Karen Stollznow and sexual harassment

For discussions on privacy implications, including BLP issues
EricBarbour
 
Posts: 10891
kołdry
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2012 11:32 pm
Location: hell

Karen Stollznow and sexual harassment

Unread post by EricBarbour » Thu Mar 27, 2014 10:11 pm

http://freethoughtblogs.com/lousycanuck ... easonably/
(warning: long and ugly)

It started with Stollznow's post to a Scientific American blog about her harassment, back in August 2013. Other skeptic bloggers pointed to Benjamin Radford (T-H-L) (what a stupid article) as the guilty party. Stollznow didn't mention his name, but the "cat was out of the bag" and all. They had been an "item" before she got married to someone else in 2012, but apparently Radford couldn't stop bothering her. The fact that they both worked at the CFI didn't help. (As far as I can tell from numerous assorted skeptic-blog entries, anyway.)

The result was an unbelievable stink. Despite not having mentioned his name, Stollznow is sued by Radford, who gleefully posts a copy of the lawsuit on his Facebook. Then he posts a "retraction", claiming that Stollznow wrote and signed it. Despite the fact that she didn't, many skeptics support Radford's side of this nonsense.

So, she started an Indiegogo project to raise money for her legal defense:
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/give- ... nt-victims

Note this part:
Although I didn’t sign the retraction, he posted the document on his very public Facebook page and announced victory over me. This also led to false public edits being made to my Wikipedia page.
Indeed, if you examine the talkpage for Karen Stollznow (T-H-L), there was much squabbling over this in January.
Take a closer look at the "work" of one NaturaTek (T-C-L).

(Yes, Stollznow's article was created by Tim Farley, of the infamous "Guerrilla Skeptics". And edited by Susan Gerbic of that same august group. Of course. They also edited Radford's bio, of course. Which says absolutely nothing about this dispute.)

Aren't skeptics supposed to believe in "evidence-based science" and "reason"? Where's the "reason" in all this?

EricBarbour
 
Posts: 10891
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2012 11:32 pm
Location: hell

Re: Karen Stollznow and sexual harassment

Unread post by EricBarbour » Thu Mar 27, 2014 10:33 pm

Sidenote: the following was rev-deleted from the history of Radford's bio last August, immediately after the Stollznow scandal erupted. Isn't it nice to have a captive administrator, to cover up things that embarrass one of your "heroes"?
(cur | prev) 22:25, 9 August 2013‎ 72.70.97.202 (talk)‎ . . (23,351 bytes) (+71)‎ . . (Tag: possible BLP issue or vandalism)
(cur | prev) 20:05, 7 August 2013‎ 66.168.53.22 (talk)‎ . . (23,280 bytes) (-184)‎ . . (→‎Education and career: Not cited, and inappropriate section.) (Tag: VisualEditor)
(cur | prev) 17:38, 7 August 2013‎ Philip Trueman (talk | contribs)‎ m . . (23,464 bytes) (+5)‎ . . (Reverted edits by 24.0.82.213 (talk) to last version by 79.156.170.130)
(cur | prev) 17:37, 7 August 2013‎ 24.0.82.213 (talk)‎ . . (23,459 bytes) (-5)‎ . . (Tag: possible BLP issue or vandalism)
(cur | prev) 17:15, 7 August 2013‎ 79.156.170.130 (talk)‎ . . (23,464 bytes) (-396)‎ . . (edit summary removed)
(cur | prev) 16:53, 7 August 2013‎ JoshH21 (talk | contribs)‎ m . . (23,860 bytes) (+164)‎ . . (Fixed a link.)
(cur | prev) 16:04, 7 August 2013‎ 64.125.235.129 (talk)‎ . . (23,696 bytes) (+184)‎ . . (→‎Education and career) (Tag: VisualEditor)
(cur | prev) 16:03, 7 August 2013‎ 64.125.235.129 (talk)‎ . . (23,512 bytes) (+232)‎ . . (edit summary removed) (Tag: VisualEditor)

User avatar
Midsize Jake
Site Admin
Posts: 9949
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2012 11:10 pm
Wikipedia Review Member: Somey

Re: Karen Stollznow and sexual harassment

Unread post by Midsize Jake » Thu Mar 27, 2014 11:21 pm

If the Guerrilla Skeptics were skeptical enough to have not made the WP edits without proof that Stollznow had signed the retraction, then would they have finally graduated to being the "Formally Trained Uniformed Army of Skeptics"? I think if you're serious about skepticism, you should march in formation, not hide in alleys or behind shrubbery and such.

I guess you can't blame them so much for wishful thinking, given that Radford is (presumably) much more important to the cause than Stollznow is. And while we can (and should) criticize Wikipedia for providing a platform for them to propagate this particular falsehood, at least the WPers did eventually insist on proper references, and removed the material when they weren't forthcoming. So, nice work on that, WPers.

EricBarbour
 
Posts: 10891
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2012 11:32 pm
Location: hell

Re: Karen Stollznow and sexual harassment

Unread post by EricBarbour » Fri Mar 28, 2014 12:38 am

It turns out that NaturaTek is in fact archeologist Antonio Kuilan. He foolishly posted on Facebook, under Radford's lawsuit, the following:
I had a mini-battle editing her wiki page to include the fact that Scientific American had removed her article upon contact by CFI and to include a link by CFI disputing her bogus secondary claims.
Saved on an archive.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/antoniokuilan
https://www.facebook.com/antonio.kuilan

User avatar
Midsize Jake
Site Admin
Posts: 9949
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2012 11:10 pm
Wikipedia Review Member: Somey

Re: Karen Stollznow and sexual harassment

Unread post by Midsize Jake » Fri Mar 28, 2014 1:11 am

Interesting. Meanwhile, the "nice work" I mentioned earlier was almost entirely done by one Nathan Miller, CHE, who helpfully goes by Nmillerche (T-C-L) on Wikipedia and also writes for the Doubtful News. So I shouldn't have said "nice work, WPers," I should have said "nice work, Mr. Miller."

Since both he and User:NaturaTek are presumably involved with the Guerrilla Skeptics, this might represent a clear (though minor) schism in their ranks.

User avatar
thekohser
Majordomo
Posts: 13410
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2012 5:07 pm
Wikipedia User: Thekohser
Wikipedia Review Member: thekohser
Actual Name: Gregory Kohs
Location: United States
Contact:

Re: Karen Stollznow and sexual harassment

Unread post by thekohser » Fri Mar 28, 2014 12:15 pm

Stollznow has a sort of Rachel Marsden look about her. Perhaps Jimbo will be along soon to assist her with any Wikipedia biography troubles.

Image
"...making nonsensical connections and culminating in feigned surprise, since 2006..."

User avatar
Randy from Boise
Been Around Forever
Posts: 12231
Joined: Sun Mar 18, 2012 2:32 am
Wikipedia User: Carrite
Wikipedia Review Member: Timbo
Actual Name: Tim Davenport
Nom de plume: T. Chandler
Location: Boise, Idaho

Re: Karen Stollznow and sexual harassment

Unread post by Randy from Boise » Fri Mar 28, 2014 3:56 pm

thekohser wrote:Stollznow has a sort of Rachel Marsden look about her. Perhaps Jimbo will be along soon to assist her with any Wikipedia biography troubles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It0Dtm1gFFQ


RfB

User avatar
Stierlitz
Regular
Posts: 421
Joined: Sun Feb 23, 2014 12:34 am
Wikipedia User: not a Wikipedian
Wikipedia Review Member: N/A
Location: Planet Earth

Re: Karen Stollznow and sexual harassment

Unread post by Stierlitz » Sat Mar 29, 2014 2:55 am

Midsize Jake wrote:If the Guerrilla Skeptics were skeptical enough to have not made the WP edits without proof that Stollznow had signed the retraction, then would they have finally graduated to being the "Formally Trained Uniformed Army of Skeptics"? I think if you're serious about skepticism, you should march in formation, not hide in alleys or behind shrubbery and such.

I guess you can't blame them so much for wishful thinking, given that Radford is (presumably) much more important to the cause than Stollznow is. And while we can (and should) criticize Wikipedia for providing a platform for them to propagate this particular falsehood, at least the WPers did eventually insist on proper references, and removed the material when they weren't forthcoming. So, nice work on that, WPers.
That's edit-brigading and it's supposedly "illegal" but then, when does Wikipedia care about its own rules?

Guerrilla Skeptics are mostly about rewriting paranormal articles towards a skeptical slant; the Great Skeptical Sex Farce of 2013 is above their paygrade.

EricBarbour
 
Posts: 10891
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2012 11:32 pm
Location: hell

Re: Karen Stollznow and sexual harassment

Unread post by EricBarbour » Sat Mar 29, 2014 3:01 am

Stierlitz wrote:Guerrilla Skeptics are mostly about rewriting paranormal articles towards a skeptical slant; the Great Skeptical Sex Farce of 2013 is above their paygrade.
But controlling each other's BLPs evidently is not......

Post Reply