There are people who need simple and clear advice to engage in effective action. It’s important that those people trust the CDC. On the other hand there is a contingent of intellectual people who are willing to read multiple sources and think about the merit of individual advice, who profit from having from having accurate information because they make decisions based on analysis of information instead of through blind trust.
Writing a easy to read post and not writing a post aren’t the only option. It’s also possible to write a post in a way that’s less accessible to readers. Using highly arcane academic language is a way that scientific journals can discuss dangerous ideas in a way that has less of an impact on public opinion but that still serves the search for truth.
The failure of the the linked post about the US healthcare institution seems to me that it uses language that’s too accessible and it should have been written in a lot more academic style.
There are people who need simple and clear advice to engage in effective action. It’s important that those people trust the CDC. On the other hand there is a contingent of intellectual people who are willing to read multiple sources and think about the merit of individual advice, who profit from having from having accurate information because they make decisions based on analysis of information instead of through blind trust.
Writing a easy to read post and not writing a post aren’t the only option. It’s also possible to write a post in a way that’s less accessible to readers. Using highly arcane academic language is a way that scientific journals can discuss dangerous ideas in a way that has less of an impact on public opinion but that still serves the search for truth.
The failure of the the linked post about the US healthcare institution seems to me that it uses language that’s too accessible and it should have been written in a lot more academic style.