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Flying Saucers, Anonymous Sources
Mysterious Universe
Last week I wrote an article here titled An Extraterrestrial 007? It was an article that generated a great deal of interest, since its subject-matter was an intriguing one: the alleged spying, by nothing less than a literal alien, on the top secret work of a British company with links to the British Ministry of Defense: Marconi. It was also an article that brought forth a number of comments and observations.
After the feature was published, one person suggested I should have included more data on how and why the witness contacted me. A second accused me, outright, of making the whole thing up. And a third stated that those who wish to have their names withheld can never be trusted. Collectively, this got me thinking about anonymous sources, their value, and how we – as a research community – should deal with them.
But, before that, a bit more about the Marconi story. First, there was no need – at all - for me to add any data on how and/or why the witness contacted me, as it had zero bearing on the story. In other words, I wasn’t doing any research into Marconi and UFOs at the time, and the only reason the witness contacted me to share her account is because she enjoyed reading my articles in the old, now-defunct British-based UFO Magazine.
So, what’s the point in me sharing background data that has no actual relevance to the matter under the microscope?
As for the scumbag who accused me of being a liar: the fact is that the witness has already gone public with the story herself. If people ask me not to reveal their names, I don’t. I am someone who takes witness confidentiality very seriously. I signed a form agreeing that if I published the story it would remain free of any reference to the real name of the witness. That document still stands to this day, nearly 20 years after the story was provided to me.
