Ariel Cajar

Something I find really frustrating about Twitter is the whole "debate me culture", so to say.

Like, fine, I have indeed had extensive discussions over there, but I always recognize my knowledge and capabilities are limited, which my opponents, who may have as much or even less credentials as me, refuse to acknowledge, assuming a position of intellectual superiority instead (cf. Dunning-Kruger). It's anything but well-meaning. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. #DebateMeGuys #DebateMe

Jul 19, 2023 at 1:01amWeb
Show threadAriel CajarJul 19, 2023
Furthermore, there's also the fact that these very people (of course) often happen to be the same ones who say there's some "evil global agenda" taken over universities (often, "the left", "the internationals/globalists", etc.). Like, ok, let's assume it at face value: Why don't we take colleges back? Why don't we appropriate of public academic spaces? In fact, as a Latin American, we have college autonomy in our favor, unlike the US. (#AutonomiaUniversitaria). Why don't we take debates there?
Show threadAriel CajarJul 19, 2023
We can totally take over academic spaces together and many educators and academics would be in our favor, in fact. They want knowledge and debate to be for the people. Save for a handful of lofty, pretentious elitists, many are very enthusiastic and even "nerdy" about divulging their research. They are even frustrated at scientific journals because they make their job harder and more expensive. Collaboration would be win-win. Why do we keep insisting on Twitter?
Show threadAriel CajarJul 19, 2023
Twitter is a #microblogging website. It's not meant for treatises. There's even the risk of them becoming lost "like tears in the rain"; in the whole noise of the zeitgeist, algorithms and even the hypothetical closure of the website. Twitter is for news, simpler discussions, venting, witty remarks, banter... Yes, we can reflect upon things, as I am doing right now (on a whole different social media site), but this is different.
Show threadAriel CajarJul 19, 2023
I'm speaking my mind right now. I'm not doing any research, I'm not citing any sources, I'm not trying to win an argument... I'm just making my personal case. You can disagree with me and move on. You can even reply me "I disagree with this" and I will either ask you why or just tell you "ok, fine". I'm not really in the context (or mood) for arguing it. When did we lose track? When did we forget not every remark is a debate opener? What happened?
Show threadAriel CajarJul 19, 2023
People want to debate. That's great! And some of them even want to write whole treatises to counter other thinkers (and doers, too). Awesome as well! We need true polemicists, but that requires 1) dedication and 2) a proper context for it. Being an unemployed (or independently employed AKA liberal professional) and acting like a reply guy on Twitter on working hours is neither. You need a public, academic-friendly space post-5 p.m.
Show threadAriel CajarJul 19, 2023
You might say "the world isn't fixed at a college" or at a café or at a bar or whatever, and it's true! But trust me: you aren't fixing it on a social network either; much less by paying $8 a month for a blue badge that's increasingly becoming meaningless, obnoxious and worthy of ridicule. At least real, public spaces are 1) public (duh) and 2) human(e) (With e and without e).
Show threadAriel CajarJul 19, 2023
Human problems, human discussions, human environments and human solutions. Never virtual first. Without my phone, I'm still a man. Without my humanity, maybe I'd barely be an animal, to boot.