Surprise is a useful emotion for noticing that your model needs updating. There's no need to suppress the emotion - better to notice it. This is a kind of core principle in rationality - sort of the little sister of noticing confusion[1]. I think I'm pretty well trained at noticing surprise and using at as a signal to look for more information, and that was, in fact the purpose of my comment.

I don't post comments to demonstrate my cleverness (I hope). I post to tell about an interesting experience, make a careful argument, answer a question about which I'm knowledgeable, or solicit feedback. An expression of surprise for me is a solicitation for information. I was hoping someone with more domain knowledge would have some insight that I could integrate into my model. I realize that some people do just post comments to show their cleverness, and there's no way you could have known my intent without knowing me, so that feedback is well taken. I'll try to be clearer in the future about my intent.

I absolutely agree that what I said probably wouldn't work - no need to apologize! The prior probability for P(simple solution not used by experts | simple solution obvious to a non-expert) is low.

[1] http://lesswrong.com/lw/if/your_strength_as_a_rationalist/

Okay that makes a lot of sense. The way LessWrong uses the word "surprise" there is a little bit different than how it's used in day-to-day language, where it also carries a (subtle) value judgement, as opposed to being exclusively rational signal that ones model needs updating. Hence my confusion.

now I doubt we'll get an expert with domain knowledge to jump in after five days though :)