There is a complex art to science communication and to regulatory activism that I am still learning, even as I help operate a non-profit organization in this space, but I am motivated to continue because I strongly believe this is a worthwhile endeavor. 6/
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There are numerous industries and professions that form a multi-billion dollar network designed to take advantage of consumers worldwide. For these businesses to operate, they rely on a public and government that has either been ill-informed or misinformed. 7/
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I believe it is always worth reflecting and challenging the value of our approaches. I struggle with this constantly. It is worth investigating the effect of engagement that consists of low effort dunks against obvious pseudoscience on social media platforms. 8/
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Do they help raise meaningful awareness of issues for mass action? Do they cause a backfire effect? Do they help document and share practices for regulatory enforcement? Do they bring a community of like-minded people together? Do they simply offend and annoy?
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I also believe it is worthwhile to choose our battles and focus - where possible - on high impact issues, but we cannot all be experts in all domains and there is nothing wrong with an earnest effort against something you are passionate about. 10/
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As an example, I see many people in this space who were former (or current) cancer patients who were targeted with nonsense cures. I wouldn't dare tell these people that they shouldn't bother engaging with cancer scams simply because war takes more lives. 11/
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Further, just because someone is publicly active in one area of activism does not mean they are dispassionate on other areas of human suffering. I find people in this space have diverse backgrounds and interests and tend to be relatively socially aware. 12/
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No one asked, but I volunteer with multiple organizations. I am a pacifist. I am a socialist. I don't just advocate for consumer protection, but for structural economic reform. I stopped buying meat and am trying to bike to work all year. I vote. I am a person. 13/
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Some of the common criticism seems to center around the lack of attention mainstream medical treatments get. Well many of us are simply not insiders in the medical field and have greater opportunities for impact in the consumer health domain. 14/
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To be clear (and avoid a strawman), much of the criticism I have seen is not explicitly directed towards us activists, but to those who write and communicate on various 'skeptic' issues. My contention is that the critics fail to grasp the impact these folks have had. 15/
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Speaking personally, writers like @gorskon, @stevennovella, @HHSkepDoc, etc. have had a huge impact on me (and surely others). I really cannot exaggerate how valuable a resource like Science Based Medicine is as a starting point to form arguments in regulatory complaints. 16/
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To conclude, I offer solidarity to anyone fighting for social and scientific issues simply because they believe it is the right thing to do. If you take on bad science in any capacity, I welcome you as an ally. Thank you for reading. 17/17
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