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louieanderson t1_iwhqm8f wrote

Reply to comment by tonymmorley in The world is awful. The world is much better. The world can be much better. by tonymmorley

  • Is "progress studies" a major or certificate from an accredited educational institution and if so do you hold such qualification?

  • If so what is the curriculum and what institution grants such titles?

  • Are you paid to promote content such as you have submitted here?

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tonymmorley OP t1_iwimf6a wrote

**Note, replacement comment, my previous comment was auto-removed due to a linking rule.**

Hey, thanks for hanging in there, apologies for the delay.

By way of introduction, "hi, I'm Tony Morley", a Canadian, Australian dual national based in Australia. I'm an independent progress studies communicator, passionate about researching and communicating global living standards. I receive and have not received any external funding for my work, with the exception of funding raised to support a children's book I'm writing, "Human Progress for Beginners." (Rules won't let me link, but you can Google it)

With that being said, I would love to be grant funded to focus on progress studies; I've got some excellent project ideas. For the last two years, I've been working full time 12h/d 5-6d/w building out a major energy project. Any additional time is focused on family, (three little ones under 9), progress studies, research, and communications, with a crushing book deadline due in January 2023. There is no "major or certificate" in progress studies, but it would be brilliant if there were. Hopefully, one doesn't need a "certificate" to research, think and communicate on a subject of deep interest.

You can find me and or my work here,

Facebook: Human Progress Facebook Group (Rules won't let me link)

Twitter: @ tonymmorley (Rules won't let me link)

The Progress Dashboard: A database of progress studies resources:

Some of my latest op-eds can be found here.

  1. Turning the tide on hunger

  2. 9 astonishing ways that living standards have improved around the world

  3. How child mortality fell from 40% to 3.7% in 200 years

  4. Reasons to be optimistic in 2022

My principal vocation is in energy project management (10y conventional and 4y renewable), with experience operating across over a dozen countries on three continents, from the Canadian high-arctic to the jungles of Papua New Guinea and the remote desert of Saudi Arabia.

I hope that helps, mate; if you would like to know more, please reach out any time. Have a great day, and thank you kindly for engaging.

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louieanderson t1_iwirkon wrote

> I receive and have not received any external funding for my work, with the exception of funding raised to support a children's book I'm writing, "Human Progress for Beginners." (Rules won't let me link, but you can Google it)

Yeah that's weird cause you tried to link to a gofundme, but Tyler Cowen, the co-creator of "progress studies" in your Atlantic article awarded you, or someone else with your name, a grant to write a children's book.

Also you are apparently a "fellow" what exactly does that mean?

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tonymmorley OP t1_iwit1pi wrote

Where do you see "fellow"?

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louieanderson t1_iwit6y7 wrote

>"Tony Morley, Progress Studies fellow, from Ngunnawal, Australia, to write the first optimistic children’s book on progress."

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tonymmorley OP t1_iwivvgd wrote

Hmm, I believe they are using "fellow" to denote a "fellow" of the progress studies, human progress movement. Although it is still a very unstructured "movement". Aside from that, I'm not formally part of any organisation. Again, not that I wouldn't accept to be, I just am not currently. Hope that helps.

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tonymmorley OP t1_iwit8x6 wrote

Yeah, I've received grant money from Cowen for the book. It's been very helpful, but such a long hard process. What I thought would take 6 months, has taken 2 years.

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louieanderson t1_iwiu1nb wrote

Just to be clear, you don't see an issue with failing to disclose the person and "field" you are promoting was invented by a sponsor that has no academic rigor or basis behind it who gave you money that you regularly link to, in this 3 year old ourworldindata article? Like if I came to you on an energy project as a thetan specialist to harmonize your energies cause a guy on a blog said so you wouldn't vet it?

That's not a little odd?

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tonymmorley OP t1_iwivbd3 wrote

I apologise, but I don't exactly follow your line of questioning. But I've certainly been very open, honest and transparent. I don't think I've "failed to disclose" anything, most especially where there has been a requirement. Last time I checked there is no disclosure requirement for posting on Reddit.

I'm a little disappointed. I've engaged here in good faith, and I don't believe you're owed much more than what you have asked, and not even that really.

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louieanderson t1_iwiymkr wrote

Progress studies is not real, by your standard I have a masters in progress studies. It's made up by a guy who made a lot of money from selling a website and a libertarian leaning economist. It's not even prescriptive, so what the world (allegedly) is great, there's no mechanism. Nothing is actionable and it can't be critically reviewed, it's just free market propaganda.

How can you even be an expert you work like 60-70 hours a week with a family?

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tonymmorley OP t1_iwj59ko wrote

"How can you even be an expert you work like 60-70 hours a week with a family?"

I'm not an expert; I'm a passionate and well-knowledged person on the subject, with a joy for writing and communicating on progress. As I continue in the field, I'm gaining knowledge and working on what I have to say and how I want to say it. I'm slowly building out my position over these years since 2018 and looking forward to the future.

Unless you would like to change to future tone of your engagement, I might excuse myself from further dialogue. At this point, you're not really engaging in good faith, and you're pre-supposing a good deal about people and motives without regard. I don't believe you're approaching me or the subject with respect or an open mind, and looking for malice and a fight, for which I am not.

Happy to hear from you again, mate. Have a great afternoon wherever you are.

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tonymmorley OP t1_iwi4uq0 wrote

Slightly tied up at the moment, will comment in approximately an hour.

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louieanderson t1_iwi5r7q wrote

I could answer what certifications I hold or what I do for a living in one post without reference.

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tonymmorley OP t1_iwi60yo wrote

I'm not deflecting, I'd just like to give you a complete and transparent response, and I need a smidge more time. Just entering a meeting. Hope that helps mate.

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[deleted] t1_iwikh7k wrote

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