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Old 24-April-2008, 06:41 PM
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And not just for magazines but for television programs. It seems all the "geek" channels are now stepping firmly into the sensationalist camp with UFO-related programs.

But the danger in painting with that wide a brush is where someone then argues that the lack of any apparent pecuniary motive ought to establish credibility. As soon as we say, "They're all in it for the money," someone says, "What about Bill? He's obviously not making any money from it. Therefore he must be sincere." Maybe he's not making money; but it's still likely that Bill enjoys all the attention he gets from making his claims, and that may be what motivates him.

We have to be careful not to facilitate erroneous lines of reasoning that try to establish credibility indirectly by means of pretending to eliminate all other motivations except to tell the truth. "Of course Bill's telling the truth; what reason would he have to lie?" Because people pay more attention to liars.
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