pavel, your long post gives us some information about why you wanted things a certain way, but it doesn't give us any real information about the actual dialog that went on between you and the JREF.
I understand Linda's point just fine, and I agree completely. A 20-trial test is insufficient to differentiate between random chance and the advantage you claim. But I have no insight as to the path taken by you and the JREF to get to the square on which you now stand.
Would you be willing to share some details? And, by the way, I am not interested in what you think was meant, only in what was actually said or written.
I never said what I think they meant!
What information you want to know..? the last protocol that was sent to JREF after taking to consideration their suggestions and objection..?? Here it is..
PAVEL ZIBOROV, Clairvoyant
preliminary protocol, May 15, 2009
Materials Required
200 size 10 manila envelopes, (no internal lining)
200 size 7 ¾ plain paper envelopes, (no internal lining), sufficiently opaque so as to satisfy JREF that Ziborov cannot see the contents.
20 4x6 inch photographs supplied by Ziborov as either physical photographs or electronic files, each copied 10 times for a total of 200 photographs (reproduced photographs, not photocopies) (One additional pair, chosen randomly by JREF, reproduced for open test.)
100 Post-It notes
100 paper clips
10 Post-It notes of a different color from the 100 noted above
Two 6' folding tables, chair for Ziborov, chair(s) for testers as desired
2 pieces of masking tape
Magic Marker
Clipboard, with blank cover sheet
List of pairs
Pen
2 Walkie-talkies
A digital clock
A mask
Ear plugs
Two bottles of water
Two boxes (not transparent)
OPEN TEST MATERIALS: 1 pair of photographs selected at random double enveloped with two Post-It notes in a third color affixed to the exterior of each envelope correctly indicating which photograph is inside each
Stipulations
No speaking except as noted within the test.
No walkie-talkies, aside from those used by testers, within the test.
No cameras, camcorders, camera-phones, etc. aside from those used by the JREF or testers within the test.
No sleight-of-hand, trickery, or cheating.
No manipulation of the envelopes besides as is outlined in the testing protocol.
If any of the above listed are violated, or if it is determined the subject has attempted to tilt the results in his favor due to trickery of any kind, the test will be halted immediately and considered a failure.
If there is a setup or technological problem, or if for any reason the test must be halted due to extenuating circumstances rather than trickery, the test may be conducted at a future date. Claimant will bear the cost of additional runs of the test.
Failure of the test will not constitute reason for a re-test. The claimant may re-apply one year after the date of the original test in the case of failure.
Stipulations Made by Claimant
Pavel may put on and take off the eye mask and ear plugs at his discretion.
No talking or any kind of distraction with light or sound or any other ways of interruption during the test except as specified within the protocol. No cell phone use or text messaging will be allowed during the test. No photography during the test will be allowed. (Except for video taping by JREF and Ziborov, if he wishes.) No substance with a strong odor will be allowed in the room same, including perfume. No photos or pictures of any kind will be permitted in the room nor visible from the test room, except for those used in the test. Subject to mutual agreement and the convenience of both parties, an attempt will be made to conduct the test during good weather and beginning in the afternoon. JREF party may bring up to four observers.
Ziborov may bring one observer plus one further person to videotape the procedure. Neither will be permitted to speak. They will not be permitted to move. They will either be in a cordoned area or in chairs. If they need a break, they will be permitted to raise their hands at which point the testers will wait for the current pair to be complete and then allow his Ziborov’s observers to leave. The test will halt at that time. Breaks by Ziborov’s observers will be deducted from Ziborov’s time limit. If Ziborov’s observers speak, they will be warned once. If they speak a second time, the test will be halted and considered a failure.
All parties will attempt to maintain a quiet and peaceful atmosphere.
Before the test begins, Pavel will affirm that the environmental conditions are satisfactory. Time keeping will then begin. When suitably comfortable and relaxed, Pavel will ask for the first pair.
During the test any person present may raise his or her hand to inform the others of suspicious behavior of anyone in the room. However, no shouting or interruptions will be allowed during the process of identifying the photo. If there are any doubts or suspicions, the person shall raise his/her hand silently and inform the others after Pavel has finished with identification of the current pair and announced his answer.
Testing Protocol
In advance of the test, JREF staff or volunteer testers chosen by the JREF will reproduce the twenty photographs provided by Pavel ten times each, for a total of 200 photographs, which will be paired in accordance with Ziborov's wishes (to be determined), for a total of 100 pairs of photographs.
The photographs will be sealed inside size 7 ¾ envelopes. The size 7 ¾ envelopes will then be sealed inside size 10 envelopes.
The pair of associated photographs inside the double-envelopes will be paper clipped together, and a Post-It note will be affixed to the exterior of the envelope, identifying the two photographs. The order of identification will always be the same, such that a lamppost and the moon would always be identified as “lamppost/moon” and never “moon/lamppost,” regardless of the order of the envelopes, which should be randomly shuffled (within their pair) before being paper clipped by another party who is not aware of which envelope contains which photo.
The paper clipped pairs of envelopes will then be arranged in sets of ten, such that each set of ten contains all twenty photographs, and will result in ten sets of ten pairs of photographs.
The ten sets of paper clipped and double enveloped pairs of photographs will be arranged on one 6' folding table side by side, and the ten Post-It notes of a different color from the ones affixed to the envelope will be used to note the set number, 1-10.
At the end of the table, a clipboard with a list of all photo pairs will be placed, with a pen attached. Beside this, a digital clock with numbers large enough to be read at a distance of twelve feet will be placed for time-keeping purposes.
A second table (and chair) will be provided for Ziborov to sit at. The bottles of water will be placed on this table for Ziborov to consume as he wishes.
The following protocol requires four JREF staff members or volunteer testers at a minimum. One will sit near, but at least three feet away from, Ziborov for the duration of the test. The another will move back and forth between the envelopes and Ziborov. The remaining two will be relief testers, and will be used in the case that JREF Staff or volunteer testers request a break. Their specific functions will be detailed below.
At the time of the test, Ziborov will enter the testing room. The moment he enters the room, the eight hour time limit will begin counting down. He will not be permitted to approach the table where the sets of photographs are, and must always remain at least five feet away from the table. The five foot mark will be indicated by a piece of masking tape affixed to the floor.
OPEN TEST: (The following paragraph indicates an open test, wherein Ziborov will ensure his abilities are working using envelopes he knows the contents of. The protocol for an open test differs from the rest of the testing, and should be treated as a separate entity.)
Ziborov will, when he indicates he is ready, be handed the double-enveloped photocopied photographs with Post-It notes of a third color correctly identifying the contents of the envelopes by a relief tester before the test begins to ensure that his abilities are working. He will be permitted to handle these two envelopes in any way he wishes, including opening them and examining the photographs. After he has ensured his abilities are working, the relief tester will exit the room with the envelopes, Post-Its, and photographs from the open test and dispose of them by tearing them in half outside the testing room.
JREF staff or a volunteer tester will remove the first set of ten pairs of photographs from the table, and place each paper clipped pair side-by-side on the floor no less than three feet from Ziborov. The three foot mark from Ziborov will be indicated by a piece of masking tape affixed to the floor.
Ziborov may point to the pair he wishes to work with.
JREF Staff or the volunteer tester will remove the Post-It note from the exterior of the chosen pair and announce aloud which two photos are contained inside the envelopes. The tester will read from the Post-It note, in the order the photos are identified there.
JREF Staff or the volunteer tester will place the Post-It note in the first box on the floor where the pair was sitting, remove the paper clip from the envelopes, place the paper clip on top of the Post-It note, and approach Ziborov with the double enveloped photos.
Ziborov may hold the envelopes. Flip the envelope in his hands during identifying the content. He can not examine the envelopes, attempt to see through them, or open them. He can not bend them. He can not mark them.
Ziborov will decide which photo one of the envelopes contains. He will indicate which he wishes to identify by placing the one he does not wish to identify on the floor. Only after the envelope he does not wish to work with is on the floor will he be permitted to announce what he believes the content of the other envelope is. He must identify the photograph using a single word decided upon in advance. He cannot, for example, say “light” for “lamppost” if the descriptor for the photograph has already been decided to be “lamppost.”
After the announcement is made by Ziborov, the first JREF staff will take the unused envelope back to the three foot mark and re-affix the Post-It note to the exterior of the unused envelope. They will use the Magic Marker to mark through the selection on the Post-It note that Ziborov announced, and place the envelope in the second box at the three foot mark.
At the time that the first JREF staff member or volunteer tester is placing the unused envelope in the box, the second JREF staff member or volunteer tester will open the envelope selected by Ziborov and check its contents. The second JREF staff member will announce “yes” to indicate a hit or “no” to indicate a miss.
The first JREF staff member or volunteer tester will note on the clipboarded list whether or not Ziborov's selection was correct by writing either “Y” for a hit or “N” for a miss next to the pair on the list. The JREF staff member will hold the clipboard so that Ziborov cannot see the marks when writing, and use the blank cover sheet to cover the record at other times.
All opened envelopes will remain behind Ziborov (assuming he is facing the table). All unopened envelopes will be immediately returned to an area beyond the three foot mark.
Ziborov may say “Pass” if he is unable to identify one of the photos of a pair. The pair will at that time be paper clipped back together, the Post-It note will be re-affixed to the exterior, and the pair will be returned to its place at the three foot mark.
Ziborov will select the next pair, and the process will be repeated until all pairs of the set of ten have been used.
At this time, JREF Staff or a volunteer tester will stack the remaining ten unopened envelopes with Post-It notes affixed to each with the selection Ziborov made for each pair marked out to the table in the corresponding area for the set number.
JREF Staff will bring forward the next set, in accordance with the Post-It note number affixed to the table, to the three foot mark and repeat the process until all ten sets have been identified.
Ziborov may take as much time as he wishes to identify the photograph in one of the envelopes so long as he follows the requirements for their handling. However, Ziborov's test can total no more than eight hours. If the test goes over the eight hour time limit, it will be halted and considered a failure.
At any point between pairs, Ziborov may request a break. He will do so by saying the word “Break.” Any time Ziborov takes for a break will be deducted from the eight hour time limit. JREF Staff or volunteer testers may break at the same time as Ziborov so long as at least one tester remains in the testing room during the break to ensure all testing materials remain as placed when Ziborov exited the room.
JREF Staff or volunteer testers may also request a break, but may only do so between sets of ten. JREF Staff or volunteer testers may not simply leave the room. They must speak into the walkie talkie issued to them in the following manner “Testing group one to testing group two, break request.” The relief testers will then reply in the following manner, “10-4,” if they are on their way, “10-9” to request that the group repeat their statement because it was unclear, or “10-6” to indicate testing group one should stand by unless it is urgent. If it is an urgent request, testing group one can respond “9-1-1.” If testing group one receives the message and is okay with it, they should respond “10-4.”
If sixty-seven or more of Ziborov's announced responses match the photographs within his chosen envelopes, the test will be considered a success and Ziborov will pass to the final Challenge. However, Ziborov will not be announced as the winner even in the case of getting sixty-seven or more correct responses until all the unopened envelopes on the table have been opened by JREF staff or volunteer testers (in the presence of Ziborov, if he so chooses) and it is confirmed, using the marked-out Post-It notes, that the remaining selection written on the Post-It note indicates the photograph sealed inside the remaining envelope from the pair. This will be done at the end of the eight-hour period, and will not deduct from Ziborov's eight hour limit. In the event an error is found, a re-test will be scheduled (one time only, and at Ziborov’s expense.)
Time required: No more than eight and a half hours.
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p.s. To some one who will say... YE very complicated protocol..but it describes every single stepp of everyone and MOST of the "complication" accumulated be cause of JREFs wishes and suggestions! Which i had to accept and same time make sure its not preventing me from wining, like when they said I cant have water on the table and have to ask every time for a brake to have a sip of water and that time will not be deducted from the 8.5 hours test limits... I had to ask for water on the table, cause with the stress as normal human I will be thirsty more than usual and will need drink often, not to have my mouth dry and be uncomfortable because of it! Original one was much easy!
