- #1
bigfooted
Gold Member
- 683
- 213
Hi!
I was on a forum recently where I saw a typical message from what some people would call a crackpot.
These people are usually easy to identify:
Although my first impulse is to try to help these people, I usually find that they are beyond help. The discussion becomes grim very fast, most of the arguments are ad hominem ("You do not accept my new theory because you belong to the establishment") and I always hope the topic dies before it reaches Godwin's law.
My question to you: what would you do? Try to help them? Ignore them from the start? When is enough enough for you?
I was on a forum recently where I saw a typical message from what some people would call a crackpot.
These people are usually easy to identify:
- The message is full of spelling errors.
- The message usually starts with the claim that a great discovery was being made.
- They never use math beyond high-school mathematics.
- They address people like Einstein as Dr. Einstein.
- They respond very aggressively to friendly but skeptical replies.
- They never use standard mathematical notation.
Although my first impulse is to try to help these people, I usually find that they are beyond help. The discussion becomes grim very fast, most of the arguments are ad hominem ("You do not accept my new theory because you belong to the establishment") and I always hope the topic dies before it reaches Godwin's law.
My question to you: what would you do? Try to help them? Ignore them from the start? When is enough enough for you?