Comments on: Short LinkStuff and New Blog Highlight – Blog WarFare Edition http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/new-linkstuff-blog-warfare-edition/ Investing and Personal Finance Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:38:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Four Pillars http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/new-linkstuff-blog-warfare-edition/comment-page-1/#comment-12672 Four Pillars Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:35:15 +0000 http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/?p=3689#comment-12672 Money Energy - I never said I don't like blogs criticizing each other. Yes, of course "war" is an exaggeration. You should have written that post! Money Energy – I never said I don’t like blogs criticizing each other.

Yes, of course “war” is an exaggeration.

You should have written that post!

]]> By: MoneyEnergy http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/new-linkstuff-blog-warfare-edition/comment-page-1/#comment-12661 MoneyEnergy Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:16:14 +0000 http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/?p=3689#comment-12661 Funny though, on the one hand to not like the criss-cross criticism between blogs, yet to like a blog that's all about criticising the advice in the pf blogs? Isn't it all the same? I think open discussion and disagreement is good; it certainly happens in many comment-conversations. I wouldn't call it a war. The other day I wanted to write up a counter-point to the Consumerism commentary title about "how to be frugal: don't be a woman;" since I found that quite inappropriate, even if as a joke. I didn't write anything up, since I thought it would be needlessly attacked. Perhaps I should have. Funny though, on the one hand to not like the criss-cross criticism between blogs, yet to like a blog that’s all about criticising the advice in the pf blogs? Isn’t it all the same? I think open discussion and disagreement is good; it certainly happens in many comment-conversations. I wouldn’t call it a war. The other day I wanted to write up a counter-point to the Consumerism commentary title about “how to be frugal: don’t be a woman;” since I found that quite inappropriate, even if as a joke. I didn’t write anything up, since I thought it would be needlessly attacked. Perhaps I should have.

]]> By: Four Pillars http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/new-linkstuff-blog-warfare-edition/comment-page-1/#comment-12504 Four Pillars Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:10:11 +0000 http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/?p=3689#comment-12504 Frank - no April Fool's posts this year. Frank – no April Fool’s posts this year.

]]> By: Frank http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/new-linkstuff-blog-warfare-edition/comment-page-1/#comment-12503 Frank Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:20:42 +0000 http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/?p=3689#comment-12503 Thanks for the positive write up. (Unless this is one of those sarcastic April Fools things.) Thanks for the positive write up. (Unless this is one of those sarcastic April Fools things.)

]]> By: Rob Bennett http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/new-linkstuff-blog-warfare-edition/comment-page-1/#comment-12495 Rob Bennett Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:10:48 +0000 http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/?p=3689#comment-12495 A few observations re mistakes found on money blogs: 1) Many people seem to believe that "professionals" have a better record. That's not been my experience. I have found some big-time lulus in the stuff being put forward by the people earning millions. My guess is that the good bloggers actually put more effort and care into it (I don't mean that as a dig at the pros, who also often do a wonderful job -- the intent is to put things into perspective); 2) Personal finance bloggers obviously make mistakes. Doh! If we don't put in place procedures for identifying and correcting our mistakes, we all suffer from the understandable lack of trust in our work product that follows. We all should be making an effort to identify mistakes in our own stuff and in the stuff put forward by friends. 3) People need to get over this idea that you are not an "expert" if you make mistakes. Making mistakes shows that you are human. All experts are human. So all experts make mistakes. Your ability to put forward good material goes up by leaps and bounds when you come to accept that you are going to make mistakes, that there is nothing wrong in that, and that no reasonable person should see anything wrong in it. You should be careful, of course. That's something different. But, if you come to believe that you really are so smart that you are not going to make any more mistakes, you have travelled to a bad place. 4) The test of an expert is what he does when he learns about his mistakes. The true expert possesses the self-confidence needed to own up and fix the mistake. The blogger or pro who denies the mistake or covers up the mistake is not an "expert" in any meaningful sense, in my assessment. That's the fellow or gal who we all need to be steered away from. 5) The best thing of all is to take some time to examine what caused the mistake and to advance in your knowledge in all sorts of areas by doing so. Every advance in human knowledge originated in the discovery of some sort of mistake (if our knowledge contained no error, there would be no need to devote any thinking whatsoever to any topic whatsoever). Taken in the right spirit, the discovery of a mistake is a gift from heaven. If you really are careful and yet you still made a mistake, there's a reason. How come you messed up? Figure it out and you can learn all sorts of amazing things. I speak from personal experience re all this. I've made more boners than anyone else out there. I'm a personal finance genius (in training)! Rob A few observations re mistakes found on money blogs:

1) Many people seem to believe that “professionals” have a better record. That’s not been my experience. I have found some big-time lulus in the stuff being put forward by the people earning millions. My guess is that the good bloggers actually put more effort and care into it (I don’t mean that as a dig at the pros, who also often do a wonderful job — the intent is to put things into perspective);

2) Personal finance bloggers obviously make mistakes. Doh! If we don’t put in place procedures for identifying and correcting our mistakes, we all suffer from the understandable lack of trust in our work product that follows. We all should be making an effort to identify mistakes in our own stuff and in the stuff put forward by friends.

3) People need to get over this idea that you are not an “expert” if you make mistakes. Making mistakes shows that you are human. All experts are human. So all experts make mistakes. Your ability to put forward good material goes up by leaps and bounds when you come to accept that you are going to make mistakes, that there is nothing wrong in that, and that no reasonable person should see anything wrong in it. You should be careful, of course. That’s something different. But, if you come to believe that you really are so smart that you are not going to make any more mistakes, you have travelled to a bad place.

4) The test of an expert is what he does when he learns about his mistakes. The true expert possesses the self-confidence needed to own up and fix the mistake. The blogger or pro who denies the mistake or covers up the mistake is not an “expert” in any meaningful sense, in my assessment. That’s the fellow or gal who we all need to be steered away from.

5) The best thing of all is to take some time to examine what caused the mistake and to advance in your knowledge in all sorts of areas by doing so. Every advance in human knowledge originated in the discovery of some sort of mistake (if our knowledge contained no error, there would be no need to devote any thinking whatsoever to any topic whatsoever). Taken in the right spirit, the discovery of a mistake is a gift from heaven. If you really are careful and yet you still made a mistake, there’s a reason. How come you messed up? Figure it out and you can learn all sorts of amazing things.

I speak from personal experience re all this. I’ve made more boners than anyone else out there. I’m a personal finance genius (in training)!

Rob

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