What should forum policy be on defamatory posts?

[Laird]

OK, so, please forgive me, Kamarling - I'm trying to arrive at the best approach, which means probing and testing everybody's suggestions. I hope you understand that if I "grill" you, it's in the interests of coming to a collective understanding of what's best.

It is one thing to suggest Geller probably cheated - he's been accused of that ever since he found fame - but quite another to accuse a bunch of scientists who undertook to test his claims. Geller is a showman and at least part of his show has always been stage magic. But I have seen no reason to question the good faith of the scientists. The same applies to other psi researchers and I find it obnoxious that the knee-jerk reaction is "well, they must have rigged the results". 

OK, and I feel bad about legitimate scientists being accused too. So, let's say we accept this demarcation you've set up: you say that because Geller is a showman, he's fair game for accusations. Does this mean that those purported psi adepts who are less flambouyant are not fair game, as for the scientists? And why should showmanship disqualify Uri from protection from false claims?

Until Max has had a civil dialogue - and, despite what he says, nobody is asking him to kiss ass - with Radin or Gabriel, I have no reason to believe his accusations, especially when everything he has claimed so far - about the speakers, the headphones, the chanting - has been answered by the researchers.

Agreed. I think Max's claims have been more than adequately addressed by Dean and Gabriel. It's time to put them to rest.