[Phys-L] Personal Attacks (was Re: Problem Based Learning)

[Dan.MacIsaac at NAU.EDU (danmacisaac)]

On Aug 4, 2005, at 12:06 AM, Richard Hake wrote:

> > In his Phys-L post of 3 Aug 2005 titled "Re: Problem Based Learning .
> > . . ." Jack Uretsky wrote [bracketed by lines "UUUUUUUUUU. . . .":
> >
> > UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
> > Hi all- I am interested in personal attacks. Dick Hake writes:
<edits>

> > Dick, how do you feel about (pointed - i.e., non-vacuous) personal
> > attacks?  Is there not a place for these in reasoned discourse?
> >
> > UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
>
> There's nothing I relish more in reasoned discourse than
> *substantive* personal attacks. They usually mean that I may be
> right after all.
<edits>
> Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University

Unfortunately, the inclusion of ANY sort of personal attacks in what
is supposed to be professional scholarly discourse discourages the
participation of the many individuals and populations who find such
behavior to be at best distasteful.  Many of these populations are
grievously underrepresented in the field of physics, which has become
a de-facto standard-bearer for such exclusion.  These kinds of
interactions are not helpful to promoting participation in our field,
or on public listservs dedicated to our field.  People are actively
choosing to leave our field when we behave like this.

As a teacher, I frequently tell my own students that classroom
discourse is not debate.  Debate is about winning -- not about being
right, and certainly not about learning.  Personal attacks are not
even permitted within debate by those who indulge in competitive or
professional debate.  Nor is this behavior tolerated by journal editors.

PHYS-L is NOT an appropriate place for ANY sort of personal attacks.
Please take them elsewhere.  Reasoned discourse does not require
personal attacks and I certainly don't want to read them on Phys-L.
I strongly suspect I speak for many other PHYS-L readers on this issue.

Dan M

Dan MacIsaac, Assoc. Professor, Physics, SUNY Buffalo State College
222 SCIE BSC 1300 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo NY 14222 716-878-3802
<macisadl@buffalostate.edu> <http://PhysicsEd.BuffaloState.edu>