User:Jim Butler

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This user is busy in real life and may not respond swiftly to queries.

Given the level of dysfunction that has come to prevail on Wikipedia, the most appropriate course for a principled scientist is to withdraw from the project.

The bureaucracy should either take corrective steps to fix this situation, or else suffer the eventual loss of huge amounts of valuable talent and volunteered resources.

If you agree with this statement, post it to your pages, and pass it on. (discuss this here)

This user supports the rights of autistic people to speak for themselves.
This user is an acupuncturist.
MA This user has a Master of Arts degree in chemistry.
H This user attends or attended Harvard University.
This user is a Buddhist.


Contents

[edit] Greetings!

Sites I own:


My editing style is to (a) get immersed in a few pages at any given time, and (b) make minor edits while browsing randomly. I'm especially interested in autism, disability rights, complementary and alternative medicine and popular music. I've made substantive additions and modifications to Complementary and alternative medicine, Facilitated Communication (FC) and Acupuncture, and have started or resurrected a few articles: Electroacupuncture (rewrite), Amanda Baggs, Georgiy Starostin (resurrected from deletion), Chris Harford, Rotary Downs, Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates. To do next: Autism National Committee (Autcom).

The Socratic Barnstar
Awarded this day for your valor in representing cool levelheadedness in our search through the perils of right and wrong and shades of gray. You are blessed with the gift of common sense and rational thought that are the qualities of a true scientist, philosopher and leader. Thanks for sharing with us, -- Dēmatt (chat) 03:07, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Reality

I've yet to hear anyone outdo this one:

"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." - Philip K. Dick[1]

Which ties in well with the "what's your world-view?" test.

[edit] Labels

I am the father of a boy who has been (correctly) labelled autistic and (incorrectly) labelled as mentally retarded. This experience has strengthened a tendency I have to be skeptical of the excessive use of labels to categorize people and things. I am also inherently drawn to "grey areas" and tend to stick up for the underdog. More on that below.

[edit] Categories

Clarity and consensus are thankfully beginning to emerge on the contentious issue of when to use category:pseudoscience. Based on an ArbCom decision, we have WP:NPOVFAQ#Pseudoscience.

That policy tells us that we may categorize as pseudoscience topics that "are generally considered pseudoscience by the scientific community". That is generally accepted on WP. What is less obvious, but still plainly true, is that this criterion invokes WP:RS#Claims_of_consensus:

"Claims of consensus must be sourced. The claim that all or most scientists, scholars, or ministers hold a certain view requires a reliable source. Without it, opinions should be identified as those of particular, named sources."

Scientific-consensus-type sources can be found in articles like this:

Lacking such sources, we may not use category:pseudoscience, although we may and should include criticism from reliable sources in articles.

More musings on this topic here.

[edit] Metaphor

As an acupuncturist trained by Chinese-trained doctors, I value certain traditional Chinese medical concepts, such as Yin and Yang and Qi, as clinically useful metaphors. Does that view make me a "pseudoscientist"? I don't think so, because I don't take them literally. As a pragmatist, I feel comfortable applying such ideas to the extent that they prove themselves useful.

And so you should. As your science develops, just throw out the dirty water and you'll be left with a clean baby. That's a metaphor... please don't think I meant for you to throw out your dirty baby, that would be a mistake - get it? ;) -- Dēmatt (chat) 02:49, 28 February 2007 (UTC)
Aye! Here's to sorting 'em out! Thank you, Dematt. You've done a tremendous job of that on WP, helping bring light and balance to difficult subjects. All the best to you! Jim Butler(talk) 08:28, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Inspirational quote

"Why in the world are we here?
Surely not to live in pain and fear" -- John Lennon[2]


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