Great article. Most important part:

You have to know yourself before you can (somewhat) accurately analyze the effects specific nootropics have on you. This means understanding how your mind habitually follows its genetic instructions. (Heuristics and biases that can be mitigated by meta-cognition). It also entails understanding how the world works in general, which you can accomplish by reading a lot.

1. Be Crystal Clear
2. Think Like a Scientist
3. Spend 90% of your researching time on side-effects, remedies and interactions
4. Start small
5. Listen to your body and mind

There's a level at which the whole nootropics thing depends on people just being willing to research rigorously and test themselves properly and non-abusively, the protocol for which these kind of articles help establish.

I like nootropics and am a total slattern for B complex and caffeine. My friends are a bit big on sulbutiamine because of athletics and general horniness, but I know I like it too much to do it except maybe twice a year. I can never decide if this kinda thing should be regulated or not. I'm a completely ascientific dumbass, and if I can regulate myself, and listen to this kind of article, then surely others can.

Surey I can't assume the general public is dumber than I am.