ebola/crapola

[Vampire Junction]

On 14 May 1995, brett wrote:

> I am glad to see so many people now interested in viruses...perhaps some will
> continue to study them. However, what ever happened to the virology newsgroup
> I used to remember, the more or less academic one for intelligent questions
> on and about viruses? Now we are barraged with armchair hacks spouting off
> everything Michael Preston "taught" them about Ebola. Please, please, please...
> let's take these conversations elsewhere, there were good discussions going
> on. Sorry if this seems elitist.
> Brett Lindenbach
> Lucille P. Markey Student in Human Pathobiology    
> Program in Immunology                              
> Washington University - St Louis                  

No, I don't think you're in the least bit sorry that you do indeed, sound 
elitist.  It seems to me that you and others are pissed off because 
people who do not have a grand title at the end of their names ("Armchair 
hacks" as you refer to us) are posting to your precious newsgroup.  Now, 
I sound nasty, because I'm just a little tired of the snobbery going on 
here. I'm terribly sorry that I'm not in college or have a PHD in Virolgy 
or something equaly impressive, but I just don't have the money to go to 
college, and i reckon a lot of other people who tick you (and a few others) 
off by posting here are in the same boat as I.  I find your remarks to be 
*very* insulting and degrading.  Yes, I have read "The Hot Zone" and "The 
Coming Plague" and "The Invisible Invaders" and a myriad of other books 
and research papers that have to do with virus' and retrovirus'.  So, no, 
I'm not a PHD, does that make me or anyone else less intelligent than 
you? Does this mean that we can't engage in healthy discussions with you 
or post our theories?  We post these things in the hope that either A: 
someone will agree with us and add to the thread.  or B: that someone 
will disagree and tell us why they think we're wrong.  or C: That someone 
will post information that we can save for future reference.  I've had 
the pleasure of learning a lot from this group in the past few days.  
I've enjoyed reading everyones posts, whether I agree or not.  But I do 
not enjoy snobs whining that "All these uneducated people are just 
ruining this group  blah, blah, blah."  If you find us droll and stupid 
than put us in your kill file, that's what they are there for.
I've found very few posts that do not contribute to the thread, but when 
I do, do I whine and flame them, NO.  I tell them why I disagree.  Very 
simple thing to do.  If us "Armchair hacks" are wrong, tell us what is 
right.  There was a day when *you* knew very little about the subject and 
someone had to teach *you*.  We deserve the same respect.