Well, Dean has emailed me off-list, stating that he would not be responding to any further posts from me in a public forum. It's a pity, I'm sure that some of you would like to know the exact nature of the relationship between the Disclosure Project (DP) and UKFFD, how it is that the DP appears to be competing with the UKFFD in the UK (unless of course Ananda Sirisena is closer to the UKFFD than Dean would have you believe).
For the record, my beef with the UKFFD is that it is likely to _set_back_ any serious interest from the scientific and government communities by at least ten years, due to their total lack of objectivity and their association with the DP (which has been known to charge people hundreds of dollars to flash powerful lamps at stars in an effort to establish communication with "Extraterrestrial Intelligence" (ETI)). At first, I suggested ways in which they might court more sympathetic responses from the media/government/science, but finally gave up and decided that if they were going to wreck any possibility of serious treatment of the subject, then I would actively attempt to expose their weaknesses.
My personal perspective is that people do see and experience unusual things associated with UFOs. I do not totally reject the notion that some might be related to extraterrestrial activity, though I do think it unlikely. As far as military cover-ups in the UK are concerned, they have over the years actively played-down any unusual aspects of the phenomenon, but they seem to know less about UFOs than the more objective and experienced ufologists do.
That leads me on to another pet topic of ufology. Unlike pilots, there is no certification scheme for ufology. This means that anyone can call themselves an ufologist, even if they are clearly off their rocker, or have the analytical skills of a lemming. Imagine the situation if people didn't need to pass exams or carry out training before they can fly an aircraft - well, that's the situation that ufology is in today.
I have read the sighting reports in this thread with interest. I shall be contacting some of you privately, though unfortunately I don't have sufficient time to follow up each and every report. I have more information about some of the reports which I have seen on this forum, and as I get time, I shall try to post the details here.
As an example of the hype that prevails on the internet, there is some fascinating footage from 1966, billed as "TOP SECRET - UFO sighting from plane (England, 1966)". It is very impressive, and it made the news at the time. It can be viewed at:
http://www.thelosthaven.co.uk/ufosig...aneuk1966.mpeg
It might also amuse you to visit some of the other rubbish at the site, but make sure that you disable all nearby BS detectors, or you will be deafened!
For the real story of this "TOP SECRET" sighting, visit:
http://magonia.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/mbapr66.htm
and:
http://magonia.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/mbjun66.htm
There are however some excellent sites about UFOs. Here are a few links to whet your appetite:
http://www.magonia.demon.co.uk
http://magonia.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/
http://www.ufology.org.uk/
http://www.project1947.com/
http://www.parcellular.fsnet.co.uk/Lakenheath.htm
http://www.nicap.dabsol.co.uk/
You will find them a lot more objective and interesting than some of the other links that have been put forward on this thread.
Finally, I would like to plug an email list which I administer for people interested in UK ufology. We have over 900 registered members, including some well-known British researchers, authors, and investigators. If you really are interested, you can register (free) at:
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ufologyinuk
Regards,
Joe