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Boost NIH/FDA XMRV story on news site Reddit by voting: Very easy to do

asleep

Senior Member
Messages
184
I have created the following posts to help raise awareness of the DHHS tactics:

http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/cn3sf/us_health_officials_obstructing_scientific_process/
http://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/cn0mj/us_health_officials_obstructing_scientific_process/

Please help vote both stories up (just click the "up" arrow next to each title in the upper left corner) to increase their popularity. It is very easy to register a username (takes literally 30 seconds and you don't need an email). Also, if it catches on, I would appreciate any help responding to questions/comments or improving my synopsis. You can also vote comments up and down with the arrows next to them.

I have tried to summarize the current situation with the Alter paper from the standpoint of the broader implications to scientific inquiry.

For those not familiar with reddit, it is a social news site where users submit links (or text) which the community votes up or down. Users can also discuss submissions. It tends to be a relatively educated and open-minded community with a general appreciation of science. I think a number of journalists keep an eye on it, so if we can boost the story to the front-page, it could have a very big effect.
 

ixchelkali

Senior Member
Messages
1,107
Location
Long Beach, CA
Nice summary. I like.

You're right, registering is very easy. I just did it, and voted your summary up (I think :confused:; do you just click on the up arrow at the top left to vote?).
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
I just clicked (and commented). Great summary! And you don't even have to faff about with giving your email etc. for registration - you just choose a username, type the distorted letters to show you're not spam, and that's it.

It's important we all click the up arrow! When I just did so, I was the 5th positive click but to my amazement there were two negative ones. Let's squash those trolls!
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
Asleep, this is such a great idea - I wonder if it could be given an extra push here on Phoenix Rising with a more specific thread title such as "Boost NIH/FDA XMRV story on news site Reddit by voting".

I don't think we can change thread titles ourselves but if you'd like a new title, PM one of the site admins and they will do it.
 

asleep

Senior Member
Messages
184
Thanks for the idea Sasha, I will PM someone to get a title change

I don't know of any admins other than Cort, so if an admin stumbles upon this, can you please change the title to "Boost NIH/FDA XMRV story on news site Reddit by voting: Very easy to do". Thanks!
 

asleep

Senior Member
Messages
184
Quick bump for two reasons:

1. Can someone change the title of the thread? (see #7)
2. I submitted the same summary to the "politics" category in addition to my original submission to the "science" category (the science submission doesn't seem to be showing up and I'm worried that it might be too political for that category).

Please help to boost popularity of both threads!
 

Stone

Senior Member
Messages
371
Location
NC
It's heating up on REDDIT.COM!! Please vote everyone! And comment as well. It's fast, it's easy and it's necessary!
 

shiso

Senior Member
Messages
159
glenp - the arrows are immediately to the left of the title of the posts (I couldn't find them at first either) If you click the "up" arrow your vote will be counted.

Thanks, asleep!
 

Rafael

XMRV+ Member
Messages
66
Location
Ontario, Canada
Thanks for doing this - Very objectively written.
When I voted it was 35 up votes and 34 down. (the mechanism must not be working - or maybe it is)
RookTakesPawn had commented "You're presuming political interference because they published the paper you don't like and didn't publish the paper you liked. Your judgment of the papers is absolutely biased by your preference for their conclusions. That is not how science is practiced. etc." and I saw a lot of controlled effort from people to respond to this.
I thought I couldn't be more astonished as to what we are up against - until now.
We have to use this as a learning experience - but for the moment ... I am just dumfounded.
 

dancer

Senior Member
Messages
298
Location
Midwest, USA
Thanks for doing this. It was very easy to choose a screen name so I could vote.
Great, accurate article.

I'm not highly computer savvy, and often too brain fogged to find ways to be involved in activism, but this is VERY do-able and one more drop in the ocean of distorted public opinion/ignorance that we need to confront. Thank you!

I encourage everyone to pop over there and click the up arrow.
 
Messages
33
This is excellent thank you 'asleep'

Another idea that people often do when they are angry - is write an open letter to a national newspaper - we could address it to the head of the DHHS (or any other key individual) and get as many people as possible to sign it (we could approach good doctors like Klimas, Cheney etc also and request their signature). One has to pay to buy the space within a paper - but if there is enough of us - if we all sign and make a contribution - perhaps collectively we could afford it - these letters in turn attract additional press attention.
 

jeffrez

Senior Member
Messages
1,112
Location
NY
Great article, asleep! Joined and commented.


>> What idiot gives a "down" vote to a story that essentially says, "let ALL the science be published?" It's mind boggling how much prejudice and ignorance there is out there.
 

asleep

Senior Member
Messages
184
Thanks everyone! There were some great replies to the one very negative comment.

Please keep voting them up: I really think this is a good way to reach a lot of people (save a few, as we've already seen) particularly inclined to object to these tactics.
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
Come on, everybody, let's throw ourselves at this! It stands at 60 up votes, 57 down votes at the moment; that is, three votes in our favour. We are being trolled! On the case, everybody!:D

Happy to see that positive comments overwhelmingly in favour (just one nutter). Add a comment and help get a positive atmosphere for Asleep's excellent article!