Should ATS have hidden hoax threads to teach people how to do their own research?

Originally posted by Acidtastic
deliberate hoaxes = obviously bad.
Having hoaxes showing in a hoax forum = obviously good.

Saying that everyone should do their own research into every topic is silly. Do you really have time to go and interview people involved in certain cases? Which may involve traveling from country to country to do so? No, i didn't think you did. The thing with stuff that has been proven to be a hoax, is that the information is there to prove it so, and that cuts out the neeed for people to waste valuble time on doing their own research. (unless there is reasonable doubt to suspect that a hoax isn't a hoax, then knock yoyrself out and dig deeper) But the point remains, the hoax forum is a useful measuing tool (if you will) to see if a topic has been debunked or not. No point in going round in circles, if something has been done to death already.

No, researching a topic does NOT mean re-inventing the wheel. It means taking the time to read the information available on a subject presented and make a reasonable post based on said info. Not just starring and flagging something because you can fit it into your pre-determined conclusions.

Originally posted by Miraj
And what about the ones that never get called for a hoax.
What about those ones?
You know. The ones with BS or non existent science to prove some stupid point that's a horrible conclusion.

The problem is that often BS is in the eye of the beholder, and some suspected hoaxes are nearly impossible to prove either way. That is why we have forums such as the Grey Area and Skunk Works for those more questionable topics.

reply to post by defcon5


Good point, in terms of BS's subjectivity.

Still, I think it would encourage a more proactive denial of ignorance.

not that many here really do that, though.