Re: Torkel Franzén is dead

George Dance wrote:
Timothy Murphy wrote:
George Dance wrote:
I think that is very unfair.
I disagreed quite strongly, and at length, with Torkel
on the subject of Chaitin (Algorithmic Entropy);
Torkel seemed to regard Chaitin as almost a fraud.
But I thought his arguments were always cogent,
and thought-provoking.


Then I assume that Torkel believed you had a PhD in math, and thus
considered you a peer, capable of understanding logic and worth
discussing it with. Which would explain the difference in your
experience of him, and that and some the other who have posted on this
thread.

You assume. But you haven't given any reason to think that Franzen
considered a lack of a PhD or any degree whatsoever to exclude anyone
from understanding logic or discussing it intelligently. You say that
the difference in how Franzen treated posters is "explained" by
Franzen's belief as to whether the poster had a PhD in mathematics, but
that just ignores a more simple possible explanation, which is that
Franzen treated people according to his evaluation of their posts, not
of their academic credits.

I thought when he was rude it was generally deserved,
and nothing I've read in this thread has changed my mind on that.


I don't think anyone expects to change anyone's mind; it is reasonable
to believe one's own experiences rather others' testimony, if the two
contradict.

The posts are up for everyone to see and evaluate for themselves. The
subjectivity of experience you mention is not so much that of exposure
to different posts (though it is to some extent, since no two people
will have read the exact same set of posts) but rather of one's own
appraisal and feelings about those posts. So if you feel that Franzen
treated you unfairly (or whatever) then you can remark upon that as a
statement of your own feeling. But unless you point to specific posts,
then other people cannot evaluate for themselves whether your appraisal
is justified.

MoeBlee

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