Responding here because it was going OT on the other thread.
I was speaking of the importance of warning people about the trap so that they do not become Solvers. I don't think Voynich research suffers because we are discouraging people from becoming Solvers and getting wedded to an incorrect solution that they will never change their minds about.
Our success in that field seems limited anyway - the solutions list grows and grows.
Koen's videos are likely more successful in inoculating people against solveritis, but the solvers list also in theory helps people see i) how easy it is to fool yourself that you've solved the manuscript (since all these people cannot be simultaneously right) and ii) what the common problems are with solutions, including the unexplained unlanguage-like behaviour of Voynichese patterns. When I was new, I gained a lot by reading what earlier posters were saying about the Turkish theory when it was first posted, and Nick's critique of Stephen Bax's work.
The vast majority of solutions on the list are simple substitution systems that ignore these Voynichese patterns. Their authors often do not know about these patterns, often deliberately so because they chose to avoid previous research and work. Many also do not provide complete translations, often only providing isolated words. Confirmation bias means that those that do provide more complete translations have an incentive precisely not to "think deeper" as they continue with their translation, and it becomes harder and harder to make their system work. So I think there is more to be gained by warning people about this trap before they are in it, and it's too late.
(30-04-2025, 05:44 PM)oshfdk wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.I don't think discouraging people from publishing their complete solutions helps Voynich research either. It's quite possible that among the solutions already on the list there are a few that got some of the details right. Who knows. And someone looking through them might have an aha moment. If people stop proposing solutions out of fear of getting on the list, some of their insights will likely left unsaid. I think I have seen examples where a completely unrealistic solution attempt included a few unexpected and intriguing observations. The very necessity to publish a complete piece of a solution as opposed to some rambling remarks here and there, may make the author think a bit deeper.
I was speaking of the importance of warning people about the trap so that they do not become Solvers. I don't think Voynich research suffers because we are discouraging people from becoming Solvers and getting wedded to an incorrect solution that they will never change their minds about.
Our success in that field seems limited anyway - the solutions list grows and grows.
Koen's videos are likely more successful in inoculating people against solveritis, but the solvers list also in theory helps people see i) how easy it is to fool yourself that you've solved the manuscript (since all these people cannot be simultaneously right) and ii) what the common problems are with solutions, including the unexplained unlanguage-like behaviour of Voynichese patterns. When I was new, I gained a lot by reading what earlier posters were saying about the Turkish theory when it was first posted, and Nick's critique of Stephen Bax's work.
The vast majority of solutions on the list are simple substitution systems that ignore these Voynichese patterns. Their authors often do not know about these patterns, often deliberately so because they chose to avoid previous research and work. Many also do not provide complete translations, often only providing isolated words. Confirmation bias means that those that do provide more complete translations have an incentive precisely not to "think deeper" as they continue with their translation, and it becomes harder and harder to make their system work. So I think there is more to be gained by warning people about this trap before they are in it, and it's too late.