Preamble

  • Skepticism is not a philosophy of disbelief. Rather it is a philosophy that suggests that there is merit in examing beliefs. A skeptical view of the world allows for faith, in fact recognises that 'faith' at some level often underlies so-called scientific theory. Skepticism does not lead us to the 'entire truth' of the universe, but it is discipline that allows us to better understand small parts of it. And for those parts that we want to grow or progress, skepticism is a tool to open the hood, check the hoses, replace the worn out parts, and lubricate the engine.
  • So why was the focus of this Blog on Skepticism and Technology, and Computer Technology particularly? Because Computer Technology (like every new science struggling for respectability) has surrounded itself with beliefs, an aura which resembles an old style religion where the priests have all the knowledge and know what's best for the humble, confused and worshipfull users of the technology. While the Computer people might enjoy the adulation and their 'special status' and while the computer users (and their managers) retreat comfortably into their 'I don't know what I'm doing and can't be held responsible for anything' attitude, the field of computing technology will largely stagnate. In such an environment we can only extend computer technology by replacing more and more manual processes. That is to say that we can use technology to replace jobs, but we have largely failed to empower the users of the technology to use technology to find creative ways of enhancing their existing jobs.

Skeptic Links

  • Heavens Above
    A statement of belief of sorts. A website devoted to facilitating observation of artificial satellites, including the International Space Station.
  • LibraryThing
    Library Thing is superficially simply an aggregation of lists of some 67 million books created by some 1.5 million subscribers. Mostly they represent books 'owned' by each, although there is a substantial number of 'I wished I owned it' books in there. Beyond this however, it becomes an engine to explore relationships between books and subjects and other books, and to a lesser extent between book owners. Dewey meets social networking.
  • Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Heinlein
    "You know how Fair Witnesses behave." "Well no I don't, I've never met one." "So? Anne!" Anne was on the springboard; she turned her head. Jubal called out, "That house on the hilltop-can you see what color they've painted it?" Anne looked, then answered. "It's white on this side." Jubal went on to Jill, "You see? It doesn't occur to Anne to infer that the other side is white, too. All the King's horses couldn't force her to commit herself ... unless she went there and looked-and even then she wouldn't assume that it stayed white after she left."
  • New Scientist Magazine and Website
    Opinions are best informed by facts - and other (especially differing) opinions. New Scientist has plenty of both, or if you believe a fact is just an opinion wrapped up in a prejudice, plenty of those as well. The best - the easiest - way to keep up to date with just about anything in the life, physical or technological sciences. If you see it on television or hear it on the radio, you probably read it here the day before.
  • David Hume, Philosopher 1711-1776
    "If I ask you why you believe any particular matter of fact, which you relate, you must tell me some reason; and this reason will be some other fact, connected with it. But as you cannot proceed after this manner, in infinitum, you must at last terminate in some fact, which is present to your memory or senses; or must allow that your belief is entirely without foundation." (David Hume, 1737)
  • Massimo Pigliucci. On rational skepticism
    The quintessential rational skeptic. Somewhere on his blog you might still be able to find his discourse on Monty Python. The man who puts 'reasonable' in 'rational skepticism'.
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WikiSkeptics

It struck me during my short university experience that lecturers appeared to have a strong aversion to Wikipedia, speaking about it in - it seemed - much the same manner as the Pope might have referred to Luther's works (or vice versa) in times past.  Even granted that the views put by lecturers to students may well not be so much as 'what they believe' as 'what they believe the students need to hear' and that they may have a (justifiably in many cases) low opinion of their students ability to resist plagiarism of online material, lecturers horror of Wikipedia seemed dissproportionate.  I couldn't help but think that there may be a case of professional jealousy, that it is not so much that Wikipedia is riddled with errors (as they aver but studies have suggested otherwise), but that there is now more knowledge to be had in Wiki (and more coherently presented) than in most university lectures.  Or it could simply be techno-phobia.  What strikes me is that they do not (or choose not to admit that they do) seem to understand that the rules for updating Wikipedia are extremely sophisticated, and as a discipline would rank as a University Degree subject in its own right.  On the other hand it is worth taking note of an alternate view, courtesy of Molly Lewis

It is my view (and others and these and still more apparently) that teaching students to use Wiki to access the material in their courses would be constructive, and to teach them how to properly update the material in Wiki would be a powerful learning tool.  If lecturers could overcome their apprehensions that is.  It's something that's been kicking around in the back of my mind for a while, but brought forward by my observation today that the Wiki entry for 'Pyrrhonism' needs fleshing out.

 

October 25, 2011 |

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