Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It looks like we’re aligned enough about the big picture and context to discuss some of the more specific issues you raised.
People can leave a forum for no reason. No A-E justifications are needed.
I’m working on a post covering that, so let’s discuss it more after I publish that. Here’s a preview from my draft:
What Is Plagiarism?
Hackethal presents inaccurate information about what I think plagiarism is and he doesn’t specify what he thinks it is. So I’ll clarify:
Plagiarism is taking credit for ideas or knowledge that you got from a source rather than creating yourself.
Or, as I put it in 2020 when criticizing Hackethal’s book:
Plagiarism is taking credit for ideas or writing that isn’t yours.
The New Oxford American Dictionary defines plagiarism as:
the practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own
The Macmillan English Dictionary defines plagiarism as:
the process of taking another person’s work, ideas, or words, and using them as if they were your own.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines plagiarize as:
to take and use as one’s own the thoughts, writings, or inventions of another.
re plagiarism, I don’t think he did give any such examples. I think he straw manned. But let’s discuss after my post is up.
re copyright, is there some example where I allegedly violated someone else’s copyright in my writing? If so, would you DM it to me or explain it in your own words? If not, what’s the issue that’s relevant to my criticisms of Hackethal’s book?
I was hurt by Deutsch emotionally. I wasn’t trying to pretend otherwise. I think that particular statement was related to frustration and believing Deutsch was betraying the values his books advocate. I thought what he said in some public appearances was really bad.
A 180 is an abrupt change to an opposite view.
I did a slow 90. I went from recommending the books to not recommending them. But I didn’t recommend against them. And I gradually lowered my opinion of the books over a period of years.
Misquotes were just one reason of many.
The books still have good parts, but I don’t want to take responsibility for actively telling anyone to read them because of various flaws and because Deutsch is an unsafe person. I’d prefer people make their own decisions about those books.
Some of his examples are false. See Curiosity – Dennis Hackethal Is a Bully
If you fact check an example and still have concerns about it, how about you explain it in your own words and then I’ll respond.
Also, if you bring up an example that isn’t related to Veritula or plagiarism, consider putting it in another topic like:
Dennis Hackethal Threatened to Sue Me; Now He's Blogging about Me