The Downtown Independent Research Team has created a survey for former Narconon clients and staffmembers.
It is being housed at the forum "Reaching For The Tipping Point". This is the link:

http://forum.reachingforthetippingpoint.net/index.php/topic,6542.0.html

According to their moderator it is safe, and it is an important attempt to find out what really goes on behind those closed doors.

Anybody with experience at a Narconon program is kindly requested to help.

Sekh.

I wouldn't trust it.. a survey that asks alot of personal questions & wants your address & telephone number to boot. And who is The Downtown Independent Research Team? They list no bio, no contact info if you have questions, nothing to confirm their legitimacy.

I'd avoid this like a plague.

That was my first reaction too. But according to some people on the tippingpoint-forum in whom I have faith it is bona fide survey. Despite that, I never give my real name, address and phone-number on internet-surveys.
That would be plain stupid.

People who are interested can check the link and decide what they want to do with it. I'm only passing the message.

Love, Sekh

Smurf, you must have missed the part where it says: It is not required that you answer all of the questions.

But I do appreciate you pointing out the fact that the survey needs a bit about who the Downtown Independent Research Team is. I'll ask them to add a bio and an email address.

The Downtown Independent Research Team is a "front group" for a few people who would prefer not to be known as the ones behind the survey, as they (and I) are relatively certain that Narconon will be furious that the survey exists, and would prefer not to encounter their wrath. You can't possibly think that Narconon or Scientology would ask the types of questions that are on that survey, can you??

I will personally vouch for the Downtown Independent Research Team, and say that the survey is safe, as will be the information submitted.

(And, Smurf, after all your time of being a critic, on and off, that is, if you don't know who I am, all I can say to you is, LOL, lurk moar.)

Here's a direct link: http://reachingforthetippingpoint.net/narcononsurvey/

Thank you, sekh.

Best regards,
ethercat

Ethercat: Had the highlighted info been mentioned before as well as your advocacy of the project, my opinion would have been different. And, no, I have no idea who you are & wish to keep it that way as I do all my anon friends. And yes, I would not put it past some OSAbots to ask the types of questions this survey asks...since the survey also asks for your name, address & phone number.

I am curious, if it is a confidential survey, why do you require the personal information?

First things first, the personal information is not required, as I said above, but the space is there to include it in case someone wants to, because some of the questions relate to things the respondents may need answers back to, such as: "Do you want or need help in filing a complaint?" and "Is there anything we can do to help you cope with any harmful affects from Narconon?" It's kinda hard to provide any help if you can't get back in touch with them, wouldn't you think?

As to why the highlighted info wasn't mentioned before: I think sekh is fairly new here and was just being enthusiastic, and perhaps didn't realize there would be such skepticism related to it. I was planning to announce it here, but he/she beat me to it. (BTW, I love enthusiasm! Skepticism isn't a bad thing, either.)

My anonymity - it's long gone, since about 1999. Doesn't matter. Some things you need to be able to put a name to, so it works out well for me. Anyone who chooses to keep theirs, however, well, it's a personal choice, and it's ok with me if they do. We all bring something different to the table, and that's a good thing.

Now that that's all covered, if you have any more questions, I'll answer them if I can. Other suggestions about how to improve acceptance of the survey are welcome too.

And if you know anyone who's been to Narconon, please ask them to consider filling out as much of the survey as they're comfortable filling out.

http://reachingforthetippingpoint.net/narcononsurvey/

D.I.R.T. I hope the Downtown Independent Research Team dig up much of it against NarCONon.

NarCONon and Criminon are two under-exposed elements of Scientology. Everyone talks about the RPF, Disconnection, beatings, but there's relatively little brought out against these. Providing these guys are legitimate, and providing people think to stay anonymous and many people fill this out, it has the chance of being a good exposé. Ethercat, thanks for taking part and hosting it, I can't wait to see how it turns out.

I wondered how long it would take for someone to notice that.

The Downtown Independent Research Team has added an About Us page, and a contact form:
http://reachingforthetippingpoint.net/n ... about.html
http://reachingforthetippingpoint.net/n ... ontact.php



IMO, exposing the front groups, particularly those that prey on people at a vulnerable time, as Narconon does, is what will take opposition against Scientology into the public sector. People are prone to think that things like you mention above, things which only members are affected by, will never affect them, and that they are things members must willingly endure, or else they would leave. In other words, these are things many people can easily dismiss. As seasoned critics, we know how incorrect that is, and that there's a lot more to it than first meets the eye, but we also can't expect most of the general public to attain the amount of knowledge we have and understand things to the extent that we do. We have to hit them with the things that could affect them, or most of them won't care. This is why I focus on the front groups. (I also think front groups are where a lot of the new money is coming from, because the members are tapped out, for the most part.)



I'm looking forward to seeing the results, too, but as the D.I.R.T says in their About us page, "...this study may take some time, due to not only the fear some have of retaliation by the Church of Scientology, but also due to the public stigma surrounding addiction." With enough publicity, I believe it will be a success.

Help wanted: Publicity agents for the Narconon Survey.