Re:Scientific Ethics and Epidemics (Score 1)

A troll.?.?....

hmmm ... while I'm not a frequent poster to slashdot (I'm just to occupied with other affairs) the label troll is one I must admit no prior experience with. Having now read the Troll HOWTO I'm put off with the supposed accusation that my motivation is to get as many replies as possible. With interest in full disclosure, yes many replies would be nice if not great. My motivation for getting such replies may be misunderstood though. The discussion is what is of value in a community. Not the ego boost that comes form harvesting as many replies as possible. That would be a purely individualistic goal at odds with the goal of positive discussion for the good of the community.

Slashdot seems hardly the place to debate the psychological, sociological, or even anthropological nature of "Trolls" as used above. So I will not delve into this arena of rapport here. I will say that if you feel my post is fabricated or exaggerated to produce replies then you check my research. Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused It by Gina Kolata is a good place to start.

The pure goal of my post was to start an informed discussion.

I will close by playing the devils advocate here and point out that this reply itself could be viewed as a Troll defending oneself by denying they are a Troll, or an attempt to vindicate myself from the accusation of another. You be the judge. Both options are irrelevant in reference to the topic at hand though.