Looking at the calendar it occurred to me last
week that it has been seven years since we lost
our dear friend Graham Conway – and in those
seven years how much life has changed!
The world saw the advent of the
iPhone – and YouTube, which both have changed
the way we in the UFO field do business.
Now everyone has access to a
relatively poor quality camera at their
fingertips, and every hoaxer from here to
Botswana can post their creation online and have
an audience of believers drooling over their
every frame.
Do I mean to sound negative?
Sure – why not!
Jovialities aside, the influx
of technology has made the chore of identifying
genuine cases from hoaxers a fulltime vocation.
We in the field have limited resources, so we
must always be on the alert for another hoax or
bright shiny object in the sky that we
investigate.
YouTube has also changed the
way we present new content to the general
public. No longer do we fill high priced
auditoriums to give lectures or present topics –
there simply isn’t the need anymore. Today’s top
lecturers can be seen on YouTube for free, at
the click of a mouse in the privacy of one’s
home. I agree, the networking aspect is lost in
this fashion, but the financial burden and risk
associated with putting on a presentation is no
longer there, and that is something we can do
without.
Of course, as it was our main
(only) real source of revenue, the finances to
cover website expenses is also not there –
meaning we need to be ever so frugal with what
little income we have as an organization and
ensure we get the most out of our dollar.
When Graham was still with us,
we also had a quarterly magazine. Although a
labour of love (and hate) it was never a money
making entity, in fact it often cost more to run
a print job than it made back in subscriptions.
However technology, not funding, has resulted in
the magazine’s demise. Once again, the internet
is making printed material virtually obsolete,
and the effort and cost of a printed paper is
simply no longer viable.
So why am I writing this short
article? After 7 years since Graham left us, I
wonder where we will be in another 7 years? Will
technology continue to change our lives and our
methods of doing research in the field of
ufology, or will the next seven years bring
forth the final answer – one that will allow us
to hang up the UFO*BC shingle, and enjoy
retirement from an otherwise crazy field… only
time will tell.
So Graham, wherever you may
be, we miss you and hope you are getting a good
laugh at us foolish mortals down here!
Richard T.
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