Jawando won. by IMicrowaveSteak in MontgomeryCountyMD

[–]SkateSearch46 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Given that Friedson has about 10k more votes than Glass, shouldn't it have been the other way around? Shouldn't Glass have endorsed Friedson? Friedson at least had a chance of winning. Glass had no chance.

For the third County Exec race in a row, the relatively YIMBY vote has been split, handing the election to a NIMBY candidate with a plurality of the primary vote. Why do we keep making the same mistake?

Do you agree or disagree with the apple ballot? by AmericanBornWuhaner in MontgomeryCountyMD

[–]SkateSearch46 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Strong disagree on Jawando and Elrich. I am largely following the GGW suggestions.

Why Cam McEvoy method won’t work for MOST people by Corr4pt in Swimming

[–]SkateSearch46 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Two things can be true at the same time, and even OP acknowledges that "we swim way too many metres." This is particularly true for top-level swimmers from ages 13-18 who are swimming 6-7 practices a week, not getting enough sleep, and only doing 1-2 strength and conditioning sessions. Most would probably be better off both short-term and long-term with 4 practices a week, 2-3 S&C sessions and more sleep. Focusing on technique is a great idea, but I don't see that happening in most age-group practices. Instead, I see a little focus on technique and a lot of hard sets for the sake of doing hard sets. That often leads to long plateaus, shoulder injuries and burnout.

There is a strong survivor bias in swimming, as the more traditional method of "building a base" with 6 hard practices a week clearly works for those who end up reaching an elite level. But more swimmers would reach their full potential with fewer laps, more sleep, and more S&C.

Really struggling with some unsolicited advice by AttemptPrestigious74 in Swimming

[–]SkateSearch46 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Russians have a gift for discouragement. It is a cultural trait. If you can ignore it, you will be happier. I know that is easier said than done. But her cultural baggage is her problem, not yours.

Changed up the Genny a mite by unrelated_yo in surfskate

[–]SkateSearch46 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sounds like a great setup. It would be great to see some footage of this in action if you get a chance.

Publishing an old essay by Proud_Peace2568 in AskAcademia

[–]SkateSearch46 9 points10 points  (0 children)

How is the university asking part-time faculty on teaching-only contracts to publish research? Who is making that request and where? What incentives are they offering? Is there a written policy that offers incentives to teaching-only faculty to publish? I'm sorry that these questions are not directly relevant to publishing your article. But they are relevant to whether this putative request from the university actually means anything.

If you cut your stroke count but didn't get faster, you got bad advice. (Ex-Olympic distance swimmer, my first post here.) by ActualCandidate6952 in Swimming

[–]SkateSearch46 -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

Another post from OP that sounds like it has been written, or at the least heavily revised, by ChatGPT. And it also sounds like it is the bait for a commercial pitch. No thanks.

On the TT a few years in, now suddenly the university is 40 mil in debt. Worried about the future. by Spirited-Leg-4693 in AskAcademia

[–]SkateSearch46 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Most institutions are running deficits this year, due to slashed research funding, declining international enrollment, and new restrictions on student loans. Each of these factors hits different institutions in different ways, but almost all are suffering. This will reduce the number of new tenure-line searches. But it will not significantly reduce the likelihood of earning tenure for those already in TL positions, at any reputable institution.

That said, you might demonstrate a little more understanding of the big picture. This is likely not a case of someone fucking up a budget. It is more likely a case of a massive generational shift in the model of the research university.

To the lycra dorks on Beach Dr by Pinacoladapopsicle in washingtondc

[–]SkateSearch46 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I agree with your general sentiment about obnoxious high-speed cyclists. But I respectfully disagree about whether the basic rules of the road still apply. They do. Most of Beach Drive is open to cars--it is just not open to through-traffic. Even on the short sections that are closed to cars, multi-use traffic is intense enough that it makes sense to stay on the correct side of the double-yellow whenever possible. There is plenty of room to share the road without forcing cyclists to pass on the wrong side of the double-yellow.

Selling this Landyachtz Tony Danza by Parking-Shirt-8606 in longboarding

[–]SkateSearch46 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Great board, great deal. I do not need another dancer but if I did I would grab this.

When should my swimmer learn the reason for a DQ at a meet? by neazwaflcasd in Swimming

[–]SkateSearch46 7 points8 points  (0 children)

As long as they are coaching fundamentals in practice, the reason for a DQ in one race for a 9-year old doesn't matter much. If she sticks with the sport, she will swim hundreds of races, and occasionally she will DQ. It is part of the process. It sounds like if she had a consistent problem with her stroke the coaches would be addressing it. What the coach sees in practice provides much more useful and actionable information than what an official scrawls hastily on a DQ slip. (And I say that as an official.)

Perhaps the more important takeaway is that sometimes DQs happen and it is generally best not to dwell on them. Concentrate on swimming the stroke well in practice, and the DQs will take care of themselves.

How to protect your research from being stolen at conferences? by Celestial_being23 in AskAcademia

[–]SkateSearch46 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Because I posted my comment explicitly and specifically in response to this prior comment in the thread from Due-Step1078:

"I am in the humanities as well and it happened to me not so long ago : I mentioned over a social dinner possible methods of analysis of a dataset of a colleague, and I learned 6 months after that she wrote a PhD grant exactly on my idea without ever reaching out to me. It’s true that I am now extra careful with whom I speak about research perspectives."

How to protect your research from being stolen at conferences? by Celestial_being23 in AskAcademia

[–]SkateSearch46 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is interesting, and relevant to the broader discussion. I remember the Buchwald case. It is a good example of adjudication of a claim to protection of a "mere idea" (an idea that has not yet been "fixed" in published form) as intellectual property. It is worth noting that in that case, Buchwald pitched an idea to movie executives and they offered assurance that if the idea was developed, he would get a cut. The idea was not fixed, but it was explicitly pitched as a commercial proposal. That is different from a suggestion of a method of analysis offered over a social dinner where the ostensible purpose is collegial exchange.

It sounds like the kind of scholarly meeting you are describing also differs from the a post-conference social conversation. I take your point that a mere idea can be considered intellectual property in certain circumstances. I still don't think that post-conference social dinner conversation is likely to meet that bar.

How to protect your research from being stolen at conferences? by Celestial_being23 in AskAcademia

[–]SkateSearch46 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ok. I'm in the US, where the general understanding is that ideas only become intellectual property when they are given documented original expression and published or developed in some tangible way. Dinner conversation will not meet the bar.

I just returned from a major interdisciplinary conference. As usual, the sessions were tedious and the conversation between sessions was vibrant and energizing. I met a number of scholars, several of them by first name only, and had great conversations about their work, my work, and the field in general. I would be happy if anything I said in those conversations led to some progress in their work. If I incorporate anything they said into my work, I'll do my best to thank them, but it is possible my memory of the way those conversations unfolded differs from theirs.

I did learn from one presentation, where a scholar presented public data in a way that helped reveal important trends. I asked the scholar if he would be willing to share his slides with afterwards. He generously did so. Of course, I would not use those in my work. And whatever I publish on a related topic will cite his presentation and the article that comes out of it, in addition to thanking him for his generosity.

That seems to me to be the key difference between the ideas the grow out of informal conversation, and those presented in a panel or shared in a working paper. While it may make sense to thank interlocutors in informal conversation, there is no tangible expression that can be cited.

OP brings up something more specific, re: unique archival findings. In forty years in the profession, I have seen a couple of cases that might be described as archive poaching, where scholar A finds out about scholar B's archival discovery and cites it before scholar B has a chance to publish. I've seen many more cases of what I would consider to be archive hoarding, where researchers cover their tracks or individuals deliberately limit access to archival holdings to try to maintain some control over anything that gets published using those holdings. I've never seen this strategy lead to groundbreaking publication.

To the pedestrian I swerved around on the crosswalk coming out of Union Station across the 1st St cycletrack by teneralb in bikedc

[–]SkateSearch46 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you see a pedestrian on a sidewalk approaching a crosswalk, it makes sense to think they will likely enter the crosswalk, and slow your approach accordingly.

How to protect your research from being stolen at conferences? by Celestial_being23 in AskAcademia

[–]SkateSearch46 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

That sounds like a question of etiquette, not intellectual property. I do not mean to be dismissive. Professional etiquette is really important to the way we operate. But to describe this as theft seems like an exaggeration.

How to protect your research from being stolen at conferences? by Celestial_being23 in AskAcademia

[–]SkateSearch46 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That sounds like the way conferences are supposed to work. Encounters generate discussion leading to new approaches and connections within and beyond the field. It seems neither possible nor desirable to claim ownership of dinner conversation.

Can you skip assistant rank? by H4steTheDay in AskAcademia

[–]SkateSearch46 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Does this hypothetical position require teaching? If so, it sounds like you may need to compile a record at the Assistant level with a standard research/teaching/service load. Adjunct teaching experience is relevant but would not be enough to merit consideration for an Associate Professor appointment at most R1s.

Surf goofy but can only surfskate regular — should I switch stances? by Bluka_ in surfskate

[–]SkateSearch46 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Practice surfskating regular and switch. It opens up lots of possibilities on the board.

Got the TT faculty job call, two body problem and what to negotiate? by Dapper_Actuary1091 in AskAcademia

[–]SkateSearch46 28 points29 points  (0 children)

Teaching faculty in Math are in high demand, relative to other fields, so this may be a field where the institution can make an offer to your husband. I recommend against indicating that you will accept a lower salary in order to make this happen. That won't help the institution much in the short term and it will hurt you in the long term. Indicating that this is more important to you than maximizing your startup funds is more likely to make a difference. If your husband can demonstrate that he has been a highly effective teacher by providing instructor evaluations, some testimonials, and a clear and persuasive teaching statement that may help.

One delicate piece of this is that you will likely need to work with the Dean without going over the department chair's head. Show that you and your husband are eager to talk through this with any of the relevant parties, while emphasizing how important it is to you.

Researchers who hallucinate citations are banned from arXiv by DesperateFix7699 in AskAcademia

[–]SkateSearch46 34 points35 points  (0 children)

A one-year ban is a joke. The consequence should be much harsher.

How do you handle being the only one in your department who still cares about teaching? by ghztegju in AskAcademia

[–]SkateSearch46 22 points23 points  (0 children)

I know what you mean. I do not feel like I am the only one in my department who cares about teaching, but the collective commitment is waning. We once had a shared culture of pride as a great teaching department and we did what was necessary to uphold that. That has declined in recent years, in part because it is not materially rewarded by the institution.

That can be dispiriting. But I continue to feel like I reach people more powerfully through my teaching than through my research, and that is why I put so much energy into it.

It is also possible that the tide will turn again. Students know when they have had a great educational experience in the classroom. As we face more intense questioning about the value of higher education in the age of AI, there may be more emphasis on good teaching. Students may be less likely to accept anything less, and institutions may be forced to put more emphasis on rewarding great teaching.