ParaNet BBS/mit

From KB42



ParaNet BBS/mit
File Name: mit.txt
Author: Unknown
Date: Unknown
Posting BBS: Unknown
BBS Main Page: ParaNet Main Page
Key Words: ParaNet, UFO, Ufology


(506)   Thu 4 Jun 92 10:16p     Rcvd: Sat 6 Jun  3:02a
By: Uucp, ParaNet(sm) Information Servi (104/422)
To: Michael Corbin
Re: Conference
St: Pvt  Kill  Rcvd
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Original: TO ... Michael Corbin of 1:104/422
* ReDirected Using ReDirect Version 1.00 (C)1989 David Nugent

From  scicom!csn.org!mcorbin
From: mcorbin@csn.org (Michael Corbin)
To:   scicom!mcorbin
Date: Thu, 4 Jun 1992 21:16:18 -0600

Received: from jabaru.cec.edu.au by teal.csn.org with SMTP id AA19646
  (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for <mcorbin@teal.csn.org>); Thu, 23 Apr 1992 07:36:20
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        id <m0le3de-0002lKC@jabaru.cec.edu.au>; Thu, 23 Apr 92 23:15 EST
Message-Id: <m0le3de-0002lKC@jabaru.cec.edu.au>
Date: Thu, 23 Apr 92 23:12:36 EST
From: mcorbin@tanus.cec.edu.au (Michael Corbin)
To: mcorbin@csn.org
Subject: Meeting
Status: R



--------Forwarded Message--------

>From d11258 Thu Apr 23 22:12:17 1992
Date: Thu, 23 Apr 92 22:12:17 EST
From: d11258 (Keith Basterfield)
To: mcorbin
Subject: Con
Cc: d11257

Details of the Boston conference follow:-
1. Conference chair is David Pritchard. Co-Chair is John Mack.
2. Conference committee is T E Bullard, B Hopkins, M Rodeghier, J Carpenter, D
Jacobs, M Swords, D Gotlib, P Kasey, W Webb, R Hall, J NYman.
3. Letter received by me dated 28 Feb 1992 opens with "We are organizing a
scientific conference to assess the similarities and differences in the
findings of various investigators studying people who report experiences of
abduction by aliens, and the related isues raised by this phenomenon..."
4. Boston area. June 13-17. By invitation only. Closed sessions. No media.
Research conference. Latest results to be shared.  Conference proceedings
hoped to be published. Aim to recruit more therapists to look into phenomenon.
That is about the gist of things Mike. Dave pritchard asks that the material
sent to me be not distributed to the media or general public. Hope this is of
value to you.

--------End Forwarded Message--------


INET: mcorbin@tanus.cec.edu.au

@Redirected Via Node 1:104/422 : Thu, Jun  4, 1992 10:17pm

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(5618)  Wed 17 Jun 92 12:24p
By: Robert Sheaffer
To: All
Re: Re: Closed Abductee Conference
St: Sent                                                Reply chain 5603  5619
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@UFGATE newsin 1.27
From: sheaffer@netcom.com (Robert Sheaffer)
Date: 17 Jun 92 14:13:52 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest)
Message-ID: <lzjld=_.sheaffer@netcom.com>
Newsgroups: alt.alien.visitors,sci.skeptic

In article <1161@sousa.ltn.dec.com> bottom@hawk1.enet.dec.com () writes:
>
>re:
>>The problem is, anyone attending the conference has to sign a
"confidentiality
>>agreement."
>>
>>        Robert Sheaffer - Scepticus Maximus - sheaffer@netcom.com
>
>Mr. Scheaffer get a life, this is absolutely untrue.
>dave
>




             (This  is the confidentiality agreement sent by mail to  all
             persons registering for the "Abduction Study Conference"  at
             M.I.T.,  June 13-17, 1992. It was necessary to sign this  to
             receive confirmation of registration.)



                           Abduction Study Conference

         Conferee's Agreement (a condition of attendance at conference)

        1.   In  order  to  foster free discussion,  this  conference  is
             closed  to the press. I agree not to indicate in any  public
             forum who said what at this conference--the proceedings will
             be  the only quotable conference reference. (Of  course  you
             can  reference something as "Dr. X,  private  communication"
             after  you  have checked that this is OK with  Dr.  X;  just
             don't  say  that she said it at the M.I.T.  Abduction  Study
             Conference.)

        2.   I agree not to record the conference proceedings.

        3.   I  acknowledge  that I can't bring guests into  the  meeting
             rooms. (Guests who purchase the special food badge can  join
             the conferees at coffee breaks and meals.)

        4.   I  certify  that  any written material which  I  submit  for
             inclusion  in  the conference proceedings has not  been  and
             will  not  be submitted for  publication  elsewhere,  except
             possibly in a book in which I am the principle (sic) author.
             I   transfer  all  right,           title,   and   copyright
             permission to David E. Pritchard and John E. Mack,  editors,
             so they can register copyright for this material as part  of
             the proceedings of this     conference.

        5.   I  grant permission for the conference organizers to  record
             my  presentations,  comments, and  questions  for  inclusion
             (slightly edited) in the conference proceedings. I do []  do
             not [] want my questions and comments to be identified  with
             my conference name.

        SIGNED ______________________________________________


                                      (end)




             (However, upon arrival at the registration desk,  conference
             attendees   were  required  to  sign  the  following,   more
             restrictive confidentiality agreement.)


                              Conferee's Agreement
            (a condition of attendance at Abduction Study Conference)

        1.   In   order  to  foster  free  discussion  and  protect   the
             identities  of participants and attendees, this is a  closed
             scientific meeting. It is emphatically closed to the  press,
             and  I  agree  not to discuss with any reporter  or  in  any
             public  forum or publication any of the following:  material
             in  the abstracts book for this meeting, what transpired  at
             this  meeting,  or  who  said  what  at  this   meeting--the
             proceedings will be the only quotable meeting reference. (Of
             course you can reference what Dr. X says to you privately as
             "private communication, Dr. X"; just don't say that she said
             it at the meeting at M.I.T.)

        2.   I agree not to tape record the meeting.

        3.   I  acknowledge  that I can't bring guests into  the  meeting
             room.

        4.   I  grant  permission  for the  meeting  organizers  to  tape
             record,  transcribe, and edit my comments and questions  for
             inclusion in the meeting proceedings.

        5.   I  certify  that  any written material which  I  submit  for
             inclusion  in  the conference proceedings has not  been  and
             will not be submitted for publication elsewhere, except  for
             a book of which I am the principle (sic) author. I  transfer
             all  right,  title,  and copyright permission  to  David  E.
             Pritchard  and John E. Mack, editors, so they  can  register
             copyright  for this material as part of the  proceedings  of
             this conference.

        6.   I  realize  that  MIT has not  sponsored  or  endorsed  this
             meeting,  but only has allowed the conference organizers  to
             use its facilities. I won't call this the M.I.T.  conference
             even  after  the  proceedings  come  out--it  will  be   the
             [Abduction Study] Conference at MIT.

        SIGNED ____________________________________________________





--

        Robert Sheaffer - Scepticus Maximus - sheaffer@netcom.com

 Past Chairman, The Bay Area Skeptics - for whom I speak only when authorized!

    "Every psychic investigator of [the medium] Mrs. Piper was impressed
     by her simplicity and honesty. It never occurred to them that no
     charlatan ever achieves greatness by acting like a charlatan. No
     professional spy acts like a spy. No card cheat behaves at the
     table like a card cheat."
                               - Martin Gardner  (writing in "Free Inquiry",
                                                  Spring, 1992)

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------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(5867)  Fri 19 Jun 92  6:05p
By: Robert Sheaffer
To: All
Re: Re: Closed Abductee Conference
St: Sent                                                Reply chain 5650  5987
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@UFGATE newsin 1.27
From: sheaffer@netcom.com (Robert Sheaffer)
Date: 19 Jun 92 17:41:21 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest)
Message-ID: <x5lll7p.sheaffer@netcom.com>
Newsgroups: alt.alien.visitors

In article <138688.2A3FC93A@paranet.FIDONET.ORG>
Michael.Corbin@p0.f428.n104.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Michael Corbin) writes:
>
>On another note, since you posted the actual agreement, I would ask you to
>provide me with information as to who you got this copy from, either via
>netmail or in this conference in order that we may verify its accuracy.  If
>this is an accurate rendition of the actual agreement that the attendees
>signed, I feel the tone of the agreement spells more trouble for legit
>research as I strongly condemn anything that is done as scientific research
>which is conducted under cover.  After reading the agreement, I also feel it
>is simply another attempt by an up and coming future abduction author to make
>more money at publishing stories and not doing anything toward legit research
>that would gain an understanding of what is really going on.  If this is the
>case, I will publicly condemn it.  I would also question why the attendees
>would blatantly sign over their rights to Pritchard and Mack and allow them to

>shroud this in secrecy.
>
There is not the slightest doubt as to the authenticity and accuracy of the
"confidentiality agreement" that I posted. I attended the MIT conference as
the sole representative of skeptic-dom. The first version of the agreement
was received via FAX as part of the conference announcement; the second
version was handed me by Dave Pritchard himself as I arrived at the
registration desk. Everyone attending signed it, as there wasn't any
choice.

Contrary to what someone previously posted, the purpose of the
"Abduction Study Conference" was not theraputic; rather, it was to
share information.

--

        Robert Sheaffer - Scepticus Maximus - sheaffer@netcom.com

 Past Chairman, The Bay Area Skeptics - for whom I speak only when authorized!

    "Every psychic investigator of [the medium] Mrs. Piper was impressed
     by her simplicity and honesty. It never occurred to them that no
     charlatan ever achieves greatness by acting like a charlatan. No
     professional spy acts like a spy. No card cheat behaves at the
     table like a card cheat."
                               - Martin Gardner  (writing in "Free Inquiry",
                                                  Spring, 1992)

--- ConfMail V4.00
 * Origin: Paranet(sm) - The world's leading UFO Investigative News Network
@SEEN-BY 104/2 422 428 605 107/816 30163/100 150 1012/3
@PATH: 30163/150 104/422
(1:30163/150)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(6134)  Mon 22 Jun 92  6:02p
By: Anson Kennedy
To: All
Re: Re: Closed Abductee Conference
St: Sent                                                Reply chain 6127  6135
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@UFGATE newsin 1.27
From: anson@netcom.com (Anson Kennedy)
Date: 22 Jun 92 17:02:32 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest)
Message-ID: <h4pl=jm.anson@netcom.com>
Newsgroups: alt.alien.visitors

dona@bilver.uucp (Don Allen) writes:

[Quote of my cogent and succinct criticism of the secrecy surrounding
 the "Abduction Study Confernce AT MIT" (but NOT sponsored BY MIT) deleted...]

>Well...there you go again Anson..you're thinking too clearly :-)

If clear thinking is a crime, then I am guilty! ;-)

But seriously, if abduction research is going even *more* underground, then
it is becoming more and more like alchemy in the Middle Ages.  Every researcher
will have his own secret base of knowledge and will keep it under as much
control as possible to avoid anyone else attaining the Philosopher's Stone
of abduction research (whatever *that* turns out to be).

I find it rather disgusting.  It does nothing to garner abductionists the
legitimacy they so desperately seem to crave and *does* tend to give the
impression that even *they* feel the subject isn't as valid as they want us
to believe.

End of sermon. :-)
--

Anson Kennedy
anson@netcom.com
Secretary of the Georgia Skeptics (but don't even THINK I speak for them!)

"If you don't watch the violence,    \           "If I had been the Virgin
Mary,
you'll never get desensitized to it."  \                I would have said
'No.'"
-Bart Simpson                            \  -Margaret "Stevie" Smith
(1902-1971)

--- ConfMail V4.00
 * Origin: Paranet(sm) - The world's leading UFO Investigative News Network
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