Dear Phil Plait: On libelous smear-campaigns

In July 2010, an anonymous whistleblower(s) began what Nature called a “libelous” “trial-by-internet”.[11] The informer(s) commenced emailing the investigators, other scientists, and politicians, alerting them to instances of fraud in Bulfone-Paus’ laboratory.[12] The anonymous instigator(s) went by several pseudonyms, including Marco Berns, David Hardman, and Fernando Pessoa.[12] Blogs with information regarding the case and the alleged misinformation were posted on a website, hosted in Panama, under the name of Martin Frost.[12] Many expressed their dismay that a colleague would be subjected to such a “smear-campaign”.[11][13] However, in an editorial in the Lab-Times, the writers express, “Ultimately, we have been left to question whether the ‘Bulfone-Paus stone’ would have actually started rolling without the ‘smear campaign’. To be honest, we doubt it."[12]

Just because you (and others) say something is a smear-campaign (or some such) against you (or Michael Mann) doesn't make it so. And not every critique of you is a "case study of the tactics of climate change denial" and certainly it is not you (or your ego) who is "the target", but your limited understanding of climate science – if you don't want to take a skeptical look at the state of affairs in climate science, then stick to astronomy.

And Phil, stop GoogleAlerting yourself, it isn't good for your inflated ego – you start thinking everything that isn't praise of you must therefore be a campaign at which you are the center of.