JREF Homepage Swift Blog Events Calendar $1 Million Paranormal Challenge The Amaz!ng Meeting Useful Links Support Us
James Randi Educational Foundation JREF Forum
Forum Index Register Members List Events Mark Forums Read Help

Go Back   JREF Forum » General Topics » Conspiracy Theories » 9/11 Conspiracy Theories
Click Here To Donate

Notices


Welcome to the JREF Forum, where we discuss skepticism, critical thinking, the paranormal and science in a friendly but lively way. You are currently viewing the forum as a guest, which means you are missing out on discussing matters that are of interest to you. Please consider registering so you can gain full use of the forum features and interact with other Members. Registration is simple, fast and free! Click here to register today.

Reply
Old 12th September 2008, 03:04 AM   #1
The Director
Scholar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Southeast, USA
Posts: 74
Lightbulb The Debunking Directory: New Website Launched on 7th Anniversary

This is the message that came with the launch:

Friends:

I write to you on the seventh anniversary of a day that will forever be etched into our memories. As a nation, we were all there to see the evil plot conceived by Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and his financier Usama Bin-Laden take center stage in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Their plan was quite simple: Nineteen men of a fundamentalist Islamic sect boarded four aircraft and piloted these planes to crash into prominent buildings. Three out of four of these jets hit their intended targets--The Twin Towers and the Pentagon. After hearing of these strikes, the passengers on the fourth jet gave their lives to retake their hijacked aircraft. Their final resting place is a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

We have tried our best to put this day behind us, while respecting the memory of 2,998 souls that were lost on that day. However, a grassroots movement of citizens came along challenging what we have been told. This movement grew like wildfire thanks in part to the Internet and the Google Video phenomenon Loose Change.

Recognizing that skepticism is a vital function of inquiry, many of us welcomed their arguments and alternative views. The vast majority of us were slightly amused when we found out that these individuals were pushing theories full of remote-controlled planes, faked passenger phone calls, bombs in the World Trade Center complex, missiles at the Pentagon, and more instances of science fiction. According to this movement, these events were allegedly pulled off in part, or in whole, by the Department of Defense, the Air Force, the Fire Department of New York (which lost 343 brothers), the Port Authority of New York, and our elected governing officials.

The conspiracy theory films were quite compelling. By cherry-picking their evidence, taking events out of context, blatantly misquoting individuals, and even the occasional dose of doctored evidence came to be the ingredients of this rather effective movement. As Winston Churchill once stated, "A lie can get halfway around the world, before the truth can get its pants on," these theories toppled down the actual events just because they were so controversial and compelling. But years later, these ridiculous conspiracy theories came tumbling down themselves and the truth was being rebuilt just like the towers in New York.

These theories soon gained popularity. But they are, in fact today, dying. This is due in part to a collection of academics who got together to confront these quickly growing theories once and for all. They donned the title '9/11 debunkers' and engaged these conspiracy theorists in debates and a scrupulous review of their so-called evidence. Since then, the 9/11 conspiracy theory movement has lost massive traffic to their websites, attendees to their rallies, and credibility in the scientific world.

I have created a website to honor those who have compiled this information to combat these 9/11 conspiracy theories. And though the site still needs some major work, I found that today is a very fitting day to remember those who passed and to honor those who so diligently fought to prove that "9/11 Truth" is nothing but a lie.

I encourage you to use this website as a reference. More than likely, each one of you know someone who pushes these theories often in daily conversation. Use this website to get the other side of the story and to defend the actual record of events.

I named my new website The Debunking Directory and it can be found at www.TheDebunkingDirectory.com. I hope you will give it a visit!

Last edited by The Director; 12th September 2008 at 03:08 AM. Reason: Spelling
The Director is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 12th September 2008, 04:08 AM   #2
T.A.M.
Keeper of the Kool-Vax
 
T.A.M.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: The Far East...of Canada
Posts: 20,816
I hope the guy made sure that the details of who owns the website (domain etc...) are well hidden, or no doubt some *********** loon truther will print his name and address for the other stalkers to see.

Apart from that warning, a new website debunking the crap lies is always welcome.

TAM
T.A.M. is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 12th September 2008, 04:58 AM   #3
The Director
Scholar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Southeast, USA
Posts: 74
Originally Posted by T.A.M. View Post
I hope the guy made sure that the details of who owns the website (domain etc...) are well hidden, or no doubt some *********** loon truther will print his name and address for the other stalkers to see.

Apart from that warning, a new website debunking the crap lies is always welcome.

TAM
If Mark Roberts can survive, so can I, though I have taken extraordinary steps to keep my identity a secret.
The Director is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 12th September 2008, 05:25 AM   #4
Quad4_72
AI-EE-YAH!
 
Quad4_72's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 5,830
Originally Posted by The Director View Post
Since then, the 9/11 conspiracy theory movement has lost massive traffic to their websites, attendees to their rallies, and credibility in the scientific world.
We always welcome debunking websites. Well done. Although you made a mistake in your post. The "truth" movement never had any scientific credibility, so therefore they could not lose any.
__________________
Looks like the one on top has a magazine, thus needs less reloading. Also, the muzzle shroud makes it less likely for a spree killer to burn his hands. The pistol grip makes it more comfortable for the spree killer to shoot. thaiboxerken
Quad4_72 is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 12th September 2008, 06:22 AM   #5
bobloblaw
Scholar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 107
I had a brief look through the directory and there is a lot of really interesting stuff there.

However, I didn't find this in your troofers in the media section -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU8flH9ZdDs
bobloblaw is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 12th September 2008, 10:57 AM   #6
T.A.M.
Keeper of the Kool-Vax
 
T.A.M.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: The Far East...of Canada
Posts: 20,816
I think that video belongs in the "fringe of fringe lunacy" section...if there is one.

TAM
T.A.M. is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 12th September 2008, 11:40 AM   #7
Pardalis
Banned
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Montréal
Posts: 25,831
Pardalis is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 12th September 2008, 01:16 PM   #8
laodoggie
New Blood
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: New York City
Posts: 19
Good site!
I used some quotes in the logic section to beat up my troofer debaters.
laodoggie is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 12th September 2008, 01:23 PM   #9
mrbaracuda
Banned
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Germany
Posts: 3,799
Very nice. Many thanks for putting it together and to all whose work's being used there.
mrbaracuda is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 12th September 2008, 01:43 PM   #10
PhantomWolf
Philosopher
 
PhantomWolf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lost Deimos Moon Base
Posts: 9,952
You might want to do a quick Video check, some of them have been removed.
__________________

It must be fun to lead a life completely unburdened by reality. -- JayUtah
I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question. -- Charles Babbage (1791-1871)
My Apollo Page. 1 on 1 Debating Forum for Skeptics and sceptics.
PhantomWolf is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 12th September 2008, 01:45 PM   #11
mrbaracuda
Banned
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Germany
Posts: 3,799
Originally Posted by PhantomWolf View Post
You might want to do a quick Video check, some of them have been removed.
Care to point out which?
mrbaracuda is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 12th September 2008, 02:46 PM   #12
Comsat Angel
Muse
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 893
Originally Posted by The Director View Post
If Mark Roberts can survive, so can I, though I have taken extraordinary steps to keep my identity a secret.
Yes, but Mark Roberts looks uncannily like Robert de Niro circa "The Deer Hunter", and, really, you wouldn't mess with a guy who kills on a reflex and carries a flamethrower, would you!
Comsat Angel is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 12th September 2008, 05:56 PM   #13
Walter Ego
Master Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,557
I received an email regarding this site a few months ago requesting the use of some YouTube play lists I’d compiled. I said go ahead as long as you mention me and give a link back to my video blog.

Looking at the site, however, I see numerous videos lifted, complete with my descriptions, from my blog with no attribution whatsoever. This is fine as I didn’t create the videos in question.

In one case, though, a video I did make along my description of the video was used. I have removed this video (which I didn’t like much anyway) from my blog and from the server. Check your blog for dead links.
Walter Ego is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 12th September 2008, 06:02 PM   #14
PhantomWolf
Philosopher
 
PhantomWolf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lost Deimos Moon Base
Posts: 9,952
Originally Posted by mrbaracuda View Post
Care to point out which?
I haven't gone through them all, but the ones I saw so far are the one on the Al Qaeda page, and from the Comedy page "Joining 9/11 "Scholarly" Groups Is Easy...Here's How!" and "WT7 Debunked In Less Than 3.5 Minutes",
__________________

It must be fun to lead a life completely unburdened by reality. -- JayUtah
I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question. -- Charles Babbage (1791-1871)
My Apollo Page. 1 on 1 Debating Forum for Skeptics and sceptics.
PhantomWolf is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 12th September 2008, 08:15 PM   #15
The Director
Scholar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Southeast, USA
Posts: 74
Originally Posted by Walter Ego View Post
I received an email regarding this site a few months ago requesting the use of some YouTube play lists I’d compiled. I said go ahead as long as you mention me and give a link back to my video blog.

Looking at the site, however, I see numerous videos lifted, complete with my descriptions, from my blog with no attribution whatsoever. This is fine as I didn’t create the videos in question.

In one case, though, a video I did make along my description of the video was used. I have removed this video (which I didn’t like much anyway) from my blog and from the server. Check your blog for dead links.
Walter Ego:

I owe you an explanation and my full apology. I decided to launch this website as a spur-of-the-moment decision though it had been "completed" for months. I had been working on the site all summer and I hit a major technical snag that was cured last weekend. I figured that it was almost (dare I say) fate that the site was brought to life around the anniversary of the attacks. Therefore, a lot of unfinished business was left to the wayside. But the contents of your message is certainly an area in which I should not have procrastinated. Once again, my apologies.

Web researchers like you are the reason that my site even exists. Tomorrow the site will be receiving a major link check and even a server change. I will certainly give your work the credit that it deserves.

Thanks,
The Director

BTW, I was actually going to contact you over the summer to ask you for some information to fill in the "site credits" page. You can remain as annonymous as you would like.
The Director is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 12th September 2008, 08:19 PM   #16
The Director
Scholar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Southeast, USA
Posts: 74
Originally Posted by Quad4_72 View Post
We always welcome debunking websites. Well done. Although you made a mistake in your post. The "truth" movement never had any scientific credibility, so therefore they could not lose any.
I suppose that was one of those a priori assumptions that David Ray Griffin is so fond of pointing out.

The Director
The Director is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 12th September 2008, 08:20 PM   #17
The Director
Scholar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Southeast, USA
Posts: 74
Originally Posted by bobloblaw View Post
I had a brief look through the directory and there is a lot of really interesting stuff there.

However, I didn't find this in your troofers in the media section -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU8flH9ZdDs
My website exists for handy contributions such as this. It will be on there by tomorrow. Thanks!
The Director is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 13th September 2008, 05:45 AM   #18
bobloblaw
Scholar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 107
Oh man, I just sat through some of Gravy's Ground Zeroes videos on this site and they were nothing short of excrutiating.

Mark, please stick to what you're good at... Namely the debunking and confronting these idiots.
bobloblaw is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 13th September 2008, 06:22 AM   #19
The Director
Scholar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Southeast, USA
Posts: 74
Originally Posted by bobloblaw View Post
Oh man, I just sat through some of Gravy's Ground Zeroes videos on this site and they were nothing short of excrutiating.

Mark, please stick to what you're good at... Namely the debunking and confronting these idiots.
Oh, come on! I think there is some good stuff in there! I don't think he is trying to be a counter-Dylan Avery or anything...he is stepping out and having a little fun.

Sometime in the future I will be podcasting, so I too, will be stepping out.

The Director
The Director is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 13th September 2008, 06:59 AM   #20
bobloblaw
Scholar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 107
There *is* good stuff in there.

Unfortunately the three and a half minutes of opening credits, the constant pause+overdub-with-movie-soundbytes, etc. It all got very repetitive, very, very quickly.

Narration would have also helped. It took about 10 times longer to read it off the screen.

Don't get me wrong, I have deep respect for Gravy and I'm even thinking of heading over to GZ next year (from Australia) to assist in silencing these chuds...

... but I just couldn't sit though this without getting extremely annoyed.
bobloblaw is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 13th September 2008, 10:01 AM   #21
T.A.M.
Keeper of the Kool-Vax
 
T.A.M.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: The Far East...of Canada
Posts: 20,816
Originally Posted by bobloblaw View Post
There *is* good stuff in there.

Unfortunately the three and a half minutes of opening credits, the constant pause+overdub-with-movie-soundbytes, etc. It all got very repetitive, very, very quickly.

Narration would have also helped. It took about 10 times longer to read it off the screen.

Don't get me wrong, I have deep respect for Gravy and I'm even thinking of heading over to GZ next year (from Australia) to assist in silencing these chuds...

... but I just couldn't sit though this without getting extremely annoyed.
Yes, well unlike the truthers, who are simply trying to get their 15 minutes of fame, complete with ****** hip-hop and 1970s video editing/transitions, those who make videos here, tend to be about substance first.

An awful long trip from Aussie to USA. Good luck with that.

TAM
T.A.M. is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 13th September 2008, 10:13 AM   #22
The Director
Scholar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Southeast, USA
Posts: 74
Originally Posted by T.A.M. View Post
Yes, well unlike the truthers, who are simply trying to get their 15 minutes of fame, complete with ****** hip-hop and 1970s video editing/transitions
Every time that I hear that song "Stayin' Alive" I think of...well, you know. That song has only increased my hatred of disco.
The Director is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 13th September 2008, 11:29 AM   #23
maxpower1227
Graduate Poster
 
maxpower1227's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,038
Good site... if you are open to feedback, I would say that it would be helpful to have the top menubar accessible from all pages, if possible.
__________________
Warning. If you don't want to see your treasured "evidence" completely pwned in public, don't show it to the posters at JREF.
- Rolfe
maxpower1227 is online now   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 13th September 2008, 12:15 PM   #24
The Director
Scholar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Southeast, USA
Posts: 74
Originally Posted by maxpower1227 View Post
Good site... if you are open to feedback, I would say that it would be helpful to have the top menubar accessible from all pages, if possible.
Always accept feedback!

Believe me, I have tried. Believe it or not but the "directory" itself is your typical Blogspot blog. They will not allow dhtml on their page. I'm looking for ways around this.
The Director is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 13th September 2008, 12:30 PM   #25
bobloblaw
Scholar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 107
Originally Posted by T.A.M. View Post
Yes, well unlike the truthers, who are simply trying to get their 15 minutes of fame, complete with ****** hip-hop and 1970s video editing/transitions, those who make videos here, tend to be about substance first.
Go and watch The Ground Zeroes by Mark Roberts in the video section of the site mentioned in the OP.

If you come back and tell me that video is all about putting substance first then I cannot have a conversation with you.

Edit: I wanted to point out that I am specifically referring to the videos entitled The Ground Zeroes on the video page of the site mentioned in the OP. I have not seen any other videos that Gravy has put together.

Believe me, I'd love to see a video of Mark standing there debunking these idiots. It wouldn't need any music, titles or crazy editing/transitions - just Mark debunking the idiots. That's substance.

Last edited by bobloblaw; 13th September 2008 at 12:48 PM.
bobloblaw is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 13th September 2008, 12:48 PM   #26
T.A.M.
Keeper of the Kool-Vax
 
T.A.M.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: The Far East...of Canada
Posts: 20,816
Originally Posted by bobloblaw View Post
Go and watch The Ground Zeroes by Mark Roberts in the video section of the site mentioned in the OP.

If you come back and tell me that video is all about putting substance first then I cannot have a conversation with you.
lol....sorry, I wasn't aware which video you were talking of.

Yes that video by Mark was not really directed at addressing the CTs, so subtance is kind of out the window.

My pardons. As for a conversation with me or not...oh well.

TAM
T.A.M. is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 13th September 2008, 01:07 PM   #27
bobloblaw
Scholar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 107
Originally Posted by T.A.M. View Post
lol....sorry, I wasn't aware which video you were talking of.

Yes that video by Mark was not really directed at addressing the CTs, so subtance is kind of out the window.

My pardons. As for a conversation with me or not...oh well.

TAM
No probs.

Sorry, the "conversation" remark was a stupid thing to say. I apologise.
bobloblaw is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Old 7th October 2008, 07:29 AM   #28
terryfunk4life
New Blood
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 24
wow boblawblog thats a mouth full (arrested development rules)
terryfunk4life is offline   Quote this post in a PM   Nominate this post for this month's language award Copy a direct link to this post Reply With Quote Back to Top
Reply

JREF Forum » General Topics » Conspiracy Theories » 9/11 Conspiracy Theories

Bookmarks

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 12:47 PM.
Powered by vBulletin. Copyright ©2000 - 2013, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
© 2001-2012, James Randi Educational Foundation. All Rights Reserved.

Disclaimer: Messages posted in the Forum are solely the opinion of their authors.