Banned from WP

[ProfessorFarnsworth]

So I guess that's how it ends... Every influential person will eventually get bought out by them one way or another.

Excuse the melodrama I know but still, it's concerning.

[Al Swearegen]

So I guess that's how it ends... Every influential person will eventually get bought out by them one way or another.

Yup. That is how I see it.

But let's face it they played a good game.

They lied to parents about the Mercury thing long enough to get the fear mongering generating a huge member support and relied on people desire, fear and want to help. They dried up fund of other organisations. They Sued anyone who stood in their way. They amalgamated any organisation with similar views. They used righteous ire to gain a foothold in Un and US goberment policy. They carefully selected big name scientists and populated their board with top names in Early Childhood and pre-natal and Birth disorder and defect Clinics. They dropped the Vaccine thing like a hot potato when that got showed to be a farce. But by that time they had big public companies and celebrities and legislators on board and were more than self sustaining. PR was in overdrive.
Then these visionaries started making their move on the Autistic communities themselves.
Once enscounced they will censor and control all Autism debate and the naysayers will look like conspiracy theorists.
As you say the smart ones will sell their souls as it will be the clever option.
I am dumb and I admit it. I won't, and that is ultimately my loss.
I will look in the mirror and not feel disgust at the worn middle-aged face looking back at me. I can live with that.

[The_Chosen_One]

So I guess that's how it ends... Every influential person will eventually get bought out by them one way or another.

Yup. That is how I see it.

But let's face it they played a good game.

They lied to parents about the Mercury thing long enough to get the fear mongering generating a huge member support and relied on people desire, fear and want to help. They dried up fund of other organisations. They Sued anyone who stood in their way. They amalgamated any organisation with similar views. They used righteous ire to gain a foothold in Un and US goberment policy. They carefully selected big name scientists and populated their board with top names in Early Childhood and pre-natal and Birth disorder and defect Clinics. They dropped the Vaccine thing like a hot potato when that got showed to be a farce. But by that time they had big public companies and celebrities and legislators on board and were more than self sustaining. PR was in overdrive.
Then these visionaries started making their move on the Autistic communities themselves.
Once enscounced they will censor and control all Autism debate and the naysayers will look like conspiracy theorists.
As you say the smart ones will sell their souls as it will be the clever option.
I am dumb and I admit it. I won't, and that is ultimately my loss.
I will look in the mirror and not feel disgust at the worn middle-aged face looking back at me. I can live with that.

you may be putty in the hands of the Aspie Elite, Sir Les, but as far as Autism Speaks are concerned you are the rock of Gibraltar.

[The Member Formerly Known As Sophist]

Sorry to break it to ya, folks, but that's not how grant money works. You make a proposal as to how the money will be allocated, the organization either awards you a grant or doesn't. If you get the grant, you spend it as you'd originally proposed. That's as far as the selling of souls go.

If you want to do some good in this world, generally you need money in order to do so. I can't do my research without funding, and sadly there aren't enough rich philanthropists in the world knocking at my door. You've gotta go to SOME organization to apply for money. I'll also be applying to the NIH. But since my CV is mostly made up of autism-based research, Autism Speaks is the more likely of the predoc fellowships I could attain.

I'm the one who decides what goes into my application, what my dissertation will be, etc., not Autism Speaks. They either accept it or reject it. If they accept it, I get their money to support the work.

I'm not talking about Alex here, but for myself I know that research has shown me that the philosophical debates that the autism fora are rife with are really far too black and white to be anything but a "moral highground" from which to fall off of.

Life is more real than these fora, I'm sorry. Although I'm not trying to debase the communities that have been built online and which are substantially important; they've been my bedrock through a number of hard times. But when it comes to research and business, there are a lot of compromises. I didn't make the game, but that's how it's played if you wish to achieve your goals. My goals are to come to a better understanding of what makes up autism(s) and how, genetically and environmentally, it develops. It's not to eradicate, it's to explain.

What I have a problem with is the ND and parental communities who are CONSTANTLY at war with each other and are too damned blind to see that, in essence, they're really fighting for the SAME DAMNED THING. They just don't happen to agree on how to go about achieving it. So rather than try to cooperate and listen, they're at each others' throats making worse problems than either had before.

So Alex got some money. He's got it from Autism Speaks. He's gonna make some little films about the Spectrum that I'm sure Wrongplanet will watch and probably enjoy. Autism Speaks no doubt had a certain portion of funding that was allocated to go to the community or some such. Alex and Cubby applied for money, John helped them get it. Nepotism, yeah. But that's about it.

Choose your battles. Energy is better spent doing things than bickering. Nobody will change their minds anyways.

[The_Chosen_One]

Sorry to break it to ya, folks, but that's not how grant money works. You make a proposal as to how the money will be allocated, the organization either awards you a grant or doesn't. If you get the grant, you spend it as you'd originally proposed. That's as far as the selling of souls go.

If you want to do some good in this world, generally you need money in order to do so. I can't do my research without funding, and sadly there aren't enough rich philanthropists in the world knocking at my door. You've gotta go to SOME organization to apply for money. I'll also be applying to the NIH. But since my CV is mostly made up of autism-based research, Autism Speaks is the more likely of the predoc fellowships I could attain.

I'm the one who decides what goes into my application, what my dissertation will be, etc., not Autism Speaks. They either accept it or reject it. If they accept it, I get their money to support the work.

I'm not talking about Alex here, but for myself I know that research has shown me that the philosophical debates that the autism fora are rife with are really far too black and white to be anything but a "moral highground" from which to fall off of.

Life is more real than these fora, I'm sorry. Although I'm not trying to debase the communities that have been built online and which are substantially important; they've been my bedrock through a number of hard times. But when it comes to research and business, there are a lot of compromises. I didn't make the game, but that's how it's played if you wish to achieve your goals. My goals are to come to a better understanding of what makes up autism(s) and how, genetically and environmentally, it develops. It's not to eradicate, it's to explain.

What I have a problem with is the ND and parental communities who are CONSTANTLY at war with each other and are too damned blind to see that, in essence, they're really fighting for the SAME DAMNED THING. They just don't happen to agree on how to go about achieving it. So rather than try to cooperate and listen, they're at each others' throats making worse problems than either had before.

So Alex got some money. He's got it from Autism Speaks. He's gonna make some little films about the Spectrum that I'm sure Wrongplanet will watch and probably enjoy. Autism Speaks no doubt had a certain portion of funding that was allocated to go to the community or some such. Alex and Cubby applied for money, John helped them get it. Nepotism, yeah. But that's about it.

Choose your battles. Energy is better spent doing things than bickering. Nobody will change their minds anyways.

Sophist: make damn sure that when you get the grant that you spend it exactly how you want it. If your application is based on what YOUR words are, then it should be up to YOU to do with the money what you see fit, even if they are the ones granting it. If they put strings on how it is meant to be spent, then they are not worth approaching. Given the moral arguments and so forth, they should not have the right to be able to tell you what to do once the grant is given. NIH would be a better alternative, but if it has to be Autism Speaks, then make sure the deal is going to benefit you much more than it will them.

Besides, Alex (as far as we know) would have gotten his announcement spread over a far wider audience had he used a good quality camera and put it on youtube. Even professionally he could have gotten it done far cheaper. But what is really funny about the whole situation is this: why didn't he hit his rich dad up for the dough? The Planks must have a fair bit behind them, why did he need to go to a third party, especially one with a reputation like Autism Speaks?

[Al Swearegen]

Sure Sophist. OK mate. If that is what gets you through life. Moral ambivalence and justification.
Hell you are nice enough and smart and will no doubt do well in life. Perhaps more so without such intruding ethical or moral stumbling blocks to negotiate.

[RageBeoulve]

Alex speaks to my penis. With his butt.

[The_Chosen_One]

Alex speaks to my penis. With his butt.

:lol:

[DukeNukem]

I'm scared now. Autism may ultimately become "exterminated" in the next century, if not before. Also, if aspies cannot stick together, then what the Hell are we going to do about our needs to be social or to have some friends?

[Al Swearegen]

Autism Speaks has provided both financing for a video, and supplied high-level personel for interviews conducted by known neurodiversity supporters, how is this a bad thing?  This should be seen as an olive branch (peace offering) from Autism Speaks to the neurodiversity community. 

Also, let's note that Autism Speaks has far more in the way of resources than WrongPlanet, Autism Speaks has the resources to produce their own videos, and several of those videos have been discussed on this site in the past.  This time, they have instead supported the Neurodiversity movement with their resources.

Agreed. I believe this shows that they are changing where their money is going. As I said before, why just sit around and complain about something when you can do something to change it for the better? Some people here seem to have an unrealistic view of how one  improves society.

lau, nothing you said makes any sense to me. You seem to be getting your information from the wrong sources because most of you said is flat out wrong.

Wow it almost sounds that joining with Autism Speaks is a righteous and powerful tool and for the benefit of all Autistics.
Were this true you would be my hero Alex.

But let's scratch beneath the veneer a little and see what is exposed.
They lied to parents about the Mercury thing long enough to get the fear mongering generating a huge member support and relied on people desire, fear and want to help. They dried up funding of other organisations. They Sued anyone who stood in their way. They amalgamated any organisation with similar views. They used righteous ire to gain a foothold in Un and US government policy. They carefully selected big name scientists and populated their board with top names in Early Childhood and pre-natal and Birth disorder and defect Clinics. They dropped the Vaccine thing like a hot potato when that got showed to be a farce. But by that time they had big public companies and celebrities and legislators on board and were more than self sustaining. PR was in overdrive.
Then these visionaries started making their move on the Autistic communities themselves.
Once ensconced they will censor and control all Autism debate and the naysayers will look like conspiracy theorists.

You won't be a naysayer though Alex. I think by that time you will be that far in their pocket you will have even deserted the pretext of "not just complaining but doing something constructive for the good of Neurodiversity". You will have found a way to line your pockets and you will not be remotely concerned about what their impact is on Autistics and the stifled Autistic community. Even if you were you will not be a position to stand up and say they were no good. You would I think be smart enough to close your eyes to it and count the cash.

[The_Chosen_One]

Autism Speaks has provided both financing for a video, and supplied high-level personel for interviews conducted by known neurodiversity supporters, how is this a bad thing?  This should be seen as an olive branch (peace offering) from Autism Speaks to the neurodiversity community. 

Also, let's note that Autism Speaks has far more in the way of resources than WrongPlanet, Autism Speaks has the resources to produce their own videos, and several of those videos have been discussed on this site in the past.  This time, they have instead supported the Neurodiversity movement with their resources.

Agreed. I believe this shows that they are changing where their money is going. As I said before, why just sit around and complain about something when you can do something to change it for the better? Some people here seem to have an unrealistic view of how one  improves society.

lau, nothing you said makes any sense to me. You seem to be getting your information from the wrong sources because most of you said is flat out wrong.

Wow it almost sounds that joining with Autism Speaks is a righteous and powerful tool and for the benefit of all Autistics.
Were this true you would be my hero Alex.

But let's scratch beneath the veneer a little and see what is exposed.
They lied to parents about the Mercury thing long enough to get the fear mongering generating a huge member support and relied on people desire, fear and want to help. They dried up funding of other organisations. They Sued anyone who stood in their way. They amalgamated any organisation with similar views. They used righteous ire to gain a foothold in Un and US government policy. They carefully selected big name scientists and populated their board with top names in Early Childhood and pre-natal and Birth disorder and defect Clinics. They dropped the Vaccine thing like a hot potato when that got showed to be a farce. But by that time they had big public companies and celebrities and legislators on board and were more than self sustaining. PR was in overdrive.
Then these visionaries started making their move on the Autistic communities themselves.
Once ensconced they will censor and control all Autism debate and the naysayers will look like conspiracy theorists.

You won't be a naysayer though Alex. I think by that time you will be that far in their pocket you will have even deserted the pretext of "not just complaining but doing something constructive for the good of Neurodiversity". You will have found a way to line your pockets and you will not be remotely concerned about what their impact is on Autistics and the stifled Autistic community. Even if you were you will not be a position to stand up and say they were no good. You would I think be smart enough to close your eyes to it and count the cash.

Shit, did I read right? Alex even had a go at Lau. Fuck, wonder will never cease. The man still is a cunt, BTW.

[RageBeoulve]

I'm scared now. Autism may ultimately become "exterminated" in the next century, if not before. Also, if aspies cannot stick together, then what the Hell are we going to do about our needs to be social or to have some friends?

What are you afraid of?

[The_Chosen_One]

I'm scared now. Autism may ultimately become "exterminated" in the next century, if not before. Also, if aspies cannot stick together, then what the Hell are we going to do about our needs to be social or to have some friends?

What are you afraid of?

He might be the first to go.

[DukeNukem]

I'm scared now. Autism may ultimately become "exterminated" in the next century, if not before. Also, if aspies cannot stick together, then what the Hell are we going to do about our needs to be social or to have some friends?

What are you afraid of?

He might be the first to go.

I'm afraid that I would die without finding my soulmate. Fucking BULLSHIT that would be!!!

[RageBeoulve]

Theres nothing to be afraid of really. In the end, the human race will be all melded together as one type of person. There will be no autistics, or blacks or whites, or anything.

This is pretty far in the future though, as for us to relax on our own differences, we will have to encounter another species, and that will require interstellar travel.