Michael Richards on the Sandwalk

Technically, this isn't Michael Richards on the Sandwalk but I'm posting it anyway. He sent me this drawing from a recent visit. It's the same view as in the Steve Watson and Seanna Watson photos (links are below). Thanks Michael.

Larry Moran
PZ Myers
John Wilkins
Ryan Gregory
The God Delusion
Cody
John Hawks
Michael Barton
Seanna Watson
Steve Watson
Michael Richards

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I Rank Number One on Google

 
I was searching through some old posts today and I came across I Rank Number One on Google from October 2007. The idea was to come up with five words or phrases where Google would return something by you at the top of the page.

Back then I picked ...

• Larry Moran
• Sandwalk
• Three Domain Hypothesis
• adaptationist-pluralist
• is there a genetic component to intelligence

All five of them worked in 2007 but today the last one has Sandwalk in 4th position. The list that works today is ....

• Larry Moran
• Sandwalk
• Three Domain Hypothesis
• adaptationist-pluralist
• random genetic drift

How easy is this? Can every blogger come up with a list where they rank number one on the Google search? I tried it with a few blog names and it always seems to work. The names of some bloggers don't always work. We already know about a more famous "John Wilkins" for example and "Paul Myers" doesn't even mention the Pharyngula blogger in the top ten!¹

I'm giving a lecture tomorrow on the Three Domain Hypothesis and why it is no longer valid. I still have the top three hits for this topic on Google. In case you've forgotten, you can read about it at: Theme: The Three Domain Hypothesis.

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1. "Paul Zachary Myers" works, but that's cheating.

On the Sandwalk

 
Here's a panoramic view of what it's like to be on the Sandwalk behind Down House (Darwin's Home). This is the stretch along the very back of the property at the top of the image in the header for this blog.

360 Panoramic - Sandwalk

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[Hat Tip: Michael Fisher]

Congratulations Vip!

 

Here's Vipulan Vigneswaran with his fabulous Biochemistry textbook that he won by contributing to Monday's Molecule [And the Winner Is ...]. Vip is studying Chemistry at the University of Toronto.

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I Don't Understand the Spammers

 

There are people somewhere who scour the blogs posting comments containing links to various websites. The object, I think, is to boost their scores on the search engines but I'm not sure this actually works. I imagine that these people are being paid to post comments.

I get about 20 of these spam comments per day. Since I moderate comments they never get posted and you, dear readers, never see them. The Blogger spam catcher puts most of them in the spam bucket.

So what's the point? The people posting these comments are wasting their time, and wasting my time as well. Is that the goal? I don't get it.

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Blogiversary

 
I completely forgot about Sandwalk's blogiversary. It's a biggie!

My first post was on Nov. 4, 2006 [Welcome to my Sandwalk] so this makes Sandwalk five years old!

It was PZ Myers who got me started.¹ We were in England visiting Down House when he convinced me that starting a blog was better than posting messages on talk.origins. He took the picture of me on the upper-left-hand corner of this page Can you guess where we were? He also took the one in this post.

3811 posts later I'm still not sure whether to thank PZ or curse him.

On last year's blogiversary, none of the top five postings on Sandwalk were about science. This has now changed. As of today, four of the top five all-time postings are science postings.

The Genetics of Eye Color
Smart Crocodile Eaters?
Regulating Glycogen Metabolism
A Challenge to Theists and their Accommodationist Supporters
Carnival of Evolution #38

Sandwalk currently averages around 180,000 page views per month. This puts it at the low end of the middle group of science blogs. (Ranked number 36 this month.)

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1. He has a blog as well.

More than a Blog?

Mainstream scientists and mainstream journals are still trying to figure out what blogging is all about. They aren't alone. Science journalists are also puzzled. Even the bloggers are confused.

The latest contribution from the mainstream has just been published in the journal EMBO Reports: More than a blog. It discusses, among other things, the effect blogging had on the Wolfe-Simon et al. (2010) paper claiming that a strain of bacteria could incorporate arsenic into its DNA in place of phosphorus.

The author of the EMBO Reports article is Howard Wolinsky, an American journalist. I want to address one part of his article. Wolinsky writes,

This incident, like a handful before it and probably more to come, has raised the profile of science blogging and the freedom that the Internet offers to express an opinion and reach a broad audience. Yet it also raises questions about the validity of unfettered opinion and personal bias, and the ability to publish online with little editorial oversight and few checks and balances.

It's true that there's no editorial oversight on science blogs. It's not quite true that there are no checks and balances since most science bloggers read and comment on each other's posts and bad science bloggers are easily exposed (e.g. creationist sites).

But that's not what I want to comment about. Wolinsky's implies that the world of traditional science communication is free of personal bias and regulated by checks and balances. That's not true. The incident he's referring to is the "arsenic affair" and it a good idea to keep in mind what happened last December.

First, most of the fuss arose over the press release where the lead author made claims that were not in the Science paper and were not supported by evidence. Up until the advent of science blogging there were no serious checks and balances on press releases save for the occasional journalist who sometimes expressed a bit of skepticism. Science blogs are actually serving as checks and balances on press releases and irresponsible science journalism. That needs to be stated more often.

Second, it's simply not true that papers published in the scientific literature undergo rigorous editorial/peer review that is subject to checks and balances. It's simply not true that papers in the scientific literature are free of "unfettered opinion and personal bias." We've all known about this for decades. Science bloggers are now bringing that knowledge to the general public and (among other things) exposing bad papers to the critical analysis they should have received before being accepted for publication. There's general agreement that the Wolfe-Simon et al. (2010) paper was not subjected to rigorous peer review before it was published online. Thanks to the bloggers, publication of the print version of the paper was delayed for months and when it appeared it was accompanied by several letters of criticism. That never would have happened without science bloggers.

Science bloggers are providing the checks and balances that have gone missing in the so-called "peer-reviewed" scientific literature. The bloggers are becoming the "peers" that review the papers when the system breaks down.

While it is true that science bloggers may have an agenda and aren't subjected to rigorous peer review before publication, this should not be treated as a new phenomenon that's peculiar to blogs. If you're going to raise these issues in an article about blogging then you should also raise them with respect to the traditional scientific literature.

Third, science journalists are partly responsible for the increased role that science bloggers are playing in exposing bad science. Traditionally it was supposed to be science journalists who acted as a check on bad science and bad press releases. Recent incidents have shown us that we can no longer count on science journalists to act as skeptical reviewers. The "arsenic affair" is a good example (Carl Zimmer is a notable exception).

Today it's more likely that science journalists will follow the lead of science bloggers rather than do the required homework on their own. Many science journalists just publish paraphrased versions of press releases leaving it up to the science bloggers to expose the flaws in the press releases, and in the published paper.

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[HatTip: Jarry Coyne: An EMBO report on science blogging]

Steve Watson on the Sandwalk

 

Larry Moran
PZ Myers
John Wilkins
Ryan Gregory
The God Delusion
Cody
John Hawks
Michael Barton
Seanna Watson

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Seanna Watson on the Sandwalk

 

Larry Moran
PZ Myers
John Wilkins
Ryan Gregory
The God Delusion
Cody
John Hawks
Michael Barton

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Michael Barton on the Sandwalk

Michael Barton blogs at The Dispersal of Darwin.

Larry Moran
PZ Myers
John Wilkins
Ryan Gregory
The God Delusion
Cody
John Hawks

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John Hawks on the Sandwalk

 
I post pictures of anyone on the Sandwalk. Technically speaking, John Hawks isn't exactly "on" the Sandwalk but I assume he went for a stroll shortly after this picture was taken.

Larry Moran
PZ Myers
John Wilkins
Ryan Gregory
The God Delusion
Cody

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A New Moderation Policy: Doug Dobney Is Banned on Sandwalk

Up until now I have been proud of the fact that nobody is banned on Sandwalk. I delete all spam that consist entirely of threats and incoherent ranting (e.g. Dennis Markuze). I also delete spam that advertises products and/or commercial websites. But even the weirdest kooks are allowed to post comments as long as they don't post spam.

But there's one thing I won't tolerate and that's when people start threatening other bloggers and commenters by contacting their families or their employers. That's where I draw the line.

Doug Dobney has posted hundreds of comments on Sandwalk under "anonymous." He is apparently opposed to evolution and won't listen to reason from those who have tried to set him straight on the facts. That's fine with me. If others want to have fun with him here, then it's up to them. I've been ignoring him and so has almost everyone else.

Recently another commenter revealed that "anonymous" was, in fact, Doug Dobney, a well-known kook from Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. That made Doug very upset in spite of the fact that it was trivially easy to identify him based on his internet record where he has already admitted to his identity. (He also posts as "Socrates.")

That's fine too. What happened next is not fine. Doug Dobney sent letters to the Chair of my department and the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine complaining about me. Here's a copy of his letter.

Dear Dr. Whiteside:

I need to bring to your attention a serious problem that relates to the Department of Biochemistry.

Please see the emails below.

Not only has the problem not been addressed, but I have not even been given a response to my emails documenting this dangerous situation.

To give you some insight into this problem, here are three, of many, instances from Dr. Moran’s blog:

“Josef Gladstone said...

I don't even understand why Doug Dobney would even want to toil in anonytimity when he is doing such groundbreaking work on organism development, especially in the new field of pterosaur to bird development. He is truly one of the great minds of the 21st century.

Doug Dobney will eventually be viewed in the same light as Darwin by the time the history of organism development is written.

And of course, to quote the great Mr. Dobney, this is certainly not worth arguing about! (both his wonderful wife Angela and myself get a great chuckle out of this whenever he says it, which is quite often!)

“AND

Ddobney@moffathouse.ca said...

Hey Doug Dobney, do guests at the Moffat House know you're insane?

AND if your stomach is up to it, there is this link on the blog:

http://socratesisdougdobney.blogspot.com/

I would appreciate your attention to this serious problem.

Yours sincerely,

Douglas Dobney

That's something I will not tolerate. Doug Dobney has earned the distinction of being the very first person to be banned on Sandwalk

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My Dean is a very busy person but I'm sure she enjoys a little chuckle now and then when these kook emails turn up in her mailbox. I'll have to ask her if she remembers Doug Dobney next time I see her in the line for coffee downstairs.

Despicable Rhett S. Daniels

EpiRen is the pseudonym of a blogger who about public health issues, including vaccinations and various forms of quackery. He works for a state public health department in the United States. At some point EpiPen crossed paths with Rhett S. Daniels and Daniels didn't like what he heard.

So what did Daniels do? He had EpiPen investigated and "outed" him to his employers. The employers told EpiPen to stop blogging about these issues or be fired. EpiPen complied—as we all would under such circumstances. Read all about it at: The consequences of blogging under one's own name] [A Public Servant, Blogging and Tweeting Under His Own Name, Has Been Silenced By His Employers].

Rhett Daniels showed up in the comments section on the second blog and started issuing more threats.

i am mr. x; first, i am not anti-vax; second, i didn't want epiren to stop posting, but rather to take down the defamatory blog; third, i am not done going after every individual who defames me.

you think you are safe, but all i have to do is file a john doe - or hire a cyber investigator. these courses of action cost less than $10,000 each; which means every person who is afraid of the light can be exposed.

i will not tolerate harassment, defamation, or any such action by any of you. i am very aware of all of you, and have the capital and the will to go after each and every one of you ONLY IF you defame or slander me.

i am self employed if you count owning 11 pharmaceutical companies with cum gross sales over 1/2 billion.

....

actuall, to save me $9,000 i will offer $1,000 for identify info that leads to an address where i can serve anarchic teapot (legally serve as in sheriff delivers court papers).

Who is this despicable person? It's a little tricky to find out since he's in the process of erasing his blog, his twitter account, and several other internet references. His YouTube videos on folate have been made inaccessible and the websites of some of his companies seem to be undergoing routine maintenance. But there are still traces of him on the internet as PZ Myers discovered: Rhett S. Daniels, litigious bully.

I'm doing my bit to create an internet presence for Rhett Daniels—I'm sure he'll thank me when he gets a chance. Let me make it clear that I am not slandering Rhett Daniels. I'm merely stating what the evidence strongly suggests; namely, that he is a despicable, cowardly, bully who will use his money to legally harass anyone who dares to criticize his treatments.

Bits and pieces of his blog are still accessible on Google cache: cigaRHETT - Toxicological Insight. From there you can link to his Blogger profile where you discover that his favorite movie was Top Gun and one of his two favorite books is the Bible. (Why are we not surprised that such a despicable man would like the Bible?) He lives in Fort Myers, Florida, United States.

Here's more,

Activist, philanthropist and entrepreneur. Highly skilled executive who excels at taking small struggling companies from low to high revenues in short periods. Boast an impressive record of the most pharmaceutical drug products ever developed by one person (over 400) in the history of pharma - surpassing my idol, Robert Stockstad from Lederle Pharma (he developed folic acid in 1947). One of the most successful non-lawyer ProSe litigants in history. As of July 18, 2011, total product sales since July 18, 2006, are: $590,635,984 (and 22,728,724 units sold!). politics: www.linkedin.com/in/RhettSDaniels ViaDiem Holdings (Founder): www.viadiem.com Captiva Pharma (CEO): www.CaptivaRx.com Goals: (1) To lead a small pharma company from less than $20 million/yr to over $1 billion/yr in revenues; (2) To feed 82 million Africans with my new unique ingredients that purifies water while provided demographic and staple-deficient based vitamins to provide min RDA based on regional disparities;

You get to ride the big roller coaster three times in a row. What will keep your dad from taking a bite out of your candy apple?

Doing the Good versus doing the Right. Somethings can be Right that are not Good; and there are many things that are Good that are not Right. Right means legally, and Good means natural law.

Rhett Daniels seems to have forgotten that there are some things that are both wrong and evil.

There are several things wrong here. Daniels behaved badly by taking the disagreement to EpiPen's employer. The employer behaved badly by threatening EpiPen if he didn't stop blogging. We should aim for a society where neither of those behaviors are acceptable and everyone can speak freely without fear of retaliation. This is not a good time to criticize the employers but we can make sure Rhett Daniels appreciates the consequences of his behavior. Judging by his defensive reactions on the internet, I think he might be learning a lesson ....

UPDATE: Read the "warning letter" that Liz Ditz received from Rhett Daniels. If this weren't so sad it would be funny.

Here's a list of posts on Keeping Up with #EpiGate. Lots of people are trying to help Rhett S. Daniels have a visible presence on the internet. He will be very grateful.

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Dennis Markuze Arrested

According to Montreal police a suspect has been arrested in the "David Mabus" case. They don't say who it was but we all know it's Dennis Markuze [Montreal police make arrest in "Mabus" case on online death threats].

For a very detailed outline of this case see: Case Study: How a notorious spammer was brought down via Twitter.

There is a God! I have removed comment moderation on Sandwalk

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Dennis Markuze Gets on TV

Problem is, Dennis Markuze is never identified by name. There are other inaccuracies in the news report but at least something is being done (at last) [see Montreal Police: Take "Mabus" death threats seriously]. It's beginning to look like Dennis Markuze may be shut down. I hope his mother wakes up and realizes that her son is deeply disturbed.

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Hat Tip: Greg Laden

Montreal Police: Take "Mabus" death threats seriously

Go to this website, Montreal Police: Take "Mabus" death threats seriously, and sign the petition. We need to convince the Montreal police to take action against Dennis Markuze before he harms someone.

Read what PZ Myers has to put up with every day: Time to institutionalize Dennis Markuze. This is not right. It's an embarrassment that Canada can't deal with this problem.

For several years Dennis Markuze has harassed and threatened scientists, writers, public figures, atheists, and their friends under the pseudonym "David Mabus". While this was previously a minor annoyance, the intensity and frequency of his communications have increased.

"Mabus" attacks now include hundreds of Twitter accounts (used and discarded as they are reported). He has threatened young boys and girls as well as adults (including Rys Morgan, 16, who was acknowledged by some in the science community for exposing a dangerous quack medical treatment). In fact, anyone who associates with scientifically and skeptically minded people like PZ Myers, Phil Plait, James Randi, Brian Dunning or Michael Shermer is likely to become a target for unsettling rants and threats to their life and well-being.

Markuze has even gone so far as to attend meetings of such people, including attending the American Atheist Convention in October 2010, held Montreal.

It is time for the police to take his threats seriously. The problem must be addressed before it escalates beyond Internet bullying and veiled threats to become something worse.

Change.org|Start an Online Petition »

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Carnival of Evolution #37

This month's Carnival of Evolution (37th version) is hosted by William, a 13 year old budding evolutionist who lives in Petawawa, Ontario, Canada [Carnival of Evolution #37-Happy Canada Day!]. His blog is The Lessons of Evolution.

The next edition will be hosted right here on Sandwalk! (Canadians are taking over the world.) Email me if you have posted something on evolution that deserves to be in the next carnival. Or just send me a link if you come across something posted by someone else. (l(dot)moran(at)utoronto(dot)ca)

I even accept postings from adaptationists and (maybe) evolutionary psychologists. I also promise to give serious consideration to postings from (some) philosophers.

There will be a new surprise category in next month's carnival—watch for it!

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The Scientific American Blog Network

Today marks the launch of another blog network. This one is The Scientific American Blog Newtork. Bora Zivkovic is the man behind it.

I read about thirty blogs on a regular basis. Some of them have migrated two or three times over the past five years and I always follow them because they are good blogs. I really don't care whether the blogs I follow are part of a network or not. I don't read the other blogs in a network because my aggregator gives me a direct feed.

What's the purpose behind belonging to a blog network? Does it provide something that you can't get by being an independent blogger? Is it money? Are there any downsides other than the fact that you are lending your name to support for a profit making corporation? If you're supporting a magazine like Discover, Seed (now dead), Nature, or Scientific American does it mean that you stand behind whatever they print?

The thing I find most annoying about commercial blogs is the advertising—some of which is contrary to what's being posted. Is the "profit" to the blogger really significant enough? Maybe it is for PZ Myers but the income for someone like me was peanuts when I last explored that option.

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The Death of the Sniper Scientist

 

I've just discovered a new blog called Canadian Girl Postdoc in America. Check it out.

You can start by recommending your favorite science book [The One] but be sure to read the wonderful series on Slow Science: The Death of the Sniper Scientist.

The author is interested in evolution and population genetics and she has been blogging for three years! I think she likes plants.

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Don't Mess with Rob Day

 
Rob Day, better known as Canadian Cynic, finally got tired of the malicious defamations posted by Patrick “Patsy” Ross on his blog The Nexus of Assholery. The result was an $85,000 judgment in Rob's favour—$10,000 in legal costs and $75,000 in punitive damages [Another Mudfish Beached]. Let's hope Patsy pays up before the police have to come knocking on his door.
This is one way to deal with bloggers and trolls who step over the line. Another way is to press criminal charges against those who post serious threats. I think the second way is better, if it's an option, and I'm looking forward to the time when some of the mentally deranged trolls are locked away in an institution without a computer. There are a few such trolls who may soon be getting a visit from the cops.

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