On 27 Jan 2013 at 23:48, Jim Clark wrote:
 
> Now if only we could figure out a way to map out how what we say in
> class or write in books is disseminated about the universe (or at
> least the immediately sentient part of it that we inhabit).

Actually, I think we already have. Join TIPS and post. I'm not being 
facetious. Over the years, I've occasionally had people not on TIPS 
or even in psychology get in touch with me for things I've posted,  
to add or request information, or sometimes to argue or denounce me. 

One example is that I have been contacted on numerous occasions 
(finally slowing up this year) for my TIPS-promoted offer to send a 
copy of the old programme to test trend called ITSACORR, long after 
it had been abandoned by its creator. People still need it, and when 
they can no longer find the author, they find me. 

Another example occurred as a result of a sceptical post of mine 
concerning the claimed remarkable abilities of a severely-disabled 
autistic child.  Not long after I suggested on TIPS that her 
supporters may have fallen into the facilitated communication trap, 
and that her claimed journalistic skills were illusory, I received an 
angry letter from her mother. We had an extended dialogue concerning 
what evidence would be required for a persuasive demonstration that 
her abilities were real. It ended, unfortunately, when it became 
clear that there was no way she was going to let her daughter take 
part in such a test.  

On other occasions, I've received a query or comment on something 
that was posted so long ago I no longer remembered it. But the 
Internet has a long memory, and someone was able to find it.  I have 
the impression that these dashed-off posts of mine receive far 
greater circulation than my publications in obscure (to outsiders) 
psychology journals ever did, despite the much greater care taken in 
their preparation. 

Lastly, I have to note that while mail-archive.com, with the help of 
Google,  is the means by which the universe can access what I've said 
on TIPS,  I've found that searching using the mail-archive search 
function is often hopeless.  When I need to find an old post, I have 
more luck by searching for it directly on Google, and it then turns 
up the exact archived post which mail-archive didn't know it had.

Stephen 
--------------------------------------------
Stephen L. Black, Ph.D.          
Professor of Psychology, Emeritus   
Bishop's University
Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada               
e-mail:  sblack at ubishops.ca
---------------------------------------------


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