Gwern Branwen wrote:
...Academics may have to adopt such an imposture, but I do not. As long as my 'snark' does not change the results - as it does not - I do not care.
Bully for you.
My view is that if such experiments are to be carried out, it would be better if they were designed and conducted by those able to restrain themselves from such snark.
Better how?
Because, as a wise acquaintance recently told me, very simply: Delivery matters.
There is a mainstream out there which, like it or not, adopts and prefers a certain demeanor different from yours. You may pride yourself on not caring, on imagining that only the literal truth of your argument matters, but to that mainstream, other aspects *do* matter. If they dislike your snarky attitude, they reflexively mistrust both you and your argument -- and, to some extent, the community you associate with.