Welcome Thread - New Members Post Here

[Pete Tar]

Hi and welcome - just remember, we don't want to alienate people by using such terms, hence the politeness policy.

 

[tadaaa]

Sure, point taken pete - and apologies

My frustration got the better of me

 

[Bunnykinns]

Looking forward to contributing to the discussion on this website. I'm a lifelong avgeek, but I also have serious questions about those "persistent contrails". I have read some postings that have urged me to post some questions in response, and present some info of my own. ( I may on occasion need to increase my dose of Prozac in order to stay composed/keep the gaskets from blowing, but hopefully we can respectfully agree to disagree on points. )
I am open minded and if compelling evidence sways my thinking, I'm willing to shift my views, but some " anomalies" still concern me ( as they do for many ppl around the world ). I'm just a citizen seeking the truth, bottom line.


"Comforting the afflicted, afflicting the comfortable."

 

[Critical Thinker]

( I may on occasion need to increase my dose of Prozac in order to stay composed/keep the gaskets from blowing, but hopefully we can respectfully agree to disagree on points. )

Welcome to Metabunk, Bunnykinns. Members are always encouraged to read and follow the posting rules. There is a search box in the upper right corner that will allow you to search the forums to see if a topic is already being discussed. Much of the discussion is not of the sort where members agree to disagree, as this site exams Verifiable Facts (not opinions), Verifiable Science (not whether or not someone trusts Science) and uses Logic and Critical Thinking (avoiding Logical Fallacies) to sort things out in order to determine whether a claim holds water or if it is Bunk (BS). When members make a claim, this site asks that they provide a link to verifiable/reputable source(s) that back up that claim. There are some threads in Chitchat and in other areas which are geared more towards sharing of opinion, and agreeing to disagree is the best we can do when something is solely a matter of opinion. However, the majority of the threads that discuss the Facts, Science and Evidence in order to determine if a claim is Bunk or Truth (that you are seeking) do not lend themselves to agreeing to disagree. Some things are either True or False.

 

[WeedWhacker]

I'm a lifelong avgeek, but I also have serious questions about those "persistent contrails"

This isn't the proper thread (perhaps) for me to 'butt in'...but (smile) I saw "avgeek" in your post and knew immediately the reference. As a pilot for (now counting....well, over 40 years at this point) perhaps I have some level of perspective. However, that can be discussed in other appropriate threads...meanwhile? Welcome to the 'community', and enjoy the pleasure of our company (oh my...that sounded a bit pompous, didn't it??).

 

[hollywould]

Hi. I first heard about chemtrails from my husband, who said there was a clandestine operation taking place to attempt to combat the effects of global warming by putting large amounts of reflective particles into the atmosphere. He said Bill Gates was a major contributor to the project. I am embarrassed to admit I didn't question it, but other than tarnishing the favorable image I have of Gates, I didn't think much about it. About 6 months ago, a friend of ours, whose brother is an airline pilot, told us his brother thought chemtrails were a joke. Until then I hadn't realized there was any kind of controversy or dissenting opinion. Then, in January, my husband took a trip to Florida and while there posted a pic on Facebook of contrails that suddenly ended, with the comment, "Pretty blatant!" I wondered if there was an explanation for a contrail suddenly stopping (without it being a chemtrail that the pilot had turned off). So, I googled it, and 10 seconds later had a wealth of information at my fingertips. Thus began my investigation into contrails/chemtrails. I'm pleased to say that when I seriously began the investigation, my critical thinking skills allowed me, very quickly, to discredit chemtrails. How I wish I could say the same for my husband! Hopefully I'm not the only one whose marital harmony has suffered over this ludicrous conspiracy.

I've actually enjoyed learning about contrails and other things pertaining to the atmosphere. I was really surprised to learn that contrails impact climate more than the emissions from burning jet fuel!! As I continue to explore this matter, I am developing an actual contempt for the "journalism" that chemtrail sites employ to delude their gullible advocates. There is NO integrity to be found in such shoddy journalism. I'm being generous in describing it as journalism, as so much of it is deliberate deception. Shame, shame.

 

[AltoidSBS]

Hello all! Longtime reader of the site, but only now posting and hoping to occasionally contribute. I'm a big fan of conspiracy theories (learning about and debunking them, not believing them) and rationalism. I work as a newspaper reporter, so a large part of my living is based on verifying claims and checking facts.

I look forward to reading even more on Metabunk, and perhaps jumping in when I'm knowledgeable on the topic at hand.

 

[Martin Mostert]

Hi there everyone
I stumbled across this site trying to check up a dodgy-seeming Schopenhauer attribution on an Islamic website. I am a theologian, teaching a few freelance courses at Cornerstone Institute and the Bible Institute in Cape Town. I am currently working on my PhD and this is officially RIU (recreational internet usage) for me

 

[Bess Houdini]

I

This thread is for any first time poster to (optionally) post an introductory "hi everyone" post, which will also get you "verified" (meaning you can post without anti-spam restrictions) once it has been approved.

A few words on who you are and how you ended up here would be appreciated. Or just say hi!

W

Hey, I am Brainiac, and welcome on board! Do invite your local grocer to join us please.

Hi every one my name is Bess I ended up on here through a post on Facebook I never knew this site existed I look forward to making new friends and sharing information

 

[Efftup]

Welcome to all the new people. Please do contribute where you can.

 

[Pigeonkak]

Hi everyone. It occurred to me today that I never properly introduced myself in this thread.

As a kid I was pretty wide eyed. I was a great deal more religious than I am today, and equally fascinated by things both supernatural and fantastical. As I grew up (which I really can't recommend to anyone) many of the subjects I adored lost their shine. I started to see an almost willful disregard for facts by people around me. I still loved a good conspiracy theory, but as a story in itself. But I was seeing friends and strangers indulge in wild theories instead of actually speaking truth to power or trying to improve society. It was as if simply believing that their was some evil afoot was enough. Being a journalist by profession, I couldn't resist constantly engaging these theories and challenging the logical fallacies and factual inaccuracies. This lead me here.

But what's great about Metabunk is it requires input, sets standards and through this strengthens debunking arguments. It's just like reporting news: it may start slightly inaccurate but will get more accurate and authoritative over time with ethical reporting and self correction - a standard woefully lacking on conspiracy peddling sites.

I'm glad I am able to contribute. And I look forward to contributions to my understanding too.

 

[Justin L. Franks]

Hello everyone, I'm fairly new to the debunking scene. Over the past few months I've become quite interested in the chemtrail hypothesis, and have made plenty of comments on Youtube chemtrail videos (same name as my username here but without the middle initial, it's my real name but I've already been told multiple times that I'm apparently not a real person). I've also been called a paid shill more times than I can count.

On one hand it's all quite amusing, but on the other hand, I've come to realize how important it is to try to dispel all the misinformation. Scientific literacy is very necessary, and it is clear that most believers of the chemtrail hypothesis just don't have a grasp of the most basic meteorological and aviation science. I always try to remain polite, but it is sometimes hard not to get angry when you are constantly accused of knowing the "horrible truth" but don't care because of a fat government paycheck.

 

[bbnews]

Hello, I'm bbnews, a Swedish skeptic. I saw this site on the Blogroll when I joined the Practical Skepticism site.

 

[HahnaZ]

Hello, glad to have joined this site. Unfortunately I've succumbed to a lot of fear mongering on LHC and would love to see some facts.. More importantly rumors debunked.

 

[Landru]

Hello, glad to have joined this site. Unfortunately I've succumbed to a lot of fear mongering on LHC and would love to see some facts.. More importantly rumors debunked.

What is LHC?

 

[HahnaZ]

What is LHC?

Large Hadron Collider, based and operated by CERN

 

[infinity10]

Finally have signed up here, previously just reading threads only.

 

[Jeremy]

Hello, long-time lurker, first-time poster here.

I'd describe myself as a recovering conspiracy theorist.

 

[vonmazur]

Hi everyone, I am a Combat Vet, two tours as an Aviator in Nam, historian, and specialize in the history of aviation, recent wars, and small arms...not as an ordinary gun collector, but as one interested in the methods of manufacture, issue and usage and the reasons thereof. Also, I am tired of the "woo" which seems to be everywhere these days. When I was in Nam, I flew Al Haig around for a while, before he was famous. He told me, during a discussion of what passed for the internet in those days; "Any conspiracy known to anyone with a mimeograph machine and a mailing list, is not a conspiracy....." We were discussing JFK theories at the time....

I hope to contribute here without posting any "Woo"! Of course, sometimes it is a matter of perspective, but I can agree that the rules of logic and Occam's Razor are beyond dispute...

Allow me to list some of the woo that bothers me, inter alia; Chemtrails, 911, NWO, LHC, Alex Jones types and their materiel, moon landing, and some others that are really hard to take, like the perennial Rothschild bankers' plots and other similar subjects, I find this one really offensive to anyone who is rational....

Dale in Alabama

 

[dlandelle]

Hi, this is my first post.
I have been a reader for a while, and sometimes frustrated.
I do not believe in god, I am skeptical about History in general, because it is written by winner, who obviously are more violent than the loosing deads ;-)

 

[WeedWhacker]

Al Haig around for a while, before he was famous. He told me, during a discussion of what passed for the internet in those days; "Any conspiracy known to anyone with a mimeograph machine and a mailing list, is not a conspiracy....." We were discussing JFK theories at the time....

This segment quoted? Just stood out to me, personally. For no particular reason, I just thought it needed to be emphasized.

I have no actual knowledge of the era in question....(not that old, actually)...but I read a lot.

Just looking at the quote again? Makes me chuckle even more. So, just writing here to add a "welcome"...your post was very interesting.
(Of course, ALL 'new member' posts are equally interesting...of course....).....

 

[vonmazur]

It was a most interesting experience, for a 19 year old Army Aviator...I grew up in Texas and listened to all the late night low power AM stations, everything that the current CTer's have presented, was heard then, with few exceptions based on actual events...1952 to 1957...Vietnam was a little later on...1965 to 1970...I only mentioned this above, to underline the ancient origin of some of the current crop of CT promoters.....

 

[highlander733]

I am new to this forum. I was drawn here looking for explanation of huge "sphere" near the sun back in march 2012. I found a satisfactory explanation provided by Mick West. I will post more of my thoughts in that thread. Thank you.

 

[RCH]

My name is Rene and I got here yesterday through directly linked news article about MH370 and got intrigued about the content of this site.

 

[ErinLee]

Aloha from Hawaii! This is the first forum I've ever joined, mainly because I find myself reading the banter on a regular basis. Perhaps I'll have something share sometime

 

[Leighton]

Hi evreyone, new here! Nice to be part if the community

 

[Efftup]

Welcome all the new people!!! Don;t be afraid to post opinions or ask questions.

 

[MetaPunk]

Hello, new member here. Was wondering why my posts don't show up anywhere. I this because my account is still being reviewed?
Thank you.

 

[Pete Tar]

Yep, I've approved them now so posting should be fixed for you.

 

[MetaPunk]

Yep, I've approved them now so posting should be fixed for you.

Ok, thank you!

 

[Mel Quin]

After examining the findings of purported “forensic experts” (Veryan Khan’s ISIS video statements), I decided to look and see if anyone else had reached the same conclusion I did. I came across this site rather quickly, although I’ve probably overlooked it in the past when dealing with moon-hoax proponents. So far, I’m glad I did. I am astounded at the lack of objectivity in today’s society, particularly the media. This lack of objectivity allows junk assertions like “fake this” and “fake that” to virtually flourish on the Internet--at times largely uncontested. My father was an electrical engineer for projects Mercury and Apollo, so I have a particular distaste for moon hoax theories.

 

[Esther L]

Hi Everyone, I'm 65, a life long learner, and a cross between between being a bit naive and a skeptic.
I grew up on a chicken farm, lived in Cambridge, MA for 10 yrs, traveled a lot, moved to rural Nova Scotia, had over 20 different jobs and love researching things.
I recently read some things posted by worldtruth.tv and find the site too sensational to take as fact however I have been unable to prove or disprove what they say. In researching this site, I was led to metabunk.org
I perused this site and it looks like I will learn a lot here.
And I hope Mick and others will tell me more about the accuracy of the articles posted by worldtruth.tv
...

 

[Efftup]

Hi Everyone, I'm 65, a life long learner, and a cross between between being a bit naive and a skeptic.
I grew up on a chicken farm, lived in Cambridge, MA for 10 yrs, traveled a lot, moved to rural Nova Scotia, had over 20 different jobs and love researching things.
I recently read some things posted by worldtruth.tv and find the site too sensational to take as fact however I have been unable to prove or disprove what they say. In researching this site, I was led to metabunk.org
I perused this site and it looks like I will learn a lot here.
And I hope Mick and others will tell me more about the accuracy of the articles posted by worldtruth.tv
...

Welcome.
Please peruse the guidelines for posting and maybe then submit a thread with a particular claim in it you are interested in.

 

[Marin B]

Hello- I came across this site while trying to debunk the FunVax conspiracy - one of many CTs that my almost 90 year old mother has told me about. I'm an attorney and have a degree in biology, and so of course I need data, facts, and evidence before I believe in anything that doesn't seem believable. So this CT stuff from my mom is driving me crazy. I'm at the point where I just need to acknowledge what she says and move on to hopefully more normal conversation with her. Anyway, it might be fun to participate in conversations about this stuff with like-minded skeptics. So here I am.

 

[David Ridlen]

Hello, I am David Ridlen, a professional visual FX artist of 20 years. I occasionally debunk hoaxed paranormal videos, but I mostly debunk Apollo/NASA hoax claims. I have recently diverged into flat/concave Earth debate, with a definitive "Flat Earth & NASA Hoax Debunk SLAMDUNK" video I posted on YT.

 

[Tina]

Hello, I'm Tina, and I am fed up with conspiracy theory. Glad to find a site devoted to debunking!

 

[Tycho's Nose]

Hi everyone. I've been interested in pseudoscience and conspiracy theories for years and came across this site while debunking chemtrails. It's good to see a rational oasis in a world where irrationality seems to be increasingly held as a virtue.

 

[Moo]

Hi all,

Thank you for a fascinating site. I landed here after searching for debunking on the Boston Marathon, amongst other things. I also have a hope for a debunking regarding a historic disaster, which I haven't found mentioned on here using the search facility - please could you advise? Thanks again,

M.

 

[Whitebeard]

Hi all,

Thank you for a fascinating site. I landed here after searching for debunking on the Boston Marathon, amongst other things. I also have a hope for a debunking regarding a historic disaster, which I haven't found mentioned on here using the search facility - please could you advise? Thanks again,

M.

Read the posing guidelines, look at a few threads to see how to lay out the claim, then make a thread about it in the relevant section

 

[NoParty]

...I also have a hope for a debunking regarding a historic disaster...

Welcome, M.!!

This link might help you get started: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Coke