Posted by name on January 23, 2001, at 21:26:14
In reply to Re: The worst of Both Worlds., posted by name on January 23, 2001, at 19:48:31
Perhaps it would be easier to think about the hazards of new technology, anonymity and the glowing reports of a practitioner in terms of a more distant example.
In 1997, Rolling Stone revealed the true story of John/Joan, a young boy whose sexuality was altered after a doctor botched a circumcision. For a decade and a half, Dr. John Money represented the case as proof that sexuality was pliable, and could be altered by upbringing. With no access to independent follow-up studies, much of the public accepted Money's assertions as credible. When other investigators finally interviewed John, they found he had not been satisfied with his assigned female identity.
The story is on-line at:
http://www.pfc.org.uk/news/1998/johnjoan.htmThe case of Dr. Money's promotion of his sex-change theories, using an anonymous case as proof, is not exactly parallel to the case of Dr. Hsuing's reports of the benefits of on-line self-help groups. But there are parallels. Here, as with the case of John, there is no effort to track and report results among anonymous clients that contraindicate the otherwise promising new procedure.
poster:name
thread:266
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20001124/msgs/293.html