First, everyone speculated about who did it.

[MineralMan]

Now, everyone can speculate about what led up to it.

If we're patient, we'll learn about that, too, in time, just as we learned who did it, in time. I'm sure there will be much speculation as to what led up to these two young men bombing the Boston Marathon, but only time will provide the answers.

[quinnox]

1. Yep

Al Queda either inspired them, or directed them. My guess.

[Jenoch]

14. Did you come to this conclusion because

of the 'smell'?

Ok, I'm done now.

[quinnox]

25. let's just say it isn't a scent you'd want to bottle

[hughee99]

2. I wonder if anyone is going to stick with their "tea bagger" theory?

That seemed very popular just a few days ago.

[lunatica]

3. What's wrong with speculation while waiting for the facts?

Do you think law enforcement never speculate? They do, and many times their speculation leads to successful conclusions.

It's human nature because we have the ability to connect the dots and speculate into the future like no other species.

[MineralMan]

5. I was making an observation, you see.

I do that sometimes.

[lunatica]

6. Well it came across as critical finger wagging

[MineralMan]

12. Having reread what I wrote, I can't see why.

But, you'll see whatever you see, I suppose.

[Fumesucker]

15. Part of it is your long standing reputation for critical finger wagging n/t

[MineralMan]

16. Ah, I see. So it isn't what I write, it's your opinion

of me that causes that? How odd.

[Fumesucker]

22. And you have an opinion of me that colors how you view what I write

It's just human nature, if you have earned a reputation as a critical finger wagger then people will view your posts through the lens of that reputation.

[MineralMan]

23. Actually, I don't have any particular opinion of you.

I see what you write, and sometimes have an opinion about that. I don't know you, though. You're just a screen name to me. Beyond that, I have no knowledge of who you might be.

[Bluenorthwest]

24. That is not what was said. You have history and that creates context in which your efforts

are understood by others. It is what you have written that defines what you later write. That's the code of the hills.

[MineralMan]

26. Everyone has history. What is written is what is written.

Sometimes what is written is just that. As it is in this thread.

And I'm not even talking about DU, specifically. I read lots of stuff on the Internet, and my observation covers all of it.

[Quantess]

40. Well, in this case I think you're justified in finger-wagging from a high-horse.

Given the wildly inaccurate speculation combined with gloating and certainty, that we saw on the DU the past few days.

[MineralMan]

41. But, I'm not doing that here. I'm simply observing that the speculation

will simply continue, with a different topic. Personally, I've never seen the utility of such speculation, when the actual information will appear soon enough. However, that doesn't seem to be the way many others feel, so the speculation is always present.

That's just an observation, which is shown to be correct time after time.

I try not to engage in it, myself.

[Quantess]

42. Okay, fair enough.

I agree with you, FWIW.

[global1]

9. In Fact - Clint Van Zandt - Makes A Living Out Of Speculating......nt

[Donald Ian Rankin]

27. It's risky when you don't know who will read it.

Speculating on your own, or with people whose judgement you trust, is fine.

Speculating on the internet, where other people may attach more weight to your speculations than you intended, is potentially risky.

[lunatica]

29. In what way is speculating about the Boston bombers risky?

I can't bring myself to be afraid of everything out there.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

31. The most obvious example would be speculating about identity.

I saw a number of names that weren't the ones now in custody speculated about in various places, sometimes with less "we don't know if this guy did it" attached that I'd have liked.

That could easily have lead to vigilantes killing innocent people.

[lunatica]

36. If you're referring to journalists you have a point (Richard Jewell for example)

but speculating as laymen on DU is quite different.

[MineralMan]

38. On the other hand, some moron attacked a Muslim woman

based in part on speculation about this incident. That's unfortunate, especially for the woman who was attacked, I think.

[lunatica]

39. I see no useful purpose in fashioning my behavior on some moron's behavior

Not everyone throws all reason out when speculating. And speculating is quite different than jumping to conclusions, especially if there are baseless. Most speculation is pretty rational.

I try not to be afraid of everything.

[DonViejo]

4. Okay! Any and all OP's and comments...

speculating on the who, what, when and why of the Boston bombers is hereby prohibited on DU. My edict and a couple bucks will get you a good cup of coffee at your favorite restaurant.

[MineralMan]

8. Did you somehow mistake my observation for an order

of some kind? Firstly, it wasn't any such thing, and secondly, I'm not in any position to tell anyone what to do. I was making an observation.

[cali]

10. albeit one flavored with hypocrisy.

[MineralMan]

17. Thank you for your analysis of a rather simple post.

[FrodosPet]

13. Speculation is not the problem.

Refusing to consider other valid possibilities is the problem.

[cali]

7. well that was silly and pointless

It's a discussion board. People discuss events- including YOU.

gad.

smug, self-righteous and self-serving. love it.

[MineralMan]

11. You also seem to have mistaken my observation

for something else. Oh, well.

[Buzz Clik]

18. Yeah, but why be patient? It's more fun to make stuff up and yell at clouds.

Weren't you in the FBI in 2011? Do you feel accountable for letting that kid go when it was SO CLEAR he was training to be a terrorist?

[MineralMan]

20. Nope. I've never been in the FBI. I've been in a file

at the FBI, though. Anyone with a security clearance has been in a file there. It was interesting to read. I asked for it under an FOI request, and received it, with some edits, of course. They actually interviewed people in my home town during the investigation for that clearance. Teachers, a minister, the owner of the local pool hall.

I worked at the NSA headquarters while in the USAF, between 1968 and 1969. I never had anything to do with the FBI, though.

[frogmarch]

19. Yes, let's not

worry our pretty little heads over it.

[MineralMan]

21. It's not that. It's that we have no way to get

such information, really. We'll learn it, eventually, but the answers will come from other sources than random Internet posters. At this point, there's not a lot of need for worry about it at all. The answers will emerge.

[Maeve]

28. And most of the speculation was, and will be, wrong is some manner

Home-grown? Kind of. Islamic? Apparently. But not teabaggers, not Middle Eastern...most of what spec has been seen here and all over America was wrong in some fundamental. I'm with you--time will tell and guessing won't.

But have it, y'all. It's a free country.

[MineralMan]

30. That's usually the case. Lacking actual information,

we tend to speculate based on our limited knowledge. It's interesting to watch speculation in such cases, both on forums like DU, and elsewhere. Often, it seems like the same basic sets of prejudices appear regularly. Personally, I prefer to wait until the evidence is sufficient to form some sort of informed opinion. That often takes a good deal of time. This bombing was resolved rather quickly, I think, thanks to the hard work of everyone involved.

[Progressive dog]

32. Kind of broad brush, isn't it.

Everyone can also make broad generalizations about everyone. If we're patient, they'll come up with new ones.

[MineralMan]

34. Based on my explorations of Internet venues after

the Boston Marathon bombing, I don't think it's all that broad, really.

[Progressive dog]

37. Now that is serious bull.

You either frequent some strange websites or you don't understand the meaning of everyone.

[KharmaTrain]

33. Short Attention Span Theater...

...right now the ENG trucks are on their way to the next "big thing"...next week there'll be another tragedy or some political dogfight and this story will fade into the background noise. Of course it won't for the families whose lives have been tragically torn apart by this but hopefully they'll have peace to heal.

You are right...just as time and patience led to the best resolution of a very bad situation, the same will apply to the many questions surrounding the Tsarnaevs. In the meantime it's the nature of the beast for conjecture and speculation to run rampant until that also fades away...chasing the next "big" thing. Meanwhile the survivors will heal and the judicial system shall do its thing...

[MineralMan]

35. True. There will certainly be a next event

that will take most people's minds off this one. The Internet doesn't dwell long on most things, except for the odd conspiracy theory or two.