In some cases it’s evidence of cowardice, which could be seen as a form of bullshit. I’m thinking of situations where absence of evidence really is evidence of absence. If you do an exhaustive or near-exhaustive search for something, and you’re unable to find it—that’s pretty solid evidence of non-existence. And if you’re stopping at “lack of evidence” you’re implying something about the size of your “evidence space” and you owe it to people to explain why you think it’s large relative to what’s already been canvassed. So...still bullshit, no matter how you cut it.
In some cases it’s evidence of cowardice, which could be seen as a form of bullshit. I’m thinking of situations where absence of evidence really is evidence of absence. If you do an exhaustive or near-exhaustive search for something, and you’re unable to find it—that’s pretty solid evidence of non-existence. And if you’re stopping at “lack of evidence” you’re implying something about the size of your “evidence space” and you owe it to people to explain why you think it’s large relative to what’s already been canvassed. So...still bullshit, no matter how you cut it.