Timeline for Should I take threats from a former professor seriously?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
15 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 17, 2020 at 20:18 | comment | added | chasly - supports Monica | I disagree. Do not simply delete the emails. Set up up a folder for them and, if your software allows it, send them directly to that folder without reading them. This will be important evidence if you ever need it. I do agree that you should not answer them however. | |
| Apr 19, 2017 at 18:58 | comment | added | crobar | @Shokhet, no, slightly tongue-in-cheek, but it was meant seriously I genuinely believe the truth in this, provided it suits your personality. Some people really do thrive with this kind of thing. | |
| Apr 19, 2017 at 3:12 | comment | added | Shokhet | @crobar True, but that's not what your last paragraph says. I may be a victim of Poe's law, but if that suggestion was meant seriously I felt that I must show disapproval. | |
| Apr 17, 2017 at 15:18 | comment | added | crobar | @Shokhet, wasn't that my primary advice? | |
| Apr 16, 2017 at 11:59 | comment | added | Shokhet | -1 I think making enemies is a terrible idea. Waste of energy and can make things worse in a situation like this. I agree with Jeff's answer - just disengage and move on. | |
| Apr 14, 2017 at 20:28 | comment | added | user45501 | Expert harassers know that even if you don't reply to their ridicule, that it still bothers the victim. Automatically ignoring them is the only real way to escape the hardship that their behavior causes! | |
| Apr 14, 2017 at 3:34 | comment | added | JeffE | ultimately conferences mean little in academia -- Except in computer science, where they mean far more than journals. | |
| Apr 13, 2017 at 7:47 | comment | added | crobar | @adspeed, ultimately conferences mean little in academia, journal papers are what matter, so even if she could stop you going to the conference (which she probably can't, they're all about bums-on-seats and rarely refuse your money) it probably wouldn't make much difference to your career. | |
| Apr 13, 2017 at 7:45 | comment | added | crobar | @CaptainEmacs, indeed, that's why I said 'alternatively' and 'if you like this kind of thing' | |
| Apr 12, 2017 at 22:09 | comment | added | Phil Miller | On the plus side, if she makes a point of doing this sort of thing often and broadly, she's likely known for it among others in the field. Given that, people will tend to discount negative judgments they hear from her because they won't be particularly reliable. If she's been around long enough, having her trying to slag your reputation could be a badge of honor - it means you've made it onto her radar. | |
| Apr 12, 2017 at 18:35 | comment | added | Captain Emacs | @crobar Not everyone thrives on enmities. It's also a waste of time if you have a real life (as scientist and human). If she seeks OP out at conferences, my recommendation is to look on, not nod, not shake head, wait until the storm is over and continue doing what they have been doing before. Or, if they are being told something they cannot agree with, they can say "I respectful disagree." In calm tone, as often as is necessary. It might be worth changing topic for this, in fact, if she controls the field. But if she is just a low-level organiser, she probably upsets enough people as it is. | |
| Apr 12, 2017 at 17:36 | comment | added | adspeed | p.s. While the thought of having an academic archenemy appeals to my comic book self, I think in actuality it would not play out well. Like, she might academically crush me. XD I say that because she makes a point of interfering with other people's academic personas, spreads rumors, etc. Also, I am not exactly competitive or aggressive. I am more like Arthur (from The Tick) than Batman... I should probably stick with filtering her out of my inbox/life! | |
| Apr 12, 2017 at 17:28 | comment | added | adspeed | Thanks for your advice, I very much want to get to the point of "she is a distant memory!" I almost mentioned this in my original question, but I didn't want to clutter it up too much: this professor is prominent in a subfield of my field (which is very small), and she is a low-level organizer for the biggest conference in our field. There is a good chance that she will actively seek me out at this and other conferences. The very thought gives me a lot of anxiety. Deleting her emails is easy, avoiding her in person, maybe less so. Any thoughts on this? | |
| Apr 12, 2017 at 17:16 | review | First posts | |||
| Apr 12, 2017 at 17:21 | |||||
| Apr 12, 2017 at 17:12 | history | answered | crobar | CC BY-SA 3.0 |