern, but is ignored. And once you get there you wonder... why bother? They can't understand, they don't even realize how silly it all is. Why bother trying to say anything at all?

Sometimes I laugh, sometimes I just shake my head. But then I remember why.

I don't usually do this, but...

that sounded like something said after taking a few psychology/sociology courses. I should know, I've traveled that road a few times.

At least the first part. The second part, well, that is fairly accurate. Not everyone, however, can make accurate character judgments based on observing an individual. To that end, it's far more challenging to accurately deduce character from text. I'm a fairly intuitive person, but observation of other people, using text alone (especially using only forum chitchat, which filled with drivel for the sake of entertainment), can be an extremely difficult venture.

 

[preslove]

I do. I'm a librarian & like to constantly learn new things. I keep abreast of current events through news aggregators and a variety of blogs from all along the political spectrum.

I watch this instead of cable news (which is for idiots): http://bloggingheads.tv/


Also, do you, OP, research before you make claims to how much you can bench press?

 

[Malak]

I don't usually do this, but...

that sounded like something said after taking a few psychology/sociology courses. I should know, I've traveled that road a few times.

At least the first part. The second part, well, that is fairly accurate. Not everyone, however, can make accurate character judgments based on observing an individual. To that end, it's far more challenging to accurately deduce character from text. I'm a fairly intuitive person, but observation of other people, using text alone (especially using only forum chitchat, which filled with drivel for the sake of entertainment), can be an extremely difficult venture.

First off I just want to say that I generally find you more intelligent than most of the posters here, regardless of where you stand on a subject.

For the rest, understanding a person might be difficult to read from a single post, but for most of the participants we have a large selection. Even so, zinfamous threw me for a loop with his comments because they were so obviously wrong I wasn't sure if it was intentional or not. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt.

I actually quite often formulate responses in threads that are not genuine for the sake of getting a response. I then evaluate the responses to understand the individual. Been doing this for a long time.

 

[pcgeek11]

http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=29708966&postcount=1

:sneaky:

I know at least one that has done some research...

Much to TridenTs dismay.

 

[destrekor]

First off I just want to say that I generally find you more intelligent than most of the posters here, regardless of where you stand on a subject.

For the rest, understanding a person might be difficult to read from a single post, but for most of the participants we have a large selection. Even so, zinfamous threw me for a loop with his comments because they were so obviously wrong I wasn't sure if it was intentional or not. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt.

I actually quite often formulate responses in threads that are not genuine for the sake of getting a response. I then evaluate the responses to understand the individual. Been doing this for a long time.

While many argue true character is shown when one is provided a screen of anonymity to hide behind, that's not always the case - many of us here have taken moments to make a wildly-exaggerated or entirely false response, just for the expected reaction. If it is exaggerated, there is still some truth to the underlying character.

Granted, for some of us members who have been here awhile, I would agree that one can probably distinguish the supposed real from their moments of hilarity and falsehood. But we cannot always even assume that all we observe is anything but an exaggerated character, that may take time to go way beyond themselves on occasion.

And btw, you and I appear to operate on a similar level in that regard.

 

[destrekor]

I know at least one that has done some research...

Much to TridenTs dismay.

If he wouldn't have posted that, I probably would have searched for it, or even just blatantly called him out without searching. I remember clearly his whiny entitlement attitude and enjoying the handouts from the Veterans Administration.