Comments on: The History of Debt in America (Now in PDF!) http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/07/19/the-history-of-debt-in-america-now-in-pdf/ personal finance that makes cents Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:56:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Rian http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/07/19/the-history-of-debt-in-america-now-in-pdf/#comment-141072 Rian Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:32:07 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=1939#comment-141072 ...yet another <a href="http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/armchair+critic.html" rel="nofollow">armchair critic</a>. …yet another armchair critic.

]]> By: Funny about Money http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/07/19/the-history-of-debt-in-america-now-in-pdf/#comment-140999 Funny about Money Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:48:49 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=1939#comment-140999 Ditto Mike626. So are reference citations!!!!! You can get off your duff, go to the library and actually touch paper (yeah, I know...it has acid in it. Wear gloves!) if you object to paying to access information online. Ditto Mike626. So are reference citations!!!!! You can get off your duff, go to the library and actually touch paper (yeah, I know…it has acid in it. Wear gloves!) if you object to paying to access information online.

]]> By: Mike626 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/07/19/the-history-of-debt-in-america-now-in-pdf/#comment-140935 Mike626 Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:57:57 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=1939#comment-140935 It may be that I am not familiar with Tom's blog that is causing me to raise an eyebrow at this, but the grammatical errors also grated. Also, the typo in his reference to Benjamin Franklin Bache "Benjamin Franklin Backe" as the publisher of Aurora might have been easy to ignore, but he then refers to Bache as "Bache" just a page later. Rather choosy, I suppose-- but if you are going to write historical essays, names are important. It may be that I am not familiar with Tom’s blog that is causing me to raise an eyebrow at this, but the grammatical errors also grated. Also, the typo in his reference to Benjamin Franklin Bache “Benjamin Franklin Backe” as the publisher of Aurora might have been easy to ignore, but he then refers to Bache as “Bache” just a page later.

Rather choosy, I suppose– but if you are going to write historical essays, names are important.

]]> By: Rian http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/07/19/the-history-of-debt-in-america-now-in-pdf/#comment-140932 Rian Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:45:57 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=1939#comment-140932 <blockquote>This sounded promising, but the quality of the writing is poor and the author cites no references. Two pages of skimming convinced me I was wasting my time.</blockquote> That's because there are very few, if any, sources that are available to a non-paying audience. As someone who spent quite a bit of time writing about the American financial system between the Revolutionary War and 1900, for one of my economics classes, I can assure you that his facts jive with mine. Had I not had an account through my University, I would not have been able to access *any* primary sources for this particular economic period without paying exorbitant sums of money to do so. -- And as someone who is considered an "expert" on a few things, I often don't cite my sources while talking about things in some of my blog entries. (Not the blog linked through my name.) Why? Because I've built up enough credibility over time that I don't need to. That credibility is something that I guard very jealously, and I make sure that I DO cite my sources if I'm going to say something that a lot of people are going to raise their eyebrows over. Particularly my peers. Credibility is one's writing currency. Build it up jealously, and spend it judiciously. I suspect Tom has done the same thing here, only you don't know it, because you don't read him regularly.

This sounded promising, but the quality of the writing is poor and the author cites no references. Two pages of skimming convinced me I was wasting my time.

That’s because there are very few, if any, sources that are available to a non-paying audience. As someone who spent quite a bit of time writing about the American financial system between the Revolutionary War and 1900, for one of my economics classes, I can assure you that his facts jive with mine.

Had I not had an account through my University, I would not have been able to access *any* primary sources for this particular economic period without paying exorbitant sums of money to do so.

–

And as someone who is considered an “expert” on a few things, I often don’t cite my sources while talking about things in some of my blog entries. (Not the blog linked through my name.) Why? Because I’ve built up enough credibility over time that I don’t need to. That credibility is something that I guard very jealously, and I make sure that I DO cite my sources if I’m going to say something that a lot of people are going to raise their eyebrows over. Particularly my peers.

Credibility is one’s writing currency. Build it up jealously, and spend it judiciously. I suspect Tom has done the same thing here, only you don’t know it, because you don’t read him regularly.

]]> By: Mike626 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/07/19/the-history-of-debt-in-america-now-in-pdf/#comment-140901 Mike626 Sun, 20 Jul 2008 17:52:49 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=1939#comment-140901 This sounded promising, but the quality of the writing is poor and the author cites no references. Two pages of skimming convinced me I was wasting my time. This sounded promising, but the quality of the writing is poor and the author cites no references. Two pages of skimming convinced me I was wasting my time.

]]> By: Ryan McLean http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/07/19/the-history-of-debt-in-america-now-in-pdf/#comment-140894 Ryan McLean Sun, 20 Jul 2008 15:30:47 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=1939#comment-140894 History of finance is awesome because they thought so differently about money back then. Also we can learn not to repeat mistakes which is always a good thing. Heck I look back on my own history and learn from mistakes, imagine how much we could learn from by looking at ALL of history History of finance is awesome because they thought so differently about money back then. Also we can learn not to repeat mistakes which is always a good thing.
Heck I look back on my own history and learn from mistakes, imagine how much we could learn from by looking at ALL of history

]]> By: Some Girl http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/07/19/the-history-of-debt-in-america-now-in-pdf/#comment-140887 Some Girl Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:29:30 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=1939#comment-140887 and history continues on to today... here's an article in NY Times Sunday July 20 edition - one woman's history of debt: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/20/business/20debt.html and history continues on to today… here’s an article in NY Times Sunday July 20 edition - one woman’s history of debt:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/20/business/20debt.html

]]> By: slackerjo http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/07/19/the-history-of-debt-in-america-now-in-pdf/#comment-140883 slackerjo Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:57:12 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=1939#comment-140883 I don't know how accurate this Debt Clock is, but it's memorizing to watch (you need java to run). http://130.94.230.21/debtclock.html I don’t know how accurate this Debt Clock is, but it’s memorizing to watch (you need java to run).

http://130.94.230.21/debtclock.html

]]> By: Frugal Bachelor http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/07/19/the-history-of-debt-in-america-now-in-pdf/#comment-140864 Frugal Bachelor Sun, 20 Jul 2008 05:51:05 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=1939#comment-140864 Too complicated I am trying to have everything directly from normal internet Putting PDF is sign of Supersized American, if you can read PDF link, you are Supersized American living life of gigantic excess Cancel the giant TV and internet and maybe you deserve to watch frugality on the internet without American excess IMHO .. Too complicated I am trying to have everything directly from normal internet

Putting PDF is sign of Supersized American, if you can read PDF link, you are Supersized American living life of gigantic excess

Cancel the giant TV and internet and maybe you deserve to watch frugality on the internet without American excess

IMHO ..

]]> By: Erica http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/07/19/the-history-of-debt-in-america-now-in-pdf/#comment-140862 Erica Sun, 20 Jul 2008 04:16:13 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=1939#comment-140862 Thanks to you, Rian and Tom for making this available via pdf. I started reading this the other day but had to leave it. I've downloaded the article and will be finishing it this weekend. I found it to be a fascinating read so far! Thanks to you, Rian and Tom for making this available via pdf.

I started reading this the other day but had to leave it. I’ve downloaded the article and will be finishing it this weekend. I found it to be a fascinating read so far!

]]> By: Kay http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/07/19/the-history-of-debt-in-america-now-in-pdf/#comment-140858 Kay Sun, 20 Jul 2008 03:57:48 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=1939#comment-140858 I actually tied myself to a chair and forced myself to read this. I realized that this was very important information that has affected my ancestors and stil haunt us today. It was a very interesting timeline of events. Who would have thought debtors were locked up and treated worse than criminals? I actually tied myself to a chair and forced myself to read this. I realized that this was very important information that has affected my ancestors and stil haunt us today. It was a very interesting timeline of events. Who would have thought debtors were locked up and treated worse than criminals?

]]> By: leigh http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/07/19/the-history-of-debt-in-america-now-in-pdf/#comment-140856 leigh Sun, 20 Jul 2008 03:25:23 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=1939#comment-140856 i really liked the passage you quoted, so i downloaded the pdf. i don't have time to read that length of document in depth, but i will definitely take a look through it. i really liked the passage you quoted, so i downloaded the pdf. i don’t have time to read that length of document in depth, but i will definitely take a look through it.

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