Sorry, and I may be about to sound like a bitch, but I have a lot more time for the spoof comment than for the original questioner.

I see your point Lalita, about anonymous commenting, but this was a bit of a nadir in requests for information. When I worked in TV I contributed to a forum for TV freelancers and we would occasionally get posts like these - 'can anyone tell me 10 facts about wolves?' being one that sticks in the mind. Those posts would get, quite rightly, imho, shot down in flames.

I think it's reasonable to ask specific questions that show the questioner is professional, knows what they are doing, and has exhausted other angles. e.g. 'I'm looking for a filming location with a Victorian operating theatre for X, I have tried Y, does anyone have suggestions?'.

But this request is from a personal hotmail account, not a company one, it does not specify the production company making it and the description of the programme is so vague that I can't believe it's been commissioned yet or that anyone has any idea what will be in it. This researcher would need to do a considerable amount of research before they could even frame some focussed questions and frankly, I'm kind of shocked they think other people's time is so less valuable than their own that they haven't done this.

Peter, in my opinion, no this is explicitly not a list for helping people out with science questions. It's primarily a list for people working in science communication and engagement to share information which may be of use to the community.

I'm sure I do sound like a prissy old cow:-) But really, if every researcher at the start of developing a programme idea just sent emails like this to psci-com then we would be wading through the things!

Best wishes all,

Sophia

Sophia Collins
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On 27/10/2010 13:43, Peter Collins wrote:

Thanks Lalita,
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I don't see the point in being rude. I was under the impression that this list was for helping people out with science/media questions - please let me know if i have misunderstood this.
 
Science, and particularly its communication, is about sharing and exchanging ideas, but i can assure the anonymous person that I am spending a lot of time doing my own research. Any extra help from you guys is an added bonus,
Best,
Peter 

 

 
> Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 13:35:47 +0100
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Spoof: Experiments for science TV series about Human Body
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> Dear List,
>
> I've removed this person from the list. While it may be OK to question someone else's contribution to the list, I don't think that signing up annonymously to make a sarcastic posting is a useful contribution. I hope you agree with my decision.
>
> kind regards,
>
> Lalita Kaplish
> list administrator
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: psci-com: on public engagement with science
> > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lazy Researcher
> > Sent: 27 October 2010 13:05
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: [PSCI-COM] Spoof: Experiments for science TV series
> > about Human Body
> >
> > Dear All
> >  
> > I am a researcher for a TV company. I have no background or
> > interest in science, that is why I think looking at men
> > preferring blonds or how gingers experience pain constitutes
> > "revealing experiments". I can't be bothered to look on
> > google so I wondered if there was anyone out there who could
> > do my work for me? I'll dangle the slim chance of getting on
> > TV (because I know that's what everyone on this list secretly
> > and desperately wants) in exchange for a whole load of
> > "interesting psychological/physiological experiments", you
> > know the ones about men and blonds and gingers and pain, that
> > I'll then take all the credit for.
> >  
> > Thanks and all the best,
> >  
> > lazy researcher
> >
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