Academic Sasquatch Research

[ACS]

I've been interested and involved in sasquatch research for a while now. Most of the research has focused on physical evidence of the creature's existence with little progress made. I'm starting some research into the people who believe in the creature's existence and would welcome any participation from the members here. Whether you believe or not, your input would be appreciated. The current study is looking at coping styles. You'll be asked some questions about your level of belief and then some questions about how you coped with a recent problem. If you're interested in taking the survey, it is located at the Alliance of Independent Bigfoot Researcher's homepage (bigfootresearch.com) and will soon be available at the Sasquatch Research Initiative website (sasquatchonline.com). The survey is about halfway down the page under the title "Survey on Sasquatch Beliefs Seeks Your Participation!" This is actual research being conducted under the supervision of psychologists and the results will be published for all to see. Thanks to those who participate.

Mark Banta

[Fnord]

This is a phishing attempt. One must register as a member in order to take the survey. Clicking on the "Vote" button in the survey brings up a page that reads:

You are trying to access a restricted area.

We're sorry, but we have reserved this area of our site for registered users only

You can register for free by following this (http://209.85.50.7/~skookum/index.php?name=Your_Account&file=register) link, thus granting you permission to access this area of our site.

Thank you for your understanding

They're phishing for members from JREF -- perhaps to claim a little legitimacy.

Mr. Banta, Could you try to be just a little more obvious?

[madurobob]

Just cuz I'm a nice guy - here's a link to the survey:

Bigfoot Survey (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=6_2fePbB6grZkZdpzLECJGxQ_3d_3d)

Whats your story ACS? Believer? Ever encountered an invisible phase-shifting bigfoot? (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=94981)

[madurobob]

This is a phishing attempt. One must register as a member in order to take the survey.

FWIW - the link in my post goes straight to the survey - no registration nec. I didn't register for anything and didn't see the registration request, either. Not sure where the disconnect is.

[Fnord]

Thanx, madurobob!

I took the survey, and for the part that asked "How do you cope?" I answered, "I've retained lawyers for those situations where a well-placed .357 round would be too messy."

Golly, I hope that won't affect my grade.

(Later that same day...)

I don't know, either. I went back and got right to the survey again. Took it again, too. Different answers.

[Lanzy]

The survey is retarded.

[madurobob]

I've got some hot .357 SJHPs a buddy loaded for me.. lots of fun. I'm not sure they're effective against invisible bigfoot, but one day I may get to test that theory.

[Gord_in_Toronto]

The survey is retarded.

Corollary to Sturgeon's Law (qv): 90% of all surveys are retarded.

[fagin]

Just a point, when I took it, on the second page it started asking the questions using my name. Did anyone else notice or get the same? I got out quick, but not sure how they did it. I run a firewall but don't know that much about how the internet works. Could they get this info from my ip address. (even google doesn't call me by name)
Is this something to worry about? Any computer boffins out there?

[LTC8K6]

The purpose of this research is to study people who fall into the following groups: high belief in sasquatch; low belief in sasquatch; high experience with sasquatch; and low experience with sasquatch.

That lets me out then.

[madurobob]

Just a point, when I took it, on the second page it started asking the questions using my name. Did anyone else notice or get the same? I got out quick, but not sure how they did it. I run a firewall but don't know that much about how the internet works. Could they get this info from my ip address. (even google doesn't call me by name)
Is this something to worry about? Any computer boffins out there?

Is your name Paul?

[fagin]

Is your name Paul?

It is. So I suppose it says Paul to everyone?
Thought I might have to leave this forum and find a sentient laptop mindreading forum. Must be one somewhere.

[ACS]

Whats your story ACS? Believer? Ever encountered an invisible phase-shifting bigfoot?

I believe in the possibility and that people are experiencing something. I'm just not sure what.

Btw, not sure what the registration thing was someone mentioned early in the thread. Everything about this research is on the level and thoroughly perused and approved by an academic committee at the University of Central Oklahoma.

[madurobob]

It is. So I suppose it says Paul to everyone?
Thought I might have to leave this forum and find a sentient laptop mindreading forum. Must be one somewhere.

Dood, this IS sentient laptop mindreading forum.

:) How long have you had this generic name? You should be used to it by now. I work in a building with a couple thousand people and there are three there with my same first and last name!

[fagin]

Dood, this IS sentient laptop mindreading forum.

:) How long have you had this generic name? You should be used to it by now. I work in a building with a couple thousand people and there are three there with my same first and last name!

Goes with my generic personailty. And without your help I could have auctioned my sentient mindreading laptop for millions on ebay - better than stale virgin mary toast. Thanks a lot.

[Fnord]

Everything about this research is on the level and thoroughly perused and approved by an academic committee at the University of Central Oklahoma.

:big:

[William Parcher]

Arm Chair Squatcherback,

I see your selections for self-evaluation are:

High belief in sasquatch.

Low belief in sasquatch.

Why not offer, no belief in Sasquatch?

[LTC8K6]

That's why I couldn't participate, WP! :D

[madurobob]

gee, I just assumed "no belief" was at the extreme of "low belief" and carried on from there.

I saw no reason to get caught up in semantics, tho I fully expect the researchers to (and to their advantage).

[Correa Neto]

Well, I just contributed for it.

As madurobob, I assumed that "low belief" includes my position (very very very very unlikely to exist).

I am interested in the results; hopefully the participation of skeptics will provide an interesting comparison standard.

[LTC8K6]

I'm starting some research into the people who believe in the creature's existence

Stop skewing his results, non-believers. He doesn't want to know how you cope. :D

[William Parcher]

Maybe ACS & the UCO academic committee already decided that no belief is a statistical equilvalent of low belief. Maybe they did a previous survey to establish the truth of this. Maybe the limited choice is based on the given inability to prove a negative, and that any strong skeptic ("I don't believe Bigfoot exists at all") must still wear an armband that says "Bigfoot might exist, no matter what I think." BF skeptics are always obligated (by the conventions of epistemology and science) to say that Bigfoot might exist. That implied and well-known obligation might cause a university survey team to conclude that a position of "Bigfoot does not exist" is not any kind of a scientifically-valid position, and does not deserve its own check box on a survey.

ACS can now tell me if I just put too much thought and concern into why we are not offered the choice of no belief in Bigfoot.

[LTC8K6]

Strange survey...

Survey results will probably be something about bigfoot believers having unique traits.

[sinclairmcevoy]

Arm Chair Squatcherback,

I see your selections for self-evaluation are:

High belief in sasquatch.

Low belief in sasquatch.

Why not offer, no belief in Sasquatch?
Or why not-

How do you cope with others who believe in Sasquatch?:rolleyes:

[LTC8K6]

Clear your Survey Monkey cookie and take the survey again...

Not very good...

[Fnord]

How does Sasquatch cope with those who don't believe in him?

[Rasmus]

How does Sasquatch cope with those who don't believe in him?

Walked out in a huff and doesn't socialize with us anymore.

[LTC8K6]

How does Sasquatch cope with those who don't believe in him?

Well, they're invisible. What do they expect?

[William Parcher]

Survey results will probably be something about bigfoot believers having unique traits.

But that unique trait will not be determined to be a trait of being wrong about Bigfoot.

The survey wants to look for correlations between Bigfoot belief and coping behavior? Why not look for correlations between strong Bigfoot belief and strong religious beliefs or strong nationalistic military support?

I'm just as much of an armchair observer and skeptic as anyone else - but I've always been intrigued by how many strong Bigfoot believers are also strongly religious (including creationists), and/or are strongly supportive of military or paramilitary aspects. I keep seeing creationists posting of their strong beliefs in Bigfoot. I keep seeing military and paramilitary guys talking about the search for Bigfoot (which they believe exists) being something like a standard search mission with the standard military accessories to protect you from enemy forces (when you search for Bigfoot - you need to bring good binoculars, good camouflage and heavy penetrating ordinance).

All of this may be a speculative and stereotypical evaluation of strong Bigfoot believers. But I can't help noticing all of the religious and military-oriented Bigfoot believers. I just had to say it and thought this was a good time to do it.

[William Parcher]

How does Sasquatch cope with those who don't believe in him?

Walked out in a huff and doesn't socialize with us anymore.

Well, they're invisible. What do they expect?

How about banging on the house walls until there is no other choice other than to believe in them?

[madurobob]

Believe it or not, if you do some modest googling you can find photos of invisible bigfoot.

I kid you not.

[ACS]

I obviously don't want to say too much as the research is in progress, but I will say that "no belief" would be included in the low belief category, just as "I know for sure it exists" would be included in the high belief category. The model of the research is based on a previously published design in a different area of research.

[In My Spare Time]

Couldn't you have come up with a couple more ways to rephrase "talked to someone to feel better"?

[ACS]

Btw, someone mentioned taking the survey multiple times. You can do that as many times as you like, but the survey is sophisticated enough to catch this, and it doesn't matter if you remove cookies or not. When you do this, I obviously can't use your data.

Thanks to everyone who has participated! :)

[Fnord]

Btw, someone mentioned taking the survey multiple times. You can do that as many times as you like, but the survey is sophisticated enough to catch this, and it doesn't matter if you remove cookies or not. When you do this, I obviously can't use your data.

Thanks to everyone who has participated! :)

So the software is somehow sophisticated enough to determine that it was me entering data from 7 different IPs?

WOW! Omniscience software! What next, Precognitive QuickBasic?

[Complexity]

Everything about this research is on the level and thoroughly perused and approved by an academic committee at the University of Central Oklahoma.


Well, I'd say they're idiots.

[Normal Dude]

what the registration thing was someone mentioned early in the thread. Everything about this research is on the level and thoroughly perused and approved by an academic committee at the University of Central Oklahoma.


Who are they?

[historian]

I've been interested and involved in sasquatch research for a while now. Most of the research has focused on physical evidence of the creature's existence with little progress made. I'm starting some research into the people who believe in the creature's existence and would welcome any participation from the members here. Whether you believe or not, your input would be appreciated. The current study is looking at coping styles. You'll be asked some questions about your level of belief and then some questions about how you coped with a recent problem. If you're interested in taking the survey, it is located at the Alliance of Independent Bigfoot Researcher's homepage (bigfootresearch.com) and will soon be available at the Sasquatch Research Initiative website (sasquatchonline.com). The survey is about halfway down the page under the title "Survey on Sasquatch Beliefs Seeks Your Participation!" This is actual research being conducted under the supervision of psychologists and the results will be published for all to see. Thanks to those who participate.

Mark Banta

Except the AIBR has already kicked everyone out who knows that the Bigfoot are paranormal. So the survey is pre-contaminated with flesh & blood believers. Even the site owner's have stated in private that the Bigfoot are paranormal, but have then vehemenantly denied it both in public and on their site. So, garbage in = garbage out!

[manofthesea]

I just wanna 'test' my signature. Thanks.