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What does the Internet Age have in store for UFO research?

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posted on Feb, 11 2011 @ 04:42 PM
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Since the invention of the Internet, things have changed within Ufology.

The old big, centralised UFO groups and publications have been failing one by one.

There are some indications that the biggest group, MUFON, may be disintegrating or at least becoming less significant to UFO investigation and research.

Here in England, BUFORA still exists but in a very different form to a few years ago. BUFORA's own website states:

www.bufora.org.uk...


Sightings, reports, public interest, lecture and conference audiences and enthusiasm amongst ufologists themselves have all been in steady decline since the late ‘90s. The growth of internet sites and forums has dealt a heavy blow to the hands-on, social exchange of information and research. Ufology has ebbed and flowed in this way many times since its inception in the late ‘40s, and no doubt will be reborn anew when the next big public case hits the tabloids. Ufology has always had a decidedly sociological element, and this fact is one of the many psychosocial aspects that BUFORA has always conceded. The days of “flying saucer enthusiasts” and skywatches on windy hilltops have long gone. The subject has evolved in both content and sophistication, and so has BUFORA.

In November of 2005, the membership voted to restructure the Association in a way that would reflect the changing attitudes and habits of those interested. Paid membership has been discarded, the printed Journal has ceased and the regular lecture programme has been suspended. BUFORA is now concentrating its efforts and resources on this website, which will be the sole vehicle for disseminating research, investigation reports, news and articles.


Several UFO publications have folded in the last few years, blaming (among other things) the freely available and up-to-date information on the Internet for their inability to survive.

Is the above statement by BUFORA right to say that "The growth of internet sites and forums has dealt a heavy blow to the hands-on, social exchange of information and research"? Surely internet sites and forums have INCREASED the social exchange of information and research, rather than dealt them a "heavy blow"?

But has the increased ability to communicate - by email, on forums via social media websites - improved UFO research? I'm far from convinced.

It seems to me (although I wonder if others share my perception) that the rate of turnover of those interested in UFO research has increased and with it the amount of reinvention of the wheel. Perhaps the sheer volume of data (as opposed to information) now available is so overwhelming that people simply get fed up with the deluge of material - particularly since it may seem that there are no quick and easy way of identifying the material which is worth examining.

What about the search tools that are now available? From Google to various Firefox plug-ins, the ways of finding and storing information relevant to UFO research have increased dramatically - but are those tools being fully utilised?

At the moment, there seems to me to be fairly wide divide between the search and technological abilities of members of some Internet forums and the use of such tools by the older and more established members of the UFO research community. Perhaps these things simply take quite a while to get adopted by people that are, presumably, on average somewhat older than the members of ATS.

But can't the divide be bridged so that younger, more energetic and technologically savvy work more closely with the older and most experienced researchers?

Have the changes in the last few years been positive or negative for UFO research?

All the best,

Isaac



posted on Feb, 11 2011 @ 04:55 PM
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reply to post by IsaacKoi
 


Lots of hoaxes, im sure.



posted on Feb, 11 2011 @ 04:58 PM
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In my own opinion, I think that the internet is very open with information. Which is equally good and bad. It is good because it connects all UFO researchers and information very easily and fast. It is bad because the same openess attributes to hoaxes, hiding, cover-ups, disinformation, deletion, and so on and so fourth.

Which leads me to conclude that if there were video or photo evidence it would best be seen physically so that it may not be manipulated on the internet. if anyone were to upload something to the internet deemed as hard proof, Just remember to have a copy and be prepared to be debunked.



posted on Feb, 11 2011 @ 05:00 PM
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no ufos-thats why interest is fadeing fast except for hard core ufoers--a craft seen today would have to be a government invention.



posted on Feb, 11 2011 @ 05:02 PM
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too many government agencies and disinformation agents working it to get to the bottom of anything.

I have my true life encounters to keep me satisfied the phenomenon is real, and so does the millions of others around the world and that's the only thing that truly matters



posted on Feb, 11 2011 @ 05:03 PM
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reply to post by itsawild1
 


just keep telling yourself that and everything will be just fine



posted on Feb, 11 2011 @ 05:09 PM
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Originally posted by SunTzu22
reply to post by IsaacKoi
 


Lots of hoaxes, im sure.



NEW HOTLINE POLICIES - Because the steady stream of pranks and obscene telephone calls has not abated, we are considering a change in our policy regarding staffing of the Hotline. On a typical day, 50-80 percent of the calls we receive are hoaxes and pranks, more often than not, accompanied by some of the worst profanity a person could imagine. This situation is having a deleterious effect on the Director, and we are going to have to fight back, if the National UFO Reporting Center is going to continue providing its service to the public. We will be posting those new policies, which may include posting of the telephone numbers of the individuals who continue to pester our operations. Perhaps visitors to our website could induce these cretins to stop disturbing us with their foolishness.
www.mufon.com...



To the direct topic at hand: It would seem that both aspects should go hand-in-hand: Old school & technology.

I don't know if there's a correlation here, but in my field of media production "digital" has been both a blessing and a curse. Things have changed for good but not necessarily for the good in all aspects. Always seems to be a trade off in this life.



posted on Feb, 11 2011 @ 05:24 PM
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Originally posted by IsaacKoi
Perhaps the sheer volume of data (as opposed to information) now available is so overwhelming that people simply get fed up with the deluge of material - particularly since it may seem that there are no quick and easy way of identifying the material which is worth examining.


I think so, there's too much garbage out there. But places like ATS is, or at least can be, of great help by reviewing this information. But sadly, many knowledgable and in my opinion important members have chosen to leave ATS, many out of protest.



posted on Feb, 11 2011 @ 05:27 PM
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Originally posted by IsaacKoi
Since the invention of the Internet, things have changed within Ufology.

The old big, centralised UFO groups and publications have been failing one by one.

There are some indications that the biggest group, MUFON, may be disintegrating or at least becoming less significant to UFO investigation and research.

Here in England, BUFORA still exists but in a very different form to a few years ago. BUFORA's own website states:

www.bufora.org.uk...


Sightings, reports, public interest, lecture and conference audiences and enthusiasm amongst ufologists themselves have all been in steady decline since the late ‘90s. The growth of internet sites and forums has dealt a heavy blow to the hands-on, social exchange of information and research. Ufology has ebbed and flowed in this way many times since its inception in the late ‘40s, and no doubt will be reborn anew when the next big public case hits the tabloids. Ufology has always had a decidedly sociological element, and this fact is one of the many psychosocial aspects that BUFORA has always conceded. The days of “flying saucer enthusiasts” and skywatches on windy hilltops have long gone. The subject has evolved in both content and sophistication, and so has BUFORA.

In November of 2005, the membership voted to restructure the Association in a way that would reflect the changing attitudes and habits of those interested. Paid membership has been discarded, the printed Journal has ceased and the regular lecture programme has been suspended. BUFORA is now concentrating its efforts and resources on this website, which will be the sole vehicle for disseminating research, investigation reports, news and articles.


Several UFO publications have folded in the last few years, blaming (among other things) the freely available and up-to-date information on the Internet for their inability to survive.

Is the above statement by BUFORA right to say that "The growth of internet sites and forums has dealt a heavy blow to the hands-on, social exchange of information and research"? Surely internet sites and forums have INCREASED the social exchange of information and research, rather than dealt them a "heavy blow"?

But has the increased ability to communicate - by email, on forums via social media websites - improved UFO research? I'm far from convinced.

It seems to me (although I wonder if others share my perception) that the rate of turnover of those interested in UFO research has increased and with it the amount of reinvention of the wheel. Perhaps the sheer volume of data (as opposed to information) now available is so overwhelming that people simply get fed up with the deluge of material - particularly since it may seem that there are no quick and easy way of identifying the material which is worth examining.

What about the search tools that are now available? From Google to various Firefox plug-ins, the ways of finding and storing information relevant to UFO research have increased dramatically - but are those tools being fully utilised?

At the moment, there seems to me to be fairly wide divide between the search and technological abilities of members of some Internet forums and the use of such tools by the older and more established members of the UFO research community. Perhaps these things simply take quite a while to get adopted by people that are, presumably, on average somewhat older than the members of ATS.

But can't the divide be bridged so that younger, more energetic and technologically savvy work more closely with the older and most experienced researchers?

Have the changes in the last few years been positive or negative for UFO research?

All the best,

Isaac


Wild speculation spreading like forest fire with no basis in fact. We see it here on a daily basis absurd claims with nothing to support it, apart from somebody feels it maybe true.

More arm chair detectives who lack critical thinking, adopting truths without even investigating and helping to spread the forest fire.

Ultimately misinformation from those within, but there are obviously those who know better and try to act responsibly rather than spreading misinformation, or being naive.



posted on Feb, 11 2011 @ 05:29 PM
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Endless youtube videos made with adobe after effects and equally endless photoshops, thats what it's produced so far.
At least in the old day is you wanted to fake a UFO you had to drive to the shops to buy a pie dish, not you don't even have to do that.

I find publications like the Fortean times still have far more thought provoking, in depth and well researched articles in one edition then a million badly written ufo hobby pages.



posted on Feb, 11 2011 @ 05:33 PM
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What does the Internet Age have in store for UFO research?

Education on how to get rich on UFO scams

Total annihilation of any dignity UFOlogy had left

Saturation with false info that will be accepted as real over top of the real data, because the noise is stronger than the signal

I offer this as prime example;
"laser signal received from Gleise 581"

Just look around the internet and you will see this error repeated, echoed and cloned... while the correction is buried. (at least here at ATS we got it right... finally
)

If that can happen with such a story by a simple misreading of the original news story by even main stream papers, you can imagine what is happening with any UFO related story.

UFOlogy will perish and the Government doesn't need to lift a finger

edit on 11-2-2011 by zorgon because: Chadwickus talked to ArMaP to convince Phage to do it, even though Aliens abducted him



posted on Feb, 11 2011 @ 05:45 PM
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What people are also forgetting to include is the leap from manual photography to digital. Digital cameras hit the scene in the late 90's, coupled with faster computers and editing programs, has essentially spread Ufology too thin. In the days of manual photography, manipulation was much harder to do and involved special equipment that the average prankster would not have. It was also much easier to spot hoaxes back then, as they had very few ways of manipulation. It was either a real object, super-imposed, or burnt on in a dark room. Since the late 90's hoaxing has been as simple as cut+paste. Now, flood the internet with these hoaxes and one can see why the older generation of Ufologists is concerned. The older generation should lift their heads up in pride and realize that they have more legit sources and ways of getting government documents than any of "us" combined.

I can just hear them now....."back in my day we had to walk to school, in the snow, uphill, both ways.........yada yada yada
edit on 2/11/2011 by CastleMadeOfSand because: duh



posted on Feb, 11 2011 @ 09:32 PM
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Originally posted by cripmeister

Originally posted by IsaacKoi
Perhaps the sheer volume of data (as opposed to information) now available is so overwhelming that people simply get fed up with the deluge of material - particularly since it may seem that there are no quick and easy way of identifying the material which is worth examining.


I think so, there's too much garbage out there. But places like ATS is, or at least can be, of great help by reviewing this information. But sadly, many knowledgable and in my opinion important members have chosen to leave ATS, many out of protest.


The garbage is not there by chance. Do you really think normal people spend hour after hour of their time posting garbage UFO footage and reports on the internet? Is that really likely?



posted on Feb, 11 2011 @ 09:38 PM
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Originally posted by Pimander

Originally posted by cripmeister

Originally posted by IsaacKoi
Perhaps the sheer volume of data (as opposed to information) now available is so overwhelming that people simply get fed up with the deluge of material - particularly since it may seem that there are no quick and easy way of identifying the material which is worth examining.


I think so, there's too much garbage out there. But places like ATS is, or at least can be, of great help by reviewing this information. But sadly, many knowledgable and in my opinion important members have chosen to leave ATS, many out of protest.


The garbage is not there by chance. Do you really think normal people spend hour after hour of their time posting garbage UFO footage and reports on the internet? Is that really likely?


Sorry but I'm not sure I follow



posted on Feb, 11 2011 @ 10:24 PM
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From what I've seen, vast amounts of archival information available to anyone. If you know how to follow your nose and add two plus two, you might be surprised what's just sitting out there waiting to be discovered. I never expected I'd turn up what I have in barely a year and a half. There's so much more and you'll never know if you don't look.

ufopartisan.blogspot.com...



posted on Feb, 12 2011 @ 02:17 AM
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reply to post by IsaacKoi
 
It’s an interesting question and just as interesting if we reverse it and ask what UFO research has in store for the Internet Age? Not a great deal, I suspect. As much as the world has been changed by the Web, ufology has changed too.

There doesn’t seem to be the same frequency of significant sightings or persuasive evidence appearing. From the ‘40s and into the ‘70s, major cases occurred almost every year with waves and flaps making some years stand out further. As we drifted into the late 80s and the beginnings of the Internet Age, UFO incidents have tailed off in significance even as sightings have apparently increased.

If this is the case, researchers (BUFORA) are inaccurate in attributing the majority of blame to the internet for damaging the “hands-on, social exchange of information and research." Maybe the real world exchange of information has been dealt ‘a heavy blow’ by the simple lack of incidents worth investigating? Also, perhaps researchers are too focused on defending their positions and perspectives on the UFO phenomena? In my limited experience, some of them spend a lot of time name-calling and ridiculing the ideas of others. Boredom can often lead to picking fault with others. Whilst this kind of activity is entertaining to read (Hopkins/Jacobs fiasco for example), it’s hardly advancing anything.

I like your idea of more experienced researchers working in tandem with younger people, but where are they? I can’t think of a known researcher any younger than mid-40s. If there’s an absence of young blood, there’s also an absence of new ideas despite the internet. When was the last new idea? It wasn’t Mac Tonnies’ ‘cryptoterrestrials’ as that was a reinvention of an older idea. All I can think of is the '___' explanation or the Interdimensional Hypothesis and they’ve been around since before I was born.


Have the changes in the last few years been positive or negative for UFO research?


Certainly both with perhaps more weight on the negative side. Researchers are chasing fewer cases because there are fewer incidents. To a degree, they are waiting for the next event and when it comes, they can’t ‘own’ it; it’ll be splashed across the internet within hours. Ufologists need an income/incentive to conduct research and who’s going to buy their books or DVDs if the information is readily available on-line? It’s kicked the stuffing out of the ‘business-end’ of ufology.



posted on Feb, 12 2011 @ 02:42 AM
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Originally posted by Pimander
The garbage is not there by chance. Do you really think normal people spend hour after hour of their time posting garbage UFO footage and reports on the internet? Is that really likely?


Your right
They are not normal
but they aren't government agents either+. Just look at the average youtube commenter and you have your answer



posted on Feb, 12 2011 @ 02:59 AM
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Awareness can be raised with the internet, and the whole field should be transformed. The problem is hoaxers, and better quality fake pics and videos.

One thing I've had in mind over the last day or so is to set up a site that presents the 'facts' about many sightings and cases, the military's history with aircraft, and also a kind of database of known hoaxes and how the hoaxers did them. Not sure if I'm ever going to get that idea off the ground, but we need a lot better quality sites with the relevant information. If we're serious about pushing this we need to be taken seriously as a group, and also having a network of sites that are under regular review would help the information spread as well.

No speculation, no astral contacts, predictions, or prophecies, just the best cases with no pushing of any agendas, and other info on hoaxes and aircraft. The type of thing that believers or skeptics can use and benefit from as equally as possible. If that can be done properly by several people using connected sites, it might be a decent forward step.

I don't think we need MUFON's or BUFORA's nowadays like we used to, but instead good quality networks.

ufoevidence.org is an example of the type of site I'm thinking about, just a shame it has popup ads as that instantly turns a lot of people off. I've not fully checked that place but it seems like one of the best. I can't see a hoax section either, which I think is as important as anything else at this stage. We need to show the hoaxers up for what they are, and let them know that if they're going to carry on hoaxing we'll have their scams exposed, explained, and plastered all over the net for all to see.
edit on 12-2-2011 by Hitoshura because: (no reason given)



posted on Feb, 12 2011 @ 03:46 AM
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Originally posted by Hitoshura
I don't think we need MUFON's or BUFORA's nowadays like we used to, but instead good quality networks.



YEAH There ya go" Toss out the old... in with the new ATSUFON (at-soo-fon) We gotz the prime investigation team here


We get to the bottom of things quickly... well mostly... well okay... but hey were good


ATSUFON Field trip...



Image Source



posted on Feb, 12 2011 @ 04:01 AM
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Originally posted by zorgon

YEAH There ya go" Toss out the old... in with the new ATSUFON (at-soo-fon) We gotz the prime investigation team here


We get to the bottom of things quickly... well mostly... well okay... but hey were good


ATSUFON Field trip...



Image Source



Haha! If we have sites that show pics like that, I'm pretty sure the skeptics will finally cave and realise we were right all along.

Think I might have a go at what I said in the last post anyway. I've already made several sites so have experience on that side, and have plenty of content ideas. Hopefully if I'm still here in 6 months I'll have a link to the place in my sig. Time to put my money where my mouth is.
edit on 12-2-2011 by Hitoshura because: (no reason given)



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