I suppose I should also add that, in my observation, you are one of the calmest and patient people in the field of CZ, particularly when some crazy is yelling at you.

Back in the “good old days”, which I fondly cherish, the groundwork for this particular field of work was pioneered by such icons as Heuvelmans, Krantz, Green and Coleman (with apologies to those whom I neglected to mention). They received their large share of ridicule and criticism but that came with the job. They “weathered” that storm particularly well but not entirely unscathed. The ridicule and criticism will always be there for the hardy veterans and the young guns of today.

Though modern technology does make it easier to do the necessary research, I don’t think it diminishes the desire for any particular person if they’re willing to stay the course. The ability to take that criticism no matter how harsh it may seem only makes the desire to succeed that much greater. I’ve seen and heard it all throughout my life and it’s never any easier but it’s important and necessary to keep your feelings, beliefs and objectives in perspective.

Regardless of the instant notoriety and equally instant criticisms to be found on the Internet, eventually if they go out into the field they’ll run into someone who will simply laugh in their face. It will not come as a “frowny emoticon” or even a thoughtfully written criticism.

Some folks are simply going to laugh at you. At you, personally. And laugh loudly.

How many of us have had this experience and still pursued our research? I would imagine almost all of us over-40 types have been greeted in this manner more than once.

This goes a long way in winnowing the wheat from the chaff. The tougher ones will learn when and where they can and carry on. Ego-trippers expecting their names in headlines by next week will find some other pursuit. (Well, the majority of them will.)

Any first year student in geology, chemistry, physics, or zoology who goes in and starts correcting his or her professors will quickly have a house dropped on them. While questions and new theories are readily welcomed both here and in the classroom, it’s not a wise idea to march in twirling your guns and telling everyone you’re the fastest gun in the West. There are always a few who are faster. Always.

During the years I have been actively involved with research, nothing has changed more often than my opinions of bigfoot. Not my taste in food, vehicles, women, movies, friends, music, or any other field. I can’t count the times that I have been called on the carpet by folks more wise and experienced. Whether their criticisms were harsh or mild, I came away smarter, looking at the problem from a different angle, and often armed with knowledge I did not have before.

Anyone who lets a series of phosphorescent letters on a computer screen get under their hides will have REAL difficulty when four or five folks are standing around laughing openly at them. Nowadays, I laugh with them and admit that it IS a pretty strange hobby, and no, I don’t have all the answers. More often that not the laughing slowly stops–and someone will begin to ask me serious questions.

The younger folks have many tremendous advantages that we did not in our earlier years; 4×4’s that will take them quickly into the wilderness while carrying heavy loads, Google, Wikipedia, a host of bigfoot conferences where they can communicate with experienced researchers, cell phones, improved radio communications, wireless laptops, GPS systems, night vision, and a galaxy of highly improved camping gear. There is NO REASON they cannot match and surpass the efforts of the generation before them, and even before that. There are still more questions than answers. None of us know all there is to know about these creatures, in fact many of the most important issues are still a total mystery.

They have much at their command that we did not. But they’re going to need what comes from within themselves to make it of any use to them. Courage, die-hard determination, the ability to withstand setback after setback, and the inner strength to take a hit now and then, deserved or not.

This is no job for whiners.

Kent

In the scientific community dissenting theories are discussed and shot down in conference when all data is analyzed. That seems to be what happened here. He stated a dissenting hypothesis, and other researchers shot it down based on collected evidence. An understanding of the scientific is a must if cryptozoology is to ever come into the mainstream.

j/k (about the old farts, not about loving you)

But I think, in general, the attention span and level of patience has shrunk. That means that someone who is out looking for instant approval of his or her own views won’t try to debate, but simply change community, if faced with difficulties.

An interesting thought, though. The PG film has become a sort of media/evidence backbone of BF research and interest. Will we see a decline of interest/increase of ridicule if no “new PG film” can be provided?

The memory of the PG film and the importance of it, might not survive that long in a short attention-span media world.