Million dollar challenge not ending!

[Foolmewunz]

I think this would be a bad idea... Just would cause bad publicity to "call someone out"... It's just not nice imo. Could hurt the forum/community because we are supposed to be known for critical thinking and such, not bullying people.

Hey, Welcome Rainman.....

Just to be clear - the JREF and the JREFForums are two distinctly different things. Yes, the JREF owns the forums, but the forums are open to anyone who agrees to abide by the MA(membership agreement) and thus, does not speak for the JREF.

Those who favor a more aggressive approach to the challenge are thinking more in terms of Randi's throwing out the challenge to Sylvia Browne, for instance. Or his ongoing war of words and wits with Uri Geller and his loyal henchmen. In both cases, I don't think Randi harmed his or the JREF's reputation in the least(other than with true believers and camp followers), and he got a good deal of mileage out of the issues and brought a lot of positive attention to the Foundation and its mission.

 

[Rainman]

Thank you for clearing that up. Makes more sense that way to have it like that.

But yeah I am still quite new, have a lot of reading to do still ^^

 

[Lisa Simpson]

The rest of the thread, about milosp and his paranormal ability, have been moved here

Posted By: Lisa Simpson

 

[fromdownunder]

I am beginning to wonder if the decision to keep the challenge going was unwise. It has never attracted the sort of people it was targetted at. All it does is attract the flies swarming around the edge, and from the quantity and quality of claims, in ...say... the last two years, even the flys get swatted without any publicity as a mainstream Media grabbing event, which was my understanding as to why it was started in the first place.

Sure, it is nice to have a bit of fun here on what is basically a backwater BB, but what's the point?

The intratubes attracts the lowest quality claimants, and there is so little mainstream publicity to speak of about the challenge, that it seems to have become irrelevant. Milksop (stet) being an ideal example, as is ABR. Just clowns with an ISP and too much time on their hands. If Randi was going after the big hitters, the Challenge has failed miserably, and perhaps it really is time to put it behind the JREF, and look for better ways to use their resources.

Norm

 

[Aitch]

I am beginning to wonder if the decision to keep the challenge going was unwise. It has never attracted the sort of people it was targetted at. All it does is attract the flies swarming around the edge, and from the quantity and quality of claims, in ...say... the last two years, even the flys get swatted without any publicity as a mainstream Media grabbing event, which was my understanding as to why it was started in the first place.

OK, so why not get an independent statistician to go through all the applications and produce a report on all the tests (or lack thereof)? Or, if it's a very short report, get a decent PR man in to produce a piece to pass out to all the newspapers/TV stations/whatever?

 

[Roadtoad]

I think you're missing the point of the challenge.

Back when it was first proposed, the whole idea was simply "You say you have this ability. Fine. Put up or shut up." At one point, an anonymous donor told Randi that ten grand wasn't much money, (which was the award at the time.) Now, it's up to a million. It's more than some of these psychics will ever make with their "gifts," but it's also shut up money; if you won't even attempt the challenge which will make you wealthy beyond your wildest dreams, why should I trust you with $200 of my hard-earned money for a thirty minute reading so I can contact my dead relatives?

(Oddly enough, even with that kind of a challenge set forth, people still pay that kind of money. This reveals them to be idiots.)

By backing out of the challenge, the "psychics" and their ilk can claim a victory. Randi, they will declare, can't prove them wrong, so they must be right. It's false, of course, but there it is, and there's enough stupid people out there that this needs to be challenged.

 

[Cuddles]

I asked Randi and Phil Plait about the challenge at TAM London. Randi says that the challenge will definitely be continuing, in the same form as currently for now, and that he has made provision in his will to ensure it keeps going after his death. He said that his main reason for this decision was the claims by woos that closing the challenge showed he knew someone was going to win and was stopping it out of fear. It seems that while the main targets of the challenge pretend to ignore it, they're quite happy to claim victory as soon as they think they're safe from it.

Phil said that they're fully aware of the problems the challenge has in mainly only attracting small time nuts (my words, not his). Unfortunately they're not sure exactly how to make the challenge more effective, but it's something actively under discussion and hopefully there will be more news coming by Spring or so next year.

 

[Chris H]

I asked Randi and Phil Plait about the challenge at TAM London. Randi says that the challenge will definitely be continuing, in the same form as currently for now, and that he has made provision in his will to ensure it keeps going after his death. He said that his main reason for this decision was the claims by woos that closing the challenge showed he knew someone was going to win and was stopping it out of fear. It seems that while the main targets of the challenge pretend to ignore it, they're quite happy to claim victory as soon as they think they're safe from it.

Phil said that they're fully aware of the problems the challenge has in mainly only attracting small time nuts (my words, not his). Unfortunately they're not sure exactly how to make the challenge more effective, but it's something actively under discussion and hopefully there will be more news coming by Spring or so next year.

This is fantastic news. Not only is the challenge continuing, but am I right in presuming that Randi made it to TAM London? Hope he's feeling better.

Cheers,

Chris

 

[arthwollipot]

This is fantastic news. Not only is the challenge continuing, but am I right in presuming that Randi made it to TAM London? Hope he's feeling better.

Far as I know he managed a video link. He did not actually travel.

 

[steenkh]

This is fantastic news. Not only is the challenge continuing, but am I right in presuming that Randi made it to TAM London? Hope he's feeling better.

He was there, courtesy of Skype!

We could all see and hear him, but I am afraid he could only vaguely hear our roaring applause, because nobody turned the camera and mic around from the MC to show our standing ovation for the great man.

Nevertheless, I think he enjoyed it.