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{{Infobox BBS
| image = Archived-En.png
| file = mit.txt
| author = Unknown
| date = Unknown
| subject =
| orig_bbs = Unknown
| bbs_main_page = [[ParaNet Main Page]]
| key_words = ParaNet, UFO, Ufology
}}

<pre>

(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
-0600Received: by jabaru.cec.edu.au (CECNET/P-NET Mail Relay - Smail3.1.25.1
#25.4)
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)

--- 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)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(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
@SEEN-BY 104/2 422 428 605 107/816 30163/100 150 1012/3
@PATH: 30163/150 104/422
(1:30163/150)

</pre>

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