Woozle's "No Bookstops" policyThe implicit claim that "you have to go read and understand this thing that proves you wrong, or else I win by default" came up in
a comment on another post recently. Since I took the time to format this for Hubzilla, I thought I should repost it here.
No, I do not have time to do your thinking for you or argue your case for you.
If you have made a claim that goes against my understanding, and I have asked you for evidence to support it, the
burden of proof is on you to
explain it, at least in summary – and not on me to go "educate" myself by
taking the time to read some essay or watch some video, sifting through it for the argument and evidence that support
your position, and
summarizing it for you so that we may continue the discussion.
If you have a point to make, make it. Otherwise, I shall have to assume that you don't actually have one. Any of the following are far more likely:
- you misremembered something you read or heard
- you misunderstood something you read or heard
- you were given unreliable information by someone else
- you came across a nonsense argument that seems to support your position, but doesn't
There's also the strong likelihood that even if I did read or view what you wanted me to read or view, I would find the whole thing to be nonsense and might not recognize the particular part that
you believe legitimately supports your position. Therefore
you need to be the one to identify that piece and restate it in your own words, in a way that responds to the matter currently under discussion.
Thank you.
