Comments on: “Nature” on blogs http://crookedtimber.org/2005/12/06/nature-on-blogs/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:00:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: foo http://crookedtimber.org/2005/12/06/nature-on-blogs/comment-page-1/#comment-127378 foo Wed, 07 Dec 2005 13:06:45 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=4093#comment-127378 All these links, but none to <a href="http://blogs.nature.com/ng/freeassociation/" rel="nofollow">Free Associaton</a>? It's particularly appropriate too, when talking about <i>Nature</i> and blogs. And it's a good blog to boot; it should be more widely disseminated. All these links, but none to Free Associaton? It’s particularly appropriate too, when talking about Nature and blogs. And it’s a good blog to boot; it should be more widely disseminated.

]]> By: Eszter http://crookedtimber.org/2005/12/06/nature-on-blogs/comment-page-1/#comment-127365 Eszter Wed, 07 Dec 2005 05:49:58 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=4093#comment-127365 Thanks, Brian. You're right that the problem is more general. I wasn't very clear about this. I do think that there is a general problem in academia, or at least in some parts of academia, that concerns the publication of shorter pieces. They don't have to go on blogs. I was just suggesting that blogs were a possible outlet. And given that at least in some fields there don't seem to be obvious venues for commentary of such length, blogs could be helpful. [Do you mind if I edit your comment to spell my name correctly?:)] Thanks, Brian. You’re right that the problem is more general. I wasn’t very clear about this. I do think that there is a general problem in academia, or at least in some parts of academia, that concerns the publication of shorter pieces. They don’t have to go on blogs. I was just suggesting that blogs were a possible outlet. And given that at least in some fields there don’t seem to be obvious venues for commentary of such length, blogs could be helpful.

[Do you mind if I edit your comment to spell my name correctly?:)]

]]> By: Brian http://crookedtimber.org/2005/12/06/nature-on-blogs/comment-page-1/#comment-127244 Brian Wed, 07 Dec 2005 01:03:53 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=4093#comment-127244 <i>But many thoughts, while valuable, do not require or necessarily merit a 25-40 page paper.</i> I basically agree with everything you say Estzer, but I'm not sure that this is the best way to put it. At least in some fields (philosophy and linguistics being the two I know best) there are lots of places that will publish 2-4 page papers that set out valuable thoughts. Half my CV is full of such notes. Admittedly there are many more of these thoughts that don't deserve much more than a blog post. But if there's nowhere other than blogs to publish 2-4 page thoughts in a given field, that's a bigger problem than can be solved by blogs. But many thoughts, while valuable, do not require or necessarily merit a 25-40 page paper.

I basically agree with everything you say Estzer, but I’m not sure that this is the best way to put it. At least in some fields (philosophy and linguistics being the two I know best) there are lots of places that will publish 2-4 page papers that set out valuable thoughts. Half my CV is full of such notes. Admittedly there are many more of these thoughts that don’t deserve much more than a blog post. But if there’s nowhere other than blogs to publish 2-4 page thoughts in a given field, that’s a bigger problem than can be solved by blogs.

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