It got so bad that my dean called me on my cell phone and asked if I felt physically threatened. I told her I didn't, but in retrospect, maybe I should have felt threatened.
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Replying to @gorskon @JHowardBrainMD and
This brings up a point. I work for a public university. There was no danger that I was going to be fired because of my online activity countering quackery. The same is most definitely not true of people working for private companies and community hospitals.
2 replies 3 retweets 24 likes -
Replying to @gorskon @JHowardBrainMD and
Even so, the anxiety involved in having to explain to high ranking university and hospital officials why the COI I was being accused of was bogus was very taxing. I almost quit my skeptical activities over it.
1 reply 2 retweets 16 likes -
Replying to @gorskon @JHowardBrainMD and
Then, in 2016, Mike Adams targeted me with a campaign of libelous posts that implied I had committed crimes, been associated with an oncologist whose scam was to give chemo to patients who didn't have cancer, etc.
1 reply 2 retweets 12 likes -
Replying to @gorskon @JHowardBrainMD and
Adams even tried to imply that I associated with pedophiles. That's how bad it got. I seriously thought of suing, but, although I'm definitely not poor, Adams is very wealthy, thanks to his online alternative health and conspiracy theory empire.
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Replying to @gorskon @JHowardBrainMD and
The end result was that my Google reputation was trashed for years. It's only recovering now because of steps Google has taken to deprioritize content like Adams' Natural News.
1 reply 3 retweets 14 likes -
Replying to @gorskon @JHowardBrainMD and
That's not even mentioning the cancer quack who emailed every faculty member in my department ranting about me. Prior, he'd emailed deans, chairs, and the CEO of the faculty practice plan.
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Replying to @RealJesseLuke @JHowardBrainMD and
It's been so common for antivaxers and quacks to complain about me that the last time I spoke to my cancer center director he asked how it was going, that he hadn't heard any complaints about me in a while.
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Replying to @gorskon @RealJesseLuke and
If I hadn't been so taken aback, if I'd been more on the ball, I'd have responded, "I must be slipping, then." I can joke about it now, but I couldn't always.
1 reply 2 retweets 8 likes
Again, I'm incredibly privileged on this score. I'm university faculty. The culture at universities is such that most of the time leadership does not react well to such campaigns, which generally do not endanger the jobs of faculty targeted for harassment.
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Replying to @gorskon @RealJesseLuke and
Appreciating my privilege, I understand that a lot of others aren't that fortunate, aren't that shielded. So I never view the use of a pseudonym as cowardly.
1 reply 3 retweets 11 likes -
Replying to @gorskon @RealJesseLuke and
Also, I started out using a pseudonym. I still use one for one blog. However, everyone knows who I am, and my real name can be easily found on that blog. I just like the pseudonym and the persona associated with it.
1 reply 2 retweets 9 likes - Show replies
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