1. Blocking folks who don't belong in a conversation
There are two types of observational or background statements: those that require citing evidence and those that don't.
For example:
- "too hot to do any lawn mowing" (said person is from Florida and the temperature that....
2.
.... day is around 100F. You may tolerate the temperature but it is undeniable hot as fuck.
- "... being an RNA virus, the mutation rates are..." => there's no need to cite the original Nobel winning article that elucidated the double-helix structure of DNA
3.
Statements that must be made with a data source, not just a news outlet article:
- "Trump supporters are only the 1% and those who don't know he works for them" => you got no idea how much scientific evidence you need to use to try to support that and then a hero...
4.
... will come out of nowhere and dismantle your argument. If you are not a specialist, don't write stupid shit. If you are, by all means do it: it's an opportunity for us to bring you down.
5.
- "Rise in temperature is associated with increased suicide rates". There are less than half a dozen articles published about this, all recent. Nobody has a clue about *causation*, or the mechanisms underlying this observation.
6.
It took me a while to read through all of them, check their methodology and finally mention the observation with many disclaimers.
7.
"Oh, but you are demanding scientist-level strictness from the average social media participant"
No, dude. I'm demanding honesty and respect. I mute people who make unsupported claims and I block those who reply to me with them.
8.
They are unnecessary.
Unnecessary people.
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