A Creationist Troll on Flickr

[Mountkeen]

My first post on the forum, although I've been an occasional visitor. Forgive the length of this initial post.

I'm a Flickr user - for anyone who doesn't know this is a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, and effectively an online community - and there are a variety of groups on Flickr catering for photographic and non-photography topics. I'm a member of one group which is for atheists. There are all sorts of members of the group including some theists who have occasionally contributed to discussions and it’s all been reasonably civilised. Then towards the end of 2014 a troll appeared – a Creationist troll from the UK who goes by the name of "Truth in science".

https://www.flickr.com/photos/truth-in-science/

His modus operandi has been to pepper the group photostream with garishly coloured images which include statements like,“The truth about fossils”, “The truth about dinosaurs”, etc. Typically these images would be accompanied by long rambling diatribes against the “false religion” of atheism and how through natural laws, scientific principles and logic he could disprove everything from evolution to abiogenesis to the Big Bang Theory and prove the existence of god, The Flood, the supernatural origin of the universe, the existence of dinosaurs in historical times and the evils of atheism. He posts them in lots of groups on Flickr which are about atheism, humanism or secularism as well as various Christian religious groups.

Many of his images have huge numbers of tags and many of those tags appear unrelated to the images until you realise that many of them are the names of prominent scientists, philosophers, journalists, celebrities etc. Why does he do that I wondered? Then I found out.

By clicking on a tag, Flickr helpfully provides you with a gallery of other images that also have that tag. I clicked on the tag labelled “professor alice roberts” in one of "Truth in science's" images and was faced with images of Alice Roberts and because she has quite a high public profile there were lots of them. I clicked on a few of those images at random to find that "Truth in science" had visited those images and effectively “graffiti-ed” them with copies of his own images or anti-science rants.

Well that’s just………creepy.

He aggressively responds to anyone who tries to engage him and constantly uses a mixture of logical fallacies, so-called "natural laws" , and bizarre "scientific principles". Needless to say……..he doesn’t know his stuff but aggressively pontificates to opponents that he does and appears to have been coached by someone in evading or dodging and obfuscating or reversing the burden of proof. All too often his opponents fall for it and try to argue from a rational, science-based perspective, however he continually dismisses evidence that doesn’t suit him, while quoting “evidence” that is palpably false or misleading.

So what is his agenda? This nugget was quite enlightening during an exchange between him and another Flickr member. “My agenda is summed up in one word: TRUTH. I don't belong to any organisation, I am completely independent. I seek to oppose and expose the falsehood, deceit, hype and relentless propaganda that atheism is the rational, scientific viewpoint, when it is nothing of the sort. Atheism is demonstrably irrational, illogical and anti-science. It is simply a revival of pagan naturalism, which was soundly debunked with the onset of modern science. Even worse, atheists have managed to hi-jack most of the scientific establishment to suit their ideological beliefs, and now merrily masquerade as the champions of science, logic and reason. It is an appalling distortion of the facts. And I will continue to reveal the real truth about the atheist cult, until it joins the pagan, naturalist religion that spawned it, in the dustbin of history”.

This appears enough for him to justify lying, making false accusations about opponents/prominent scientists, misrepresenting science and when cornered, rather nasty ad hominem attacks. It is actually quite easy to refute his arguments but he'll continually change his story and ultimately censor when it is plain that he's not going to win the argument.

All in all a rather nasty individual who appears to hail from the Southampton/Portsmouth area. If you come across him, be warned, you may feel like you want to have a shower afterwards.

[a_haworthroberts]

Interesting. I was wondering whether you had firm evidence that he is based in the UK or whether that was rather a reasonable assumption from what you have seen and read, and from where his posts have been made.

He seems very very preoccupied with 'The Origin of Information'.

You may be aware of the UK YEC organisation named 'Truth in Science'. But I'm not suggesting that he must be linked to them:
http://www.truthinscience.org.uk/tis2/

[Mountkeen]

The content of his Flickr photostream - and you do have to get past all the dreadfully garish preachy images - would indicate that he lives either in the Southampton/Portsmouth area or on the Isle of Wight.

I'm not sure what connection he has with the"Truth in Science" organisation but it appears that someone has been coaching him in pretty despicable debating tactics. He's been caught a few times using American English in his posts which to me indicates either he's copying/pasting text from a US site or someone is supplying him with responses. I brought up Dembski in one exchange with him and he was somewhat dismissive of ID.

He's an aggressive little b*****d too. As mentioned in my previous post I'd come across images of Alice Roberts on Flickr which he had effectively "graffiti-ed" and left a note for one of the image owners expressing my sympathies that he'd been the victim of a creationist troll. Within a few hours "Truth in science" added a comment of his own, "So says an atheist/evolutionist fanatic who is notorious for prowling around Flickr looking for any excuse to promote belief in his atheist/pagan-revivalist religion of naturalism". Apparently I'm a fanatic for challenging him to produce evidence for his claims that he'd made within the Atheist group on Flickr. Makes sense obviously?!?!?

I came across a wonderfully ironic comment made by him when he was accused by another Flickr member of censorship. His response was, " I actually like to leave all comments by evolutionists and atheists because they reinforce my own arguments about the lack of scientific integrity which becomes increasingly evident with every answer they give.

Needless to say he censors whenever he's exposed for what he is - a liar who misrepresents science, falsely accuses his opponents of all sorts of nonsense and who will wriggle and evade and dodge whenever he is asked to provide any reasonable evidence for any of his claims.

[archaeologist55]

Then towards the end of 2014 a troll appeared – a Creationist troll from the UK who goes by the name of "Truth in science".

Why would yiou call him a 'troll'? He is free to post his views just like you. Just because you do not like his content doesn't make him a troll. I think those that disagree with creationists need to be a little more polite and tolerant instead of being bullies and boorish people.

[Roger Stanyard]

Then towards the end of 2014 a troll appeared – a Creationist troll from the UK who goes by the name of "Truth in science".

Why would yiou call him a 'troll'? He is free to post his views just like you. Just because you do not like his content doesn't make him a troll. I think those that disagree with creationists need to be a little more polite and tolerant instead of being bullies and boorish people.

"It is Dr. Tee to you and no permission has been granted to address me otherwise." - quote from Tee as posted on Fundies Say the Darndest Things.

Precisely where did you get your PhD from and in what discipline?

[archaeologist55]

Then towards the end of 2014 a troll appeared – a Creationist troll from the UK who goes by the name of "Truth in science".

Why would yiou call him a 'troll'? He is free to post his views just like you. Just because you do not like his content doesn't make him a troll. I think those that disagree with creationists need to be a little more polite and tolerant instead of being bullies and boorish people.

"It is Dr. Tee to you and no permission has been granted to address me otherwise." - quote from Tee as posted on Fundies Say the Darndest Things.

Precisely where did you get your PhD from and in what discipline?

How about supplying the link to that web site?

None of your concern since I never got a Phd and have never stated that I have. There are other doctorates out there you know.

[Roger Stanyard]

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How about supplying the link to that web site?

None of your concern since I never got a Phd and have never stated that I have. There are other doctorates out there you know.

Except you are calling yourself Dr David Tee on the front covers of the books you have self published. See http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dr.-David-Tee/e/B00JESIJRU

Since you are not a medical doctor I will ask again, what is you doctorate in and who awarded it?

Otherwise I cannot but conclude you are lying. This is a forum about science and when someone uses the title Dr, everyone rightly assumes that they have a PhD.

Edit: He is the URL which shows that you have demanded people address you as "Dr": http://www.fstdt.com/QuoteComment.aspx?QID=89249

You do, of course, realise that in some parts of the world it is criminal offence to describe yourself as "Dr" if you do not have the appropriate recognised qualification to which it pertains?

[archaeologist55]

You can ask all you want but I won't provide an answer. The discussion is not about me but then evolutionists like to distract from the issue because they have nothing to support their arguments.

Your conclusion will be in error but then I expect that from people like you.

[archaeologist55]

You do, of course, realise that in some parts of the world it is criminal offence to describe yourself as "Dr" if you do not have the appropriate recognised qualification to which it pertains?

Wah wah wah. What a crybaby. I bet your mother still wipes your bottom.

[Roger Stanyard]

You can ask all you want but I won't provide an answer. The discussion is not about me but then evolutionists like to distract from the issue because they have nothing to support their arguments.

Your conclusion will be in error but then I expect that from people like you.

Therefore I conclude that all your qualifications are bogus, purchased from diploma mills. What other conclusions should people in this forum make?

Right now your personal integrity in this forum is zero. Deflecting from your apparent lack of any qualifications at all is not an answer to what have been very reasonable questions.

You've passed yourself off as having a doctorate and are on record as demanding that you be referred to as "Dr".

I conclude that you are a fraud and phoney amazed at what your are.

[Roger Stanyard]

You do, of course, realise that in some parts of the world it is criminal offence to describe yourself as "Dr" if you do not have the appropriate recognised qualification to which it pertains?

Wah wah wah. What a crybaby. I bet your mother still wipes your bottom.

But you still haven't answered my questions.

Many of the people in this forum have real PhDs from very good universities. They have obtained them through integrity, hard work and ability. If you claim that you are their equals, back it up.

I note with more than passing interest that you appear to have never, ever, produced a single peer reviewed paper.

[Roger Stanyard]

All in all a rather nasty individual who appears to hail from the Southampton/Portsmouth area. If you come across him, be warned, you may feel like you want to have a shower afterwards.

Hi Mountkeen. I should have said hello earlier. Please accept apologies.

I live in the South Hampshire area and we have followed the activities of the kooks here for the best part of a decade. This one has not been on our radar (as far as I know). The main creationist group here is the Creation Science Movement in Portsmouth but this does not look to be the work of the CSM. There's another one, a former medical doctor, who is also a street preacher in Portsmouth but he has his own web site. I can't remember his name. He's extreme by any standards, though. I've no knowledge of any Caulkheads pushing creationism.

Perhaps he's a Scummer.

[Brian Jordan]

Deleted - sorry, wrong thread.

[Brian Jordan]

I think we can rule out any of the prime movers of Truth In Science: as they were trying to invade the school science curriculum, they made a point of hiding their YE creationism behind "Intelligent Design".
Unless, of course, now that TiS has utterly failed, one of them has come clean.
Welcome to the forum, btw.

[Mountkeen]

Thank you for your welcome.

The troll in question continues to post on various Flickr groups but appears to have moved away from posting on atheist, humanist or secular groups - presumably because he was continually being exposed for what he is. His current targets include such groups as "Intelligent Design", "Conservative Wingnuts", "Sarah Palin" and "Tea Party Movement".............where I'm sure he'll receive a welcome!

I must confess that I continue to be amazed at the combination of ignorance, loathsome stupidity, dishonesty and plain nastiness exhibited by proponents of creationism.