After a she made a contentious comment about WUWT and me personally on another blog, I reached out and had a nice exchange a few weeks back with Georgia Tech’s Dr. Judith Curry. In that exchange she discussed the possibility of doing her own blog. I offered my advice. I’m glad she chose wordpress.com as I suggested, as it will ensure a more reliable experience than blogger.com or self hosting.
As you see above, this week, she took the plunge.
Her blog is at www.judithcurry.com which I’ve added to my blogroll.
I welcome her and look forward to reading what she has to say. If past missives have been any indication, she’s likely to bring the lightning her way.
Read her first post here
From a purely utopian standpoint, I do like this “blog rules” item of hers, which is rather unique:
If you make a mistake, acknowledge it. Email me if you would like a “take back”, which is strikethrough of your comment that absolves you from any further expectation of defense or discussion of the comment.
It will be tough to make it happen in the first place and to enforce that after the fact though, as I’ve learned here at WUWT that some people have a hard time giving up on entrenched arguments, and will take any mistake, real or imagined, and turn it into a weapon of derision for months or years to come.
Putting a strikethough in something said on her blog won’t prevent Climate Progress Real Climate Open Mind DeSmog Blog Climate Depot other bloggers from taking “offending words” and turning them into weapons of derision. /sarc
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John W. Garrett says:
September 12, 2010 at 10:08 am
The categorization saved me a lot of time that I would otherwise have wasted separating the wheat from the chaff. This is the first ( and likely, only ) topic where I bother with “blogs.” As one who is skeptical of all things Internet, if the first “blog” I encountered had displayed genuine foaming-at-the-mouth ravings ( a la Romm ), I’d have rolled my eyes at the confirmation of all I suspected of the “blogosphere” and seriously contemplated ending my experiment.
——————-
John W. Garrett,
Thanks for commenting.
I understand that through experience we build up trust in other people. So, when we see a categorization of blogrolls by a person we have build up trust in, there is some confidence about the categorization. I find no problem with that. I endorse the principle of trust through past evidence. Of course it does not guarantee the future.
I have sampled WUWT’s blogroll and I pretty much agree with the way he has organized them.
My hint to Anthony about de-categorizing his blogroll was motivated by my own increasing level of dissatisfaction with the increasing levels of labeling/stereotyping/tribalising/namecalling/etc.
In this regard, I was just respectfully pushing Anthony to get above it, to a higher ground.
John
Good to see the term ‘graben’. There’s a biggy here, with some 10km downfaulted just a few yards away, now seen as one-fifth their original Devonian size/age (380+/- 20 Mya) at 2363′. Yup, hard to imagine, but 6 miles plus deep across a fault-line only some fifty miles wide. The key southern component is the Southern Upland Fault, fifty miles south, a result of subsequent Iapetus closure and transpression. Doesn’t move much nowadays but great to walk on and a link to Newfoundland etc.
DirkH says:
September 12, 2010 at 10:21 am
Well make that Grabenkrieg. (trench war) A Blitzkrieg is something *fast*.
No real argument here… the various blogs are dug in for a long trench war with only the occasional spring offensive.
Agreed that the AGW propaganda blitzkrieg has not been a lightning war but it does have many other attributes of a blitzkrieg.
In its strategic sense:
A series of quick and decisive battles that overpower the opposition before they can fully mobilize.
In its tactical sense:
A coordinated effort by many types of armaments to create an overwhelming force that defeats the enemy physically and psychologically through the use of terror and fifth columnists to spread rumours and untruths.
My perspective is that the initial AGW propaganda blitzkrieg attacks were very effective with An Inconvenient Truth and the Nobel prizes being the high points of this strategy. In recent years the deniers have managed to regroup and successfully counter attack by using new technology: internet blogs. This web war is now being slugged out in the trenches by denierblogs against the massed forces of Governments, NGOs, AGW Academics, AGW blogs and the main stream media.
However, the denierblogs are now gaining momentum as the realities of global cooling, higher taxes, higher prices and real science manage to unmask the lies and deceits perpetrated by the forces of darkness. We are living in very interesting times.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blitzkrieg
Given the next Nina period,I think the skeptical point of view will grow. BTW I think Judith’s blog is welcome, and we should not go the route of Real Climate et.al.
and welcome her.
Sorry. Should read ‘one fifth of its original….’
Dear Judith: I speak for all at WUWT (largely). We don’t care whether the earth is warming or cooling or about to crack in half, wear out, or start wobbling around like a hut in the wind. We only care that the truth be told here. The fact we sensed there was no ‘consensus’, that the Science was largely bull, the IPCC has Patchy Morals at the highest level, and that the Numpty of Nashville could only dazzle a hired immature audience of girls with pure non-sense, all in the name of making a fortune. There is no need for you to have a blog. You can send Articles on Science to Anthony, and you can comment to your hearts content here. Don’t know why you are not doing that here @ur momisugly WUWT already, but, you’ll be able to frame the argument there better than here. Good luck..
I was going to put this in the “Hints and Tips” section, but with over 1,800 comments, that section is getting rather long and slow (Hint…!).
As Anthony recommends WordPress to more and more Bloggers, my browser’s Tabs bar is filling up with little white “W”‘s in blue circles.
Is there no way that WordPress can supply a little variety to their Blog trademark logo, so that we readers don’t get confused who’s blog we have just opened?
————–
Malaga View,
Dr. Curry is formally a full time academic with a formal public record. We will know quickly enough much more about her views on climate and her capability for openness by simply looking at her management of her blog site. I recently read Craig Loehle’s book “Becoming a Successful Scientist” and was impressed by his very readable section on bias. Some biases to look for on any climate science blog are list by me below, with some excerpts from Loehle’s book included.
Note: The below bias assessment ideas do not suggest we look at Dr. Curry’s blog any differently that other climate science blogs. We should apply the same standards to all blogs on science.
aaa – Knowledge Bias – We need to assess the currency of an academic’s knowledge base particularly in the research field on which they speak. Has one kept up with the state of research in their own and related fields? If we assess that the academic hasn’t then there is a possibility of knowledge bias. From Loehle’s book “Scientists in nonresearch positions may fall particularly far behind. The result is knowledge bias, where randomly chosen experts may give out-of-date advice, in spite of them all having “ adequate” credentials. Experts also can be unaware of when (or on what) they are out of date.”
bbb – Toolkit Bias – Is there a history of default toward an expert tool used by an academic? Is so then we should probe the possibility of toolkit bias. From Loehle’s book: “Political advocacy is well-enough known that people can be on guard about it, but there are other more subtle forms of advocacy that also affect expert advice. One type is the toolkit bias. If someone has become an expert on a certain set of tools, they may advocate for the use of those tools whether they are the best for the job or not. A modeler may advocate for building a model to solve every problem.”
ccc – Normative Bias – Does an academic have a value to which he/she adheres? In case of a climate scientist, could there a specific valuation of anthropogenic over natural processes? If so then we must look for possibility of normative bias. From Loehle’s book: “In the context here, a norm is a goal value to which the expert subscribes, often unconsciously.” There wide range of norms to which an academic may adhere.
ddd – What I call Confirmation Bias – The term confirmation bias is often seen on the comments at WUWT. I think confirmation bias is subtly different from normative bias. From Loehle’s book: “Science is supposed to be value free, to be about what is rather than what we wish were so. When interpreting scientific results or conveying them to the public, however, it can be very hard to separate our values from the science itself.”
Anthony, thank you for your open venue, again.
John
sunsettommy said “If so you would then be only the SECOND AGW hypothesis supporting blog that I will visit.”
There’s already one somewhere? It must have escaped me.
John Whitman says:
September 12, 2010 at 1:45 pm
From Loehle’s book “Scientists in nonresearch positions may fall particularly far behind. The result is knowledge bias, where randomly chosen experts may give out-of-date advice, in spite of them all having “ adequate” credentials. Experts also can be unaware of when (or on what) they are out of date.”
This sounds more like science fashion rather than real science… new science is not necessarily real science… AGW science maybe new but it is not real science… so many a good tune can still be played on old, out of date fiddle…
Generally, real science moves three paces forward and then two backwards unless it is suppressed… so my worries are far more about Political Bias, Religious Bias, Funding Bias, Establishment Bias, Scientific Bigotry, Bad Practises, Closed Mindsets, Liars, Cheats, Charlatans, Imposters, Propagandists, Snake Oil Salesmen and Uncle Tom Cobbly and all….
Sorry to have to be harsh again, particularly towards a lady who seems both polite and well liked. But all I’ve got from picking through Judith Curry’s strangely indirect writing is doublespeak and cliche in the service of CAGW. If there’s any message apart from CAGW, it’s that everyone has been at least a bit wrong…except Judith Curry.
Her survival method consists of keeping language ponderous but vague, which allows her a bit of wriggle room and a backdoor exit. Her response to criticism is to wait for a comment she likes and reward it with: “That’s a thoughtful question.” You get more flies with honey!
There’s a grand old English song called The Vicar of Bray, about a local priest who survives all the political and religious turmoil of his century by adapting quickly to the shifts. We used to sing The Vicar of Bray at university. Maybe Judith knows that song.
PS: Please add to the list: Cherry Pickers, Soothsayers, Fortune Tellers, Scare Mongers and anyone wearing Rose Tinted Spectacles….
Debates, engagements, discussions can go on forever. Somebody better start doing some experiments, and measure the unmeasurable.
John Whitman says:
September 12, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Dr. Curry is formally a full time academic with a formal public record.
And?
Although I will give Dr Curry a pass in this particular context I might not extend the same courtesy to Michael Mann or Phil Jones…. being a full time academic with a formal public record guarantees absolutely nothing in this day and age… sad but true.
mosomoso says:
September 12, 2010 at 2:21 pm
But all I’ve got from picking through Judith Curry’s strangely indirect writing is doublespeak and cliche in the service of CAGW.
Now I am desperately trying to be polite and courteous to Dr Curry on this thread… if I agreed with you then I would be a cad and a bounder… but it is just after midnight here in Spain… and the courtesy pass I gave to Dr Curry was only a day pass valid for yesterday…
Malaga View on September 12, 2010 at 2:48 pm
And?
Although I will give Dr Curry a pass in this particular context I might not extend the same courtesy to Michael Mann or Phil Jones…. being a full time academic with a formal public record guarantees absolutely nothing in this day and age… sad but true.
——–
Malaga View,
And therefore, we can see the consistency of her formal past views with her actual blog management philosophy/processes. I think it will demonstrate if your “good cop and bad cop” concern remains.
John
Dear Dr Judith Curry
Good luck with your blog and I wish you all the best.
I wonder what you mean by this statement on your blog “to address the scientific and policy challenges associated with climate change.”
Most WUWT commentators believe that climate change will always will happen and humans will continue having a minor impact on global warming. Also that we are much better off living on a slightly warming planet than a cooling one.
Many of us also believe that as countries become wealthier their citizens will spend more of their disposable income on being more energy efficient so people just like you, me and Anthony Watts are able to spend some of our disposable income on energy saving technologies. The individual wealth generated energy saving efforts of its citizens means that the whole country consumes less energy. Given this we would want to see policies that encourages developing countries to increase their wealth just as quickly as possible so their citizens can afford to become more energy efficient.
I read that some Governments have implemented policies that subsidizes the cost of converting its citizens to using so called alternative sustainable energy and this has significantly increased the cost of energy and that is inhibiting economic development and wealth creation. By adopting climate change policies these countries are actually becoming poorer which works against the benefits of wealth creation described above.
I’m also intrigued that you like almost all other warmers (luke and hot) have switched from the scary phase “global warming” to the more the fuzzy phrase “climate change”. Have you simply switched phrases because our planet hasn’t actually significantly warmed at all during the last 100 or so years?
“DCC says:
September 12, 2010 at 2:07 pm
sunsettommy said “If so you would then be only the SECOND AGW hypothesis supporting blog that I will visit.”
There’s already one somewhere? It must have escaped me.”
The Science of Doom
http://scienceofdoom.com/
——-
Malaga View,
Hey, in my many business trips to Spain we would just start dinner at about midnight. Are you going to dinner now?
If so then enjoy.
John
Philip Thomas,
Check out comment #137 on KK’s blog.
I’m hoping she’ll set a standard for courtesy as good as WUWT’s.
“.. she made a contentious comment about WUWT and me personally…”
Maybe that was her comment #544 at http://www.collide-a-scape.com/2010/08/03/the-curry-agonistes/comment-page-11/#comment-14756 ?
I wish her well and genuinely have great hopes for her site. I’m not going to be prejudging it, and will wait to see what emerges. We’ll all know in a few months whether it lives up to its promise. I say if there are any doubts, give her the benefit of them at least at the kick-off. Whatever anyone says, I think she’s gutsy and, most unusually, sometimes able to admit when she’s wrong or simply doesn’t know.
DCC says:
September 12, 2010 at 3:53 pm
““.. she made a contentious comment about WUWT and me personally…”
Maybe that was her comment #544 at http://www.collide-a-scape.com/2010/08/03/the-curry-agonistes/comment-page-11/#comment-14756 ?
”
Only Anthony can vouch whether this is the offending comment, but it is illuminating.
So, Judith says she only finds something of interest once a month on WUWT.
Also that ‘people who actually think’ consider WUWT a laughing stock because of our own biased comments. If we consider our comments and judgement to be reasonable, we must be people who do not think.
Why, exactly, are we promoting her site?
REPLY: yes that was it, see her follow up comment here:
http://www.collide-a-scape.com/2010/08/18/the-tribal-outcast/#comment-14782
I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. A lot of times the posturing that goes on is becuase people never talk to one another. -Anthony
Intellectual integrity applies across blogs and threads. It appears to me that it is difficult to recover from saying one thing on a thread or blog then misrepresenting your blog host or thread post author on another thread.
An salient example that comes to mind is, in my view, Bart’s lack of intellectual integrity in respect to VS earlier this year.
Let’s hope Judith Curry’s blog will differentiate itself.
John