Hi EQF,

> I almost never visit the Earthboppin bulletin board. And this is the first that I have heard about any of your computer programs being criticized there. Can you provide some specifics?

It's a lengthy thread on the Science board. Don in Berkely among others criticizing my evaluation programs because they aren't perfect. It seems I should be taking quake catalog error ranges into account for each quake involved in the probability calculation. Possibly true but impossibly difficult.

> One of your computer programs generates data regarding the positions of the sun and the moon in the sky at specific times. How could anyone have an objection to your creating a computer program like that?

No one did. Different subject.

> One of the reasons that such a bulletin board is needed not only for the science of earthquake forecasting but for many other areas of science as well is because science researchers are often extremely sensitive to criticism. If they think that they might get criticized for taking a public stand on something they simply won’t state what they believe.

You travel in a strange group then. The scientists I know thrive on criticism and debate. It's an essential part of developing a theory.

> In my opinion, that is one of the main reasons that very few professional researchers are willing to post notes to the EarthWaves board. There have been too many hostile notes posted here in the past. However, this is Canie's bulletin board. And I fully support her right to determine what should and should not be allowed here.

What they don't like is ignorant comments by trolls. That's just distracting.

> If and when the bulletin board at my Web site becomes fully operational it will enable researchers to report on their efforts without having to deal with that type of destructive or research limiting criticism. People will need to have my permission to post notes on the board in the first place. And I am planning to monitor those posts myself. Anyone who engages in that type of critical negative behavior on the board will be temporarily or permanently banned from posting notes there.

Lets me out then. I'm all in favor of well tossed hand grenades where fools gather.

> So, if someone wanted to propose that earthquakes occur when giant earthworms are having underground fights near earthquake fault zones then he or she would probably be allowed to say that knowing that he or she would likely be regarded as being a rather strange person by scientists around the world.

Not to mention all the wasted bandwidth.

> However, if someone else then posted a note on the board attacking that person, the person doing the attacking would no longer be posting notes there. Why would such an attack be necessary in the first place?

Garbage collection.

> Right now I am having conversations with computer programming personnel regarding how to develop a Perl language bulletin board that will allow people to submit picture files along with their posts. If science researchers want to report on their efforts it is essential that they have the ability to add tables and charts to their posts. But, there won’t be any pictures of a person’s favorite pet animal unless it has the ability to tell that an earthquake is approaching. And some animals have been reported to actually have such an ability.

Yeah, right.

Roger