Talk:Brian Leiter

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It is asserted that some comments were left by the subject. If so, we would appreciate it if you could please identify yourself. You are most welcome to comment on the contents of the article, and to raise constructive suggestions for its improvement, with reliable sources to satisfy our policies on verifiability and neutrality. I would also remind everybody here, in passing, that WP:BLP also applies to talk pages, and any violations may be dealt with by blocking or other sanctions. Please keep calm. Thanks, Guy (Help!) 20:19, 22 March 2008 (UTC)

New Rankings

Just wondering if anyone on here can tell me when the newest edition of the philosophy rankings will come out? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.139.22.102 (talk) 18:53, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

The current rankings are for 2006–2008, so one would image the new rankings would be out in 2009. Skomorokh 22:37, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Pseudo-Anonymous Editing and Posting by the subect

Having been exposed to the subject personally, and having followed some of his online activities, it is plainly obvious to me that the subject makes anonymous edits to his own wikipedia article and then argues as if he is a disinterested contributor to WP. I doubt even this comment will stand. :( I would ask those engaged in vigorous upkeep of WP, and philosophy pages in general, to please strongly discourage his editing of the page. Thank you for paying attention to my prayer. 69.154.8.37 (talk) 04:36, 10 June 2008 (UTC)Concerned UT Alum

Hey, I am also an anonymous person who claims to have been exposed to the subject personally, and to have followed some of his online activities, and so I too would like to make allegations based on no evidence in order to disparage the subject. My prayer is that Wikipedia might serve a higher purpose, but I doubt it. A Concerned UT Student. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.83.212.98 (talk) 18:24, 31 July 2008 (UTC)

Suspiciously, any potentially negative (no matter how factually accurate) information is routinely removed from this Wiki article by an anonymous University of Texas IP, during which time Leiter is known to reside in Texas. Then Leiter moves to Chicago, at which point, the article is "corrected" by an anonymous IP from Chicago. User talk:98.206.162.185 made a rev, the syntax and word-choice of the edit summary of which seems eerily similar to Leiter's writing. Seems worth considering particularly whether that IP is Leiter's. 75.73.232.84 (talk) 00:27, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Another rev from a U Chicago IP address. [1]. It seems obvious that Dr. Leiter is editing his own wiki entry. Curiously, there were no such revs from the University of Chicago area prior to Leiter's moving there. But plenty of flattering edits from UT Austin, while he was residing there. 75.73.232.84 (talk) 02:55, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Do you suppose there might be some other reason why people in Chicago might be more likely to pay attention to the entry after Leiter moved to Chicago? I can think of a few obvious ones, and I'm sure you could, too, if you'd only try. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.80.215.154 (talk) 00:44, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

And astonishingly the people of Austin completely forgot about him. Funny how he carries a sea of good will wherever he goes, while the rest of the world seems quite vocal in their criticism of his rhetorical seriousness. And I'm sure the cloying rhetorical question that ends your anonymous response is eerily reminiscent of Leiter's written style simply due to coincidence?Jeanbaptistemuiron (talk) 01:37, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

"And I'm sure the cloying rhetorical question that ends your anonymous response is eerily reminiscent of Leiter's written style simply due to coincidence?"

I'm not sure what would make it "eerily reminiscent" to use a common form of discourse, but I do find your paranoia eerily discomforting. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.80.215.154 (talk) 01:49, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

Controversies

Leiter has frequently been accused of using his law and philosophy department ranking lists to inflate his status in academia and intimidate those who express criticism of him. In a biographical article, the Boston Globe remarked,

Those whom Leiter finds wanting are deemed "morons" or "zombies" or "demonstrably incompetent." Peers then treat him in kind: University of Wisconsin legal blogger Ann Althouse called Brian Leiter a 'jackass,' to take a famous example. [...] By increasing competition in the profession, by promoting envy or Schadenfreude, by writing a blog that alternates philosophy with verbal soccer hooliganism, Leiter runs a great risk: He may be demeaning the very profession he rightly wants to democratize.

On his blog, he has famously attacked Keith Burgess-Jackson, Tyler Cowen, Carlin Romano, Rick Hill, Thomas Nagel, Paul Campos, and Ann Althouse. He is also engaged in waging a long-running feud with the users of the message board Autoadmit.com. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jeanbaptistemuiron (talk • contribs) 01:31, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

This is less obviously biased and outrageous than the original intervention (which cited Urban Dictionary), but it still isn't NPOV. Any refernece to the Boston Globe article would have to include refernece to Leiter's reply: http://leiterreports.typepad.com/blog/2009/04/mark-oppenheime.html

Althouse appears to have retracted or disowned ('transgression') her rude remark here:

http://althouse.blogspot.com/2008/04/university-of-michigan-legal-blogger.html

There is no citation for Keith Burgess-Jackson, not surprising since he attacked Leiter, not vice versa. Unclear what the other sources are--are they still blogs? What is evidence that these attacks are 'famous'? That a freelance writer for the Globe reference them? But he has a conflict of interest according to Leiter.

The Boston Globe piece might warrnat a reference under 'Other Projects' as a reference to the fact that Leiter is a controversial blogger. Just a suggestion.98.206.162.185 (talk) 01:43, 14 February 2010 (UTC)