Thursday, May 21, 2009

NB: In the marketplace of ideas ...

everyone is entitled to an opinion. Mine in particular.

Not every opinion, however, is of equal value. The ones that are supported by facts are worth something. The others, not so much.

This is why I am the first to admit that my views on certain subjects, such as nutrition, are all but a waste of bandwidth. About all I know is what "everybody" knows, and while I certainly have opinions they're nothing you should take very seriously.

When I don't know what the hell I'm talking about, however, I do always try to be up front about it. Not everyone does, which is why you should be a critical reader online and elsewhere. When reading an opinion piece always ask yourself: What are the author's credentials? Where is his or her evidence? Does s/he have an agenda, and if so, what is it?

This is just my opinion, of course, but unlike my views on nutrition I think this one is actually worth something :)