Studying Anti-Vaccination Activists on the World Wide Web

... by Martin
The paper I'm about to present was written in 2002, and in the fast-paced world of the internet may seem out of date - after all, Youtube hadn't even been invented then, and Wikipedia and Google were shiny new businesses. But in fact, Davies et al's study of anti-...
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Singh Case Puts Chiropractors Under Siege

... by Martin
As the British Chiropractic Association's battle with Simon Singh continues to work its way through the legal system, chiropractors are counting the fincancial costs of a major backlash resulting from a libel action that has left the Lord Chief Justice "baffled". What...
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BCA v Singh: Did the Skeptics *really* make a difference?

Mon, 04/19/2010 - 13:25

"Jack of Kent, pleased to meet you, love your writing."

And with that introduction, I am tossed into Nick Cohen's wonderful and heart-warming article today, agreeably titled: "Now charlatans will know to beware the geeks".

At least I am presented as having some social skills.

(A geek, of course, is a nerd with social skills.)

But is it correct to emphasise the role of skeptic bloggers, geeks, nerds, and the rest of the internet-based enthusiasts and Skeptics in the Pub attendees who have clamoured and campaigned over the last two years?

Well, in narrow terms, such an emphasis is incorrect.

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BCA Fold - Updated with Response to BCA Statement

Thu, 04/15/2010 - 10:17

Moments ago, it was announced via Simon Singh's lawyers that... well, here's what they said:

The BCA today served a Notice of Discontinuance bringing to an end its ill-fated libel claim against Dr Simon Singh arising out of criticisms he made of its promotion of treatments for childhood ailments.

Dr Singh's predicament as the sole defendant in an action brought in respect of a comment piece in the Guardian newspaper (to which the BCA never directed any complaint) was seen as a rallying point for those concerned about the abuse of UK libel laws in connection with scientific debate.

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BCA Statement in Response to Today's Ruling

Thu, 04/01/2010 - 10:14

Just a quick post - the BCA have responded to my request for a statement on today's ruling (surprisingly quickly). Click on the link to read it. I'll blog more on this when I have time later.

Statement

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Singh Case Puts Chiropractors Under Siege

Mon, 03/01/2010 - 20:47

As the British Chiropractic Association's battle with Simon Singh continues to work its way through the legal system, chiropractors are counting the fincancial costs of a major backlash resulting from a libel action that has left the Lord Chief Justice "baffled". What was originally a dispute between the BCA and one science writer over free speech has become a brutally effective campaign to reform an entire industry.

A staggering one in four chiropractors in Britain are now under investigation for allegedly making misleading claims in advertisements, according to figures revealed by the General Chiropractic Council.

Continue reading at The Guardian!

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The Pod Delusion #23

Fri, 02/26/2010 - 10:57
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British Chiropractic Association Give Statement on Singh Libel Hearing

Wed, 02/24/2010 - 21:03

I'll be filing a piece for The Guardian tomorrow (Edit: now appearing Monday) on the latest developments surrounding Simon Singh's judge-baffling libel case. In the meantime, I've been approaching various people for comment, and I've managed to get a statement from the BCA. Here it is in it's full, informative glory, followed by my own in-depth analysis.

"Thanks for your email and request for interview and comment. The BCA is currently not providing any comment but as matters progress this might change and if it does we'll contact you. Sorry we can't help at this time."

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Studying Anti-Vaccination Activists on the World Wide Web

Tue, 11/24/2009 - 14:10

ResearchBlogging.org The paper I'm about to present was written in 2002, and in the fast-paced world of the internet may seem out of date - after all, Youtube hadn't even been invented then, and Wikipedia and Google were shiny new businesses. But in fact, Davies et al's study of anti-vaccination websites is as relevant today as it was then - perhaps even more so [1].

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A Graphical Representation of Irony for Trafigura and the BCA

Fri, 10/16/2009 - 14:39

The first of the graphs below the fold shows traffic to layscience.net for the first 16 days of October, an already high-traffic month thanks to my lovely new band of guest bloggers. It is also a graphical demonstration of the Streisand Effect in action; the phenomenon by which attempts to stifle discussion of a subject only encourage more chatter.

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Reasons Why Singh Shouldn't Countersue

Fri, 10/16/2009 - 11:52

Yesterday, the British Chiropractic Association made what many believe was a serious error of judgement in a press release regarding Dr. Simon Singh's recent appeal victory. In the release they stated that:

"However, this action is actually a simple libel claim based on the fact that the BCA was maliciously attacked by Dr. Singh in the Guardian newspaper."

As legal expert Jack of Kent has pointed out, this is a defamatory remark which Singh could countersue over, and in Jack's view, "the moment he chooses to do so will surely be when this case ends."

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CAM Newsround: Singh-BCA and Tredinnick

Thu, 10/15/2009 - 18:10

My Twitter feed has been full of tweets today regarding the Simon Singh / British Chiropractic Association case and a remarkable press release issued by the BCA, but there have also been several mentions of an MP named David Tredinnick.

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