Any info about older applications prior to the web-age?

[Mendeli]

If I understood correctly, this challenge has been going on for like 40 years or so but there is only information of the very recent ones here in the forums. I haven't been even alive for more than a mere 20+ years so I have no chance in "remembering" any of those earlier applications. (That'd be worth $1M if I did :))
But surely there are people here that have followed this thing throughout the years, at least Mr. Randi himself. So, uh... Is there any way one could obtain information about any of those historical applications and applicants? Any memorable stories, great failures, honorable efforts? Thanks!

[Beleth]

It's in the FAQ:

Where can I find a list of all the people who have ever applied? (http://www.randi.org/research/faq.html#4.7)

[-42-]

It's in the FAQ:

Where can I find a list of all the people who have ever applied? (http://www.randi.org/research/faq.html#4.7)

Anyone live in FL and willing to do some research? :P

[Mendeli]

Here's a suggestion. How about we set up an account and try to get donations to fund someone to do some research on this. Take the files from the cabinet and at least scan them and put up to the net. Preferrably turn them into text that can be copied and pasted.

I would want to do that myself but I live in Finland which would cause some unneccessary additional costs compared to if we found someone local up for a task. But we would need people willing to do the donations and JREF's approval.

What do you think?

[Beleth]

Half of the applications currently on the JREF website were submitted prior to KRAMER's arrival here, and he is working toward getting all of them up there, albeit slowly (but as fast as he can).

The great majority of applications that he has yet to post are ridiculous or worse, and his sense of fairness is keeping him from posting them. It doesn't really further the JREF's mission or image to show that 95% of the claims are from people with clear disconnects from reality. His opinion is that it would make the Challenge look utterly useless if the great majority of applicants were just insane. He wants to have "reasonable" claims up here from folks who might actually be tested. There isn't much point in posting 300 applications from people who want to prove that god exists, or that they can talk to the dead, or other un-testworthy claims.

He has been posting every claim received since his arrival, usually on the very same day it comes in, but he has only made efforts to post "reasonable" claims that arrived prior to his arrival at the JREF.

In other, perhaps more diplomatic, words, he is concentrating on posting the claims that were not immediately rejected due to their being untestable.


Oh, and the Challenge is not 40 years old. It's barely 20, and it began as a $10,000 prize...so in truth the Million Dollar Challenge isn't much more than 10 years old. 1997 or thereabouts.

[Mendeli]

oh ok, guess that makes sense.