Should Hoaxers Be Outed?

[Guest]

check this out. Could this guy be the Elbe track hoaxer? He's admitting he wants to pull a gotcha on Meldrum. Could be more track ways popping up.

Quote

Oh, man, this is really almost a kind of obsession with me. I have a background in forensic

anthropology (my undergraduate work) and spent a lot of time making a pair of perfect bigfoot feet. It didn't cost a lot, either. I started with a set of size 18 Nikes that I bought at Ross for $25.00. I cut the bottoms off and I use MOST of my own size 13 foot for the foot - so it preserves the dermal ridges and all that stuff. And then I just used a little latex and wood to fill in the rest of the foot - also cast with my own foot. Because the footprint is made by me and my own working toes, etc it leaves the kind of imprint a real giant foot would leave - the only part that's fake is the heel area - and that's the lest flexible part of the foot anyway. The best part is, I can walk around in them and they just look like me wearing big basketball shoes. In the winter, with jeans and coat on, you don't even notice them.

So far, no one has yet picked up on them. I want someone to find them, then send a cast to Jeff Meldrum, have him confirm them as "real," and then out the footprints in an article for a skeptical publication. I've never made any secret of the fact I hoax bigfoot footprints. When people ask me what I'm doing - I confess right away and explain the project. I even had a game warden ask me why I was out in the woods in deep snow. I explained and he just said, "um, ok - go ahead."

Link

http://hppodcraft.com/forums/index.php?topic=1207.10;wap2

[Incorrigible1]

I'm a Lovecraft fan. As for hoaxers? Hang 'em.

[Guest thermalman]

Unfortunately, even the police get hoaxed by criminals. I suspect Meldrum will also.

[Guest JVDBogart]

It amazes me that someone could enjoy making fake Bigfoot prints. Then again, I am sure they find my interest in Bigfoot equally as amazing. To each his own I guess, but they should be exposed when they are caught. I hate to think of my fellow Bigfoot enthusiasts wasting their time and hard earned money to investigate a hoax. That's what bothers me! This isn't wasted tax dollars we are talking about, this is REAL money taken from a family's budget. Money that I am sure we all wouldn't want to waste during this rough economic period.

[Guest]

Second that, it is the whole deceitful part of it. To lay down a track knowing someone may possibly waste a lot of time with it and them proceed to do it just really irks me

Hey I am an Anthropology buff but to walk around with fake feet like that, should have some disclaimer or at least put the word out and not waste any one's time.

Edited October 9, 2012 by Lance

[Guest]

I think hoaxing hurts the effort to establish the existence of the creature. If the end result is a learning experience to help researchers better distinguish hoaxes from the authentic and the hoaxer is agreeable then that would be the positive outcome.

If the goal is to leave the hoaxer open to harassment, assault, or worse then absolutely not. This is a set of fake bigfoot tracks we are talking about and that needs to be put into perspective in the grand scheme of things.

[Guest]

I don't think anything like this preceded the final discovery of the gorilla. Native Africans didn't make fake feet and traipse around the forest wishing to hoax the stupid intrepid great white hunters. Why is that? Guess we, as a culture, mature much later in life.

[Midnight Owl]

Hoaxing does not change what I have experienced out in field for myself, but can sadly destroy a healthy interest by some who are stuck in the middle of the road. It could also hurt support for very honest studies conducted by very honest people....

[Guest]

Yep, if they have admitted to it. Conditionally if not.

[Guest]

So how hard would it be to spot these tracks has a hoax? I would think the prints would look pretty convincing.

[Guest]

The hoaxers should always be exposed. They would endure no more harassment than Gimlin,Freeman, or any other number of so called hoaxers at the hands of skeptics, and more accurately, skofftics. The intent and scope of the hoax should also be taken into consideration. Obvious hoaxes are just that, intention to attract attention, maybe make something almost funny, knowing full out it would never wash. Serious attempts to harm and bring less validity to research, need to be exposed, so the community is aware of what type of belief or skepticism they willing to practice.

So my answer is yes lol

[Guest]

I don't think anything like this preceded the final discovery of the gorilla. Native Africans didn't make fake feet and traipse around the forest wishing to hoax the stupid intrepid great white hunters. Why is that? Guess we, as a culture, mature much later in life.

I have no idea DDA, it's a cultural thing I'm sure, look at what passes for humor with our youth.

[Guest]

I think hoaxing hurts the effort to establish the existence of the creature.

Isn't that the point really? For the hoaxers to sit back and laugh at well-meaning and passionate folks?

[Incorrigible1]

Not only outed, but made castrati. They sing beautifully.

[Guest]

I think it's a matter of perspective. I'm skeptical of the existence of this creature but appreciate the efforts of those with "boots on the ground" as I've seen it referred to here by those that are sincere in their efforts. What I don't appreciate is the BS and posturing among some of these so called researchers as they struggle for egotistical reasons to jockey for some kind of ephemeral position in an insular culture. That does not lend itself to critical thinking at all and promotes the more negative aspects that we see so frequently in the topic/hobby. If they are hoaxed then they get what they deserve IMO. I'm sure I will **** people off with this opinion but unfortunately those that are more sincere will tend to fall victim and that is a shame.

Edited October 9, 2012 by CTfoot