Hacker News Reader

Comment by logjam | Hacker News Reader

MD here. The headline on your webpage: "For serious medical conditions, you need direct access to the world’s best researchers." [my emphasis added]

Pardon my skepticism, but that sentence and the rest of your not-functioning-very-well website smell of nothing more than an attempt to ripoff very vulnerable people, and other marketing bullshit.

But do please prove me wrong - kindly link to the world-class research your docs and researchers have done thus far.

View on HN

From the page titled "Our Scientists, Doctors, and Researchers"

  programmer
  gamer
  mba
  programmer
  student/mathematics
  student/medicine
  md/recent grad
  student/medicine
  econ BA/finance (labeled researcher)
  marine biologist (labeled researcher)
  industrial engineer/entrepreneur (labeled senior researcher)
  econ BA/event planner
  student/philosophy+neuroscience+law (labeled researcher)
  md/recent grad (labeled researcher)
  eagle scout/philosopher (labeled researcher)
  graphic designer
  md/practicioner
  novelist
  phd molecular biologist/recent grad  (labeled researcher)
  programmer (labeled researcher)
  college research assistant  (labeled researcher)
  blogger
  programmer

http://www.metamed.com/our-scientists-doctors-researchers

What surprised me most about that page is that the Chief Science Officer doesn't have an MD or a PhD, though several other employees do. (Also, the Singularity Institute ties immediately rub me the wrong way, though that's a matter for another time.)

That's what scared me. Seriously, for a company like this, a Chief Science Officer must have a PhD. And there needs to be a Chief Medical Officer that is an MD (possibly the same person).

Starting a company like this with med students (I'm sure she's nice, but the VP of Biology hasn't even finished her MD yet), is not the way to do this. It's a way to get sued.

So while the goals may be good, this is not the way to do it.

Our consultant network includes Nobel laureates, heads of biology departments, famous professors, and as top-rate people as one can find. They aren't on the first version of the site because a) they're not full-time employees - being very busy, they usually only have a few hours a week - and b), before you ask someone to be on a website, you first have to show them the site, and the site's only been up for about twelve hours because it's launch day. We're currently compiling our business, scientific and medical advisory boards, and will have them up over the next few weeks.

Also, why the rudeness? In terms of the disagreement hierarchy (http://www.paulgraham.com/disagree.html), you're using DH1 through DH3 - attacking credentials and tone rather than facts.

> Also, why the rudeness? In terms of the disagreement hierarchy (http://www.paulgraham.com/disagree.html), you're using DH1 through DH3 - attacking credentials and tone rather than facts.

I think you've got things turned around a bit here. He's not using claims of authority to spuriously attack an argument that you're making. You are the one asserting authority, and he's asking for proof. Since you are basing some of your credibility on authority, it seems like a reasonable request.

It's very hard to discuss the facts when you withhold them. I would like to know who these Nobel laureates are. If they have examined your service but do not have enough confidence in it to be associated with it publicly that is interesting information.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com