Different brands of bottled water bottles |
After years of complaining about halfwits who write at pay sites, we've decided to finally strike a blow for knowledge. We've repurposed this blog to call attention to some of these stupid people and the things they've written while in too big a hurry to make money to deal with useless crap like "facts" and "knowledge." Meet the Dumbass of the Day, people!
Monday, April 30, 2018
Bottled Water for Health-Nut Dummies
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Oil Patch Salaries for Dummies
If that's one of the largest structures in the world, those must be BIG pickups! |
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Basalt for the Dummy Earth Science Student
Columnar basalt at Devil's Postpile |
Friday, April 27, 2018
Homemade Fence Posts for Dummies
fence with pine log posts |
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Vegetables for Dummies
Ummm, Puty? some of those are fruits |
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Opals for Dummies
low-quality fake opal |
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Shingles for Dummies
nailing a roof vent |
Monday, April 23, 2018
Roof Rakes for Homeowning Dummies
Roofing terminology, including rake |
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Knockout Plugs for the Dummy DIY Plumber
When it comes to explaining the "why" of a set of "how-to" instructions, we occasionally run across some pretty doofus reasons for performing a task. Some of the worst are in automotive repairs, but they're scattered all across the universe of DIY projects. Today's explanation, about "How to Remove the Knockout Plug in a Garbage Disposal" is one such case. Sit back and observe as Hunker.com contributor Steffani Cameron explained what she thought might be the reason for doing so to a while back
Saturday, April 21, 2018
Density and Temperature for the Dummy Chemist
Density vs. temperature graph for water |
Friday, April 20, 2018
The Acceleration of Gravity for Physics Dummies
Although our scientifically-literate staffers are constantly irked by the half-baked copy-reword-paste jobs performed by journalism and creative writers "explaining" science, scientific illiteracy coming from people who claim to be scientists is even more irritating. That's why we're pleased to be able to present today's DotD award to an eHow.com contributor who claims to be studying physics. Were that the case, though, Lee Johnson would likely have done a better job of describing "Science Project: The Effect of Mass on the Distance a Ball Travels"¹ for Sciencing.com.
Thursday, April 19, 2018
Borax for Dummies
Borax crystals in the wild |
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Pump Jacks for Dummies
pump jack |
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Router Bits, the Dummies Version
You might think that someone who claims to be "accredited" in the building industry would have a working knowledge of the tools and techniques of the construction trade. Then again, you probably know all about resume inflation, right? When we saw one such self-described professional had written "How to Use Different Router Bits"¹ for Leaf Group niche site HomeSteady.com, we figured Emily Beach had some idea of what she was talking about. We were wrong...
Monday, April 16, 2018
Brake Valves for Dummy Mechanics
An adjustable brake proportioning valve |
Sunday, April 15, 2018
The Dummy Version of Density
displacement method of measuring volume |
Saturday, April 14, 2018
Volcanism for the Geological Dummy
eruption of melted rock (lava) from a volcano |
Friday, April 13, 2018
Table Saw Reviews by Dummies
| A couple of our staffers here at the Antisocial Network came on board not long after review site Epinions.com bit the dust. By itself, that fact probably doesn't mean much, but in the context of recognizing fake product reviews,may not have realized it, one of Epinions' problems was the proliferation of fake reviews, especially of expensive stuff – as the locals often said, "Anything with a cord." Recognizing a fake review is actually easy: there is no personal experience and few, if any, facts that don't come from the manufacturer's specs. Today's DotD nominee, Mary F., pumped out a slew of such reviews for Wizzley.com back in 2012, including "Bosch 4100-09 10-Inch Worksite Table Saw with Gravity-Rise Stand Review." |
Thursday, April 12, 2018
Cabinet Door Styles for Dummies
full overlay cabinet doors and drawers |
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Insurance Deductibles for Dummies
Insurance explanation of benefits: note the circled phrase. |
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Making Your Own Cricket Bat for Dummies
cricket bat and ball |
Monday, April 9, 2018
Soil, Volume, and Weight for Dummies
A truckload of topsoil |
Sunday, April 8, 2018
Pocket Doors for Dummies
Pocket door |
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Algebra for Self-Appointed Dummies
Yup: this is algebra... |
Friday, April 6, 2018
pH Levels for Chemistry Dummies
Every one in a while we run across a nicely-polished bit of freelancery that appears, on the surface at least, to be a well-done job of rewording something authoritative. Closer inspection, however, will reveal the cracks below the surface... one of the most frequent deficiencies of an otherwise serviceable copy-reword-paste job is that the writer depended on a single source, or sources of limited scope. For instance, we once found a pine tree ID guide that reworded a biology lab exercise for identifying the trees on a single college campus. Today's nominee does pretty much the same: she's Cassandra Tribe, writing for Sciencing.com on the topic of "What Variables Affect pH Levels?"
Thursday, April 5, 2018
Flagstone, the Clueless Version
These flagstones are slate, not sandstone |
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
DIY Doggy Doors, the Dummies Version
An actual homemade doggy door |
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Making Epsom Salts the Dummies Way
Anybody remember "transactional analysis"? The self-help system went into all this "what you said, what I heard, what you thought you said, what I think I heard..." stuff in an effort to improve communications. We call that "listening" these days, but whatever. Anyway, today we have some anonymous person asking Healthfully.com "How to Make Epsom Salt,"¹ and a freelancer thinking someone wanted to make a powder of MgSO4(H2O)x where, in reality, it's a safe bet that the OQ wanted to know how to make an Epsom salt bath. But Enzo Silvestri wasn't having any of that...
Monday, April 2, 2018
Geological Forces for Dummies
Reverse fault diagram |
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Fossil Identification for a Paleontology Dummy
Crinoid anatomy |
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