Rob Dekker wrote:

My "news.la.sbcglobal.net" server doesn't seem to carry "alt.sci.seti" ...
(a gazillion other "alt." stuff but not "alt.sci.xxxxxx")
rats!

Cross-posted to alt.sci.seti to maintain the thread there.

Hi Alfred,

Here is what Martin wrote on alt.sci.seti in response to my request for
openness.

Further thoughts:

[Martin wrote:]

[...]
A simple solution is for the exact coordinates to be released for this
one example with VERY CAREFUL WORDING so that others can see what may or
may not be there. However, I can also understand the wish to not waste
research time on a stupidly media hyped random coincidence.

A very interesting 'test' is whether New Scientist will back up their article and sponsor a followup study/search.


> Rob Dekker wrote:

I think that everyone active on seti@home deserves at least
full openness after years and years of cranking work units.

[...]

(Corrupted quote from Kryten, Red Dwarf.)

If s@h were not open, they simply would not get funded or otherwise supported. They are required to back up their work and findings with peer reviewed scientific papers. They are still active so presumably they continue to pass the peer review tests and criticisms.


Considering the bare desperation of some to find seti, or to be the first to find seti, s@h need to be very cautious about what details can be made public. This is all the more important considering the very off-line nature of the post signal acquisition analysis. (There's still data from 1999 still untouched on tape.)

Quite a balancing act between openness, the media, maintaining good hard cold science, and avoiding being hijacked!


Regards,
Martin

(Disclaimer: I give my opinions only!)