This post is, I think, an excellent demonstration of what I keep telling people: if you can commit even a little bit of time over a long period doing something that people aren’t voluntarily doing already, you can do something pretty useful.
For this patience claim, I usually use examples like Wikipedia articles or FAQs or self-experiments, but this page is also a good example: for a bit of menial annoying (but otherwise undemanding) work, John has materially assisted me in multiple articles (sunk costs, iodine, and lithium among others).
The thing that really turned out to be useful, I think, is the inter library loan and the ease with which the university of washington lets you use it (no fees and just a simple web form). I wonder if we could get you and gwern direct access to it somehow. If it were my account, I’d just give you my login, but it’s a borrowed account itself.
I wonder if we could get you and gwern direct access to it somehow.
That might be a little dangerous. When I was using SUNY SBU’s ILL for my own projects and filling occasional requests, I eventually got cut off for over-use...
Okay, so we need to find someone who doesn’t use ILL for their own materials. I’ve now made quite a few requests, and I haven’t been cut off, how long did it take you to get cut off?
This has turned out to be an incredibly useful page. Thanks again, John! I wish I could upvote the article again.
This post is, I think, an excellent demonstration of what I keep telling people: if you can commit even a little bit of time over a long period doing something that people aren’t voluntarily doing already, you can do something pretty useful.
For this patience claim, I usually use examples like Wikipedia articles or FAQs or self-experiments, but this page is also a good example: for a bit of menial annoying (but otherwise undemanding) work, John has materially assisted me in multiple articles (sunk costs, iodine, and lithium among others).
And now others are helping and asking for help! It warms my heart.
You made me smile lots. Thanks :)
I’m glad I could help!
The thing that really turned out to be useful, I think, is the inter library loan and the ease with which the university of washington lets you use it (no fees and just a simple web form). I wonder if we could get you and gwern direct access to it somehow. If it were my account, I’d just give you my login, but it’s a borrowed account itself.
That might be a little dangerous. When I was using SUNY SBU’s ILL for my own projects and filling occasional requests, I eventually got cut off for over-use...
Okay, so we need to find someone who doesn’t use ILL for their own materials. I’ve now made quite a few requests, and I haven’t been cut off, how long did it take you to get cut off?
It was during the second semester, towards the end, so I think it was March or May.