On the value of and importance of linking
A discussion yesterday, spanned a half-dozen or so comments exchanged over nearly six hours trying to come to a common understanding of a claim, in which my interlocutor insisted on not providing URL link(s) or screenshot(s) supporting or clarifying their claim. The problem wasn't one of not agreeing, it was of a failure to clearly articulate (by the writer) or grasp (by at least this reader) what the point was.
I manage my threads and discussions with several aims in mind. For substantive threads, this includes having an eye not just to the direct current participants, but the silent readers and the future. (And no, not all threads are substantive.) The repeated request to just look at some current state of a constantly-updated user-selected discussion site might have been sufficient for a few minutes or hours. It won't provide insight today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year... A few specific links, a screenshot with marked or circled items, or similar, does serve as a clear and durable reference.
This results in a few general principles for participation. One of those long-standing principles is to provide clear references on request rather than argue for … now, hours, over the point. Or whether or not to comply. As my interlocutor did for for much of the past day. I'd included that in my #dreddit Lair Rules somes years back:
I’ll often request references and citations. The policy here is much as for /r/AskScience or /r/AskHistorians: if you make a claim, you should be able to back it up. If you can not back it up, it will be considered moot. Arguing over whether or not you need to do so is very strongly discouraged.
https://old.reddit.com/r/dredmorbius/wiki/lair_rules
The failure to provide links is bad enough. The insistance on not doing so, over multiple exchanges and hours (or days), and the wining about the point ... bores me and has no broader or durable value. As with other forms of epistemic noise, I'll prune it. As noted in the Lair Rules: Moderation battles are short and boring: the moderator wins.
Mind that if you don’t have the time or a suitable device capable of copying and pasting links, wait until such time as you do or are at a sufficiently capable system. Silence is preferable to noise.
But really, six hours of “nuh-uh, I don’t feel like it” is about 5h55m more tolerance than I’m inclined to give. Huffing over the request afterward does even less to impress me.
This is where I stand and why.
