Sunday, April 29, 2007

IS TIM LAMBERT REALLY A LAMBERT?


Computer guy Tim Lambert is obviously a busy man: he presumably teaches a full load and makes himself available three hours a week to give advice to Computer Science students -- now there's a frightening thought. He's also a prolific blogger. It's no surprise then that he can't find the time to keep his University of New South Wales personal page up to date: the photo at top is obviously old; the Computer Science Program Director link doesn't work; the Computer Graphics link goes to the wrong page; the Computational Geometry link comes up "Not Found"; and the linked research projects page was last updated in 1999 -- the project info says the program was written for Windows 95.

Considering the guy is spread so thin, I am deeply flattered he took the time to mention me in a post. As usual, he doesn't get it quite right. He reckons my Deltoid comments are "moderated". By "moderated" he really means he refuses to post any comment that he doesn't like -- it has nothing to do with me saying anything nasty, attacking other commenters or going off topic.

In order to get around his black hole moderation I have on several occasions commented at Deltoid using assumed names. Members of my family have also commented using a variety of identities. Regardless, all of these comments made perfectly valid points. But this hasn't happened often or for quite a while so I can't see that it's a big problem for him, although removing some of these totally civil comments did make extra work. Regardless, contrary to what Lambert says, I have never engaged in sock-puppetry.

Computer guy also reckons I'm guilty of "trolling". The best I can remember the troll thing started back in June 2005 (to get around chicken-man's link-bounce copy and paste http://timlambert.org/2005/06/ddt9-2/#comment-7742) when Lambert chose to name-call rather than engage in discussion:
JF Troll, it is dishonest for you to claim that there is a de facto ban on DDT when it is used in countries containing billions of people.
The post itself is a complete crock: he claims Eritrea cut malaria rates by switching away from DDT. In a later post he contradicts this by linking to a study showing Eritrea's use of DDT actually increased during the relevant period. The earlier incorrect post stands uncorrected, by the way.

More recently Lambert made an an arse of himself by alleging I abused his readers by calling his more sycophantic commenters -- those who jump to his defense, right or wrong -- toadies. He used this as an excuse for removing one of my comments. The truth is he wanted the comment gone because it made valid points.

Arguing with me might well be, as Lambert proposes, like being part of a Monty Python sketch but he'd have no way of knowing: he excludes me from discussions at Dulltard and runs for it when our paths cross at other blogs. I keep trying but he won't participate because he knows his DDT posts (and some of his global warming posts) are riddled with misrepresentations.

In addition to inaccurately calling me a sock-puppeteering troll Lambert also reckons I'm stupid. If that's the case it should be easy enough for him to go to my Lambert posts and pick them apart. You know, to show everyone just how stupid I am.

Come on Lambert, prove me a fool; it's either that or admit you really are a Lambert*.


*One who subtly misrepresents facts (see liar).

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

If you and your family are commenting under various assumed names then you and your family are sock-puppets.

2:59 PM  

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