Praise for the RATE Group

I would be interested in hearing more about your scientific work.--Percy

What you describe sounds like an engineer.Many fields borrow the terminology of science. Like scientists, engineers have their own journals and conferences. Many in my field call themselves computer scientists and work in R&D departments, but that doesn't mean they're scientists or that they do scientific research.--Percy

Your short definitions of scientist describe half the people I know, and none of them are scientists.As Joe and I have said, your description appears to be of an engineer. But it's the impression you give others that counts. If you want to be thought of as a scientist then you might try behaving as one.--Percy

Hi, JP!If you really don't care whether others believe you're a scientist, then why all this pleading? And if you do care, then do you really believe saying, in essence, "I am *too* a scientist, I really am," is going to be persuasive? Why not just start posting in manner which reflects your scientific knowledge and temperament?--Percy

As Joe has said several times now, he has your posts to substantiate his claims. I think Joe and I are saying the same thing, but I like the way Joe put it: stop telling us and start showing us.By the way, could you fix that avatar? People might get the wrong idea about your scientific temperament. --Percy

I guess I don't understand the question, because this doesn't seem like something that has to be explained. People build up impressions of you from your posts, which don't seem to reflect a scientific background.When I was more active in journals and conferences I guess it fed back into my non-professional correspondence, and I would every once in a while receive email replies asking, "Are you a scientist or something?" I guess I've toned it down over the years because this hasn't happened in a while (I don't want to consider the other possibility that rather than toning it down I have dumbed it down through loss of brain cells ), but it makes clear that what you write *does* leave an impression on people.--Percy