In article . com,
Andy
Evans wrote:
Is Jim not taking people seriously or is he not prepared to take what
they are presenting seriously if they cannot back it up. Big difference
with

respect to the intention on Jim's part, ie, **I cannot take you
seriously** or **I cannot take that seriously**

I thought of exactly that theoretical distinction and pondered it for a
while, but in practice I don't think it makes much difference. "What you
say isn't worth taking seriously" is surely going to be taken as a
personal comment when the poster was clearly speaking with serious
intent.

Strange that you regard such a distinction as "theoretical"... I can't
recall who wrote what you quote above, and you seem to have removed the
context, but the difference seems both clear, and significant, to me.

I have repeatedly said is that we can't tell if a claim is worth "taking
seriously" *unless* we have the relevant evidence/details upon which what
was said is based. We can then judge it on that basis. Not simply by
someone having made an assertion.

Thus I am trying to deal with the reasons people may have for what they
say, not with who says them. Yet from what you say, this distinction
is "theoretical" so far as you are concerned.

Let's be a bit more obvious - let's turn it round then. Let me say to
Jim "Alas, Jim, once again you continue to misunderstand me, and I leave
it to others to decide whether your persistent requests for scientific
evidence - where it is inappropriate or cannot be provided - are worth
taking seriously or not"

How does this sound to you - a) dismissive b) friendly


Perhaps, Andy, you can give one or two specific examples from this
thread where I have misunderstood you. Please do so by giving the
specific references so others can confirm that what you quote is
as you say, and can check the context for themselves. I and others
can then use this to see if I am misunderstanding you or not.

I am rather less concerned with trying to guess if what you wrote
above was either "dismissive" or "friendly", than with if it
has any basis in evidence, as distinct from being an invention or
misunderstanding on your part.

BTW I am quite happy to leave others to decide for themselves, as
you suggest. :-)


Slainte,

Jim

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