Re: Bonaparte slammed: who cares?

[Lawrence Dunn <dunn1@mail.idt.net>]

> I read SOMEWHERE that Bonaparte was very difficult for students to work
> under. 

Mickey, and you, fair reader:

I haven't posted anything in a while, because, well, I'm not a scientist, 
and don't have anything interesting to say about Dinosaurs. I just read 
and enjoy.  With that in mind, when the scientists also don't have 
anything interesting to say ABOUT DINOSAURS, they should also post 
nothing.  Who cares about gossip like this?  I'm surprised you let this 
stuff go on the board.

[I try very hard not to be a censor.  I wasn't too pleased with either
 the question or the response.  However, the line between what is and
 isn't relevant can be rather fuzzy.  Larry, it's not clear to me that
 you wanted this message to go to the list, but since that's where you
 sent it, and since I think it probably doesn't hurt to make people
 think about how they use this resource I'm willing to distribute it
 here.  In any case, Larry, since you're not a scientist, it probably
 didn't occur to you that the above information (if correct) is the
 sort of thing that a person planning to go into the field ought to be
 made aware of.  It's not discussed much (except amongst graduate
 students), but there is a fair amount of politics in the making of
 scientific conclusions and publications.  And matching yourself up
 with a difficult advisor is a sure road to misery.  If anyone out
 there was considering working with Bonaparte, by all means try to
 find more information about him -- I can't vouch for the accuracy of
 anything written here on the subject.  Bottom line: I more or less
 side with Larry as to whether or not the gossip should have been sent
 here.  But I'm also sympathetic to the sort of rationale that might
 have motivated the desire for dissemination.  -- MR  P.S. Did I
 mention how happy I am that I shouldn't have to be making these
 decisions much longer? ]

Larry Dunn
dunn1@mail.idt.net