UfoUpdates archive: Huge PDF collection of posts by Ufology's top names (1996-2013, 0.5Gb download)

Given that Errol Bruce-Knapp's UfoUpdates email discussion List, is being mothballed, I have created an updated version of the searchable PDF archive of posts to this List which I first posted a couple of years ago (with Errol's permission).

Errol has again kindly given me permission to share this updated PDF archive.

The updated searchable PDF archive of posts to the UfoUpdates from 1996 to the beginning of 2014 is now available to download as a 0.5Gb zip file.

The easiest way to download the archive is as a single Zip file (with a file size of just over 0.5Gb) . The zip file contains folders for each year from 1996 to the end of December 2013, with each folder containing a PDF file for each month of that year. This link is valid until 13th January 2014:
we.tl...

As a more permanent solution, I have also uploaded a copy of the relevant zip file to the link below (but this link is very slightly less user-friendly, because when the relevant webpage loads you have to click on "to download" then click on the UfoUpdates zip file and then click on download):
rapidshare.com...

I converted all the UFO UpDates posts from November 1996 to the end of December 2013 into PDF files (one file per month) to allow fast off-line searching using to search UFO material on my hard-drive using a free bit of software (PDF-Xchange Viewer) that I outlined in an earlier thread here on ATS: "FAST searching of major free online collections of UFO journals (or just browse/download them)"



For those not familiar with Errol Bruce-Knapp's UfoUpdates email discussion List, it has functioned as a means for numerous researchers to stay in touch and debate various cases/issues from 1996 to 2013 with the emails appearing online in the List’s html archives which have been read by many lurkers.



That List regularly featured posts by authors that will be familiar to many of you that spend too much time in the Aliens & UFOs forum (e.g. Stan Friedman and Bruce Maccabee), some serious researchers that may not be so well known (e.g. Jan Aldrich of the Project 1947 website), as well as a reasonable number of skeptics (e.g. James Obertg, Kentaro Mori, John Rimmer and others).

As I posted in a previous thread in 2007: (Free UFO Researcher Starter Pack):

Originally posted by IsaacKoi
"UFO UpDates is probably the best (public) discussion List for reading the views of the biggest names within ufology. It even manages to get quite a few skeptics discussing issues with pro-ETH researchers".

Here's a random bit of the table of contents for a sample few days:


Here's an image of a fairly random post (featuring Stanton Friedman having a slight disagreement with Michael Salla):


By the way, Errol Bruce-Knapp has also run a UFO radio show ("Strange Days Indeed") the archives of which are also online. Those archives can be found at the link below (and, again, the relevant material downloaded):
www.virtuallystrange.net...


The UfoUpdates email List had seen a dramatic drop in posts in the last few years (which I think is related to the dramatic rise in posts to various UFO discussion forums, blogs and – in particular – Facebook). While messaging/posting on Facebook is very quick and easy, it has its faults. Different modes of communication seem to incentivise different depths of analysis. Facebook's presentation of replies (e.g. cutting off the number of lines displayed without clicking on another button to reveal more) incentivises posts which are generally kept within that limit of about 3 lines.

There is still a heck of a lot of discussion of UFO sightings etc on the Internet - it now just seems to be very fragmented, spread over numerous different forums, email Lists (some public, some private), blog comment sections, numerous Facebook pages etc etc. The UfoUpdates List was the closest thing that existed to a central gathering place. Now we can expect even more time to be wasted reinventing the wheel within ufology, with researchers not becoming aware of research/investigations already done by others...

The UfoUpdates email discussion List really is/was pretty unique as a place where different points of views were expressed by many leading members of various camps. Perhaps it has/had more believers than skeptics, but I think that just reflected the ratio of such participants in elevant discussions. I don't think the UfoUpdates List is/was perfect (and would say the same about ATS) but do think it serves/served a useful function (and, again, would say the same about ATS).

I still haven't completely given up hope that the UfoUpdates List may continue in one form or another. I've mentioned to Errol that I've taken the liberty of creating an email discussion group on Google Groups with the name UfoUpdatesList. That group should be considerably easier to maintain than the current List. For example, the Google Group infrastructure will mean that the moderator does not need to manually reformat posts or the links within them.

I've now set up that Google Group with options that mimic the previous operation of the UfoUpdates List, e.g. an online archive, emails requiring approval by the moderator before being posted, emails received will indicate the source as the UfoUpdatesList.

I'm hoping (although it is merely a hope rather than a real expectation) that Errol may want to try moderating this lower-maintenance version of the List, or else nominate someone else to moderate it. It would be easy for me to transfer the Google Group to Errol or some other new moderator. In the absence of any other volunteers, I'd be prepared to take on this job myself for at least a trial period. (Of course, I would not launch that List, or transfer it to anyone else, without Errol's express approval).



I've previously posted my view that many members of ATS seem to have a large amount of energy and technical knowledge (e.g. regarding creating websites), but lack a detailed knowledge of the history of ufology which could be useful in guiding their energy. Hopefully making this archive available for ATS members to download will help with that problem. On the other hand, some of the individuals that I know with a detailed knowledge of the history of ufology lack the time, energy or technical knowledge to share their knowledge and insight in an efficient manner - hence my view that ATS can do more to contribute to ufology. That view is at the heart of the project I had been increasingly tempted to write about on the UfoUpdates List and here on ATS (which has the working name of "The Collective"...). The closure of the UfoUpdates List was/is one of my reasons for considering just giving up and abandoning that potential project (and ufology generally).

I've sent a copy of the links to the PDF archive to the UfoUpdates List, although I'm not sure whether Errol is accepting any more posts to the List.

In the hope that I may be able to squeeze a final post under the wire, I slipped in a final thought (which I may as well post here as well):

Finally, I'll just slip in a further thought. If anyone on this List has previously edited/published a UFO newsletter/journal/magazine (or self-published a UFO book) that they think is worth making freely available online, then just send me an email. I may well be able to help get the material scanned, rendered searchable and/or uploaded to (say) a free file storage website.

For that matter, if you know someone else that has the rights to such material (either because they were the editor/writer, or because they are the heir of such a person) perhaps now would be a good time to reach out to then, ask if they would like that material to be freely available online. If so, again just send me an email and we can see whether something can be sorted out. I've found that a surprising number of people have been quite prepared to give their permission is someone actually takes the initiative and asks them for it.

I think I've made my view fairly clear over the years that I think a lot of time and energy is wasted within ufology reinventing the wheel. I think (perhaps optimistically) that it _may_ be possible to reduce that amount of reinvention of the wheel (and improve the quality of research) by making more UFO material (both primary source material and secondary analysis) freely available in searchable format online. There remains a large gap between the knowledge in print and the knowledge online.

For the last year or two I've been planning a fairly ambitious project in this regard (under the working title "the UFO Collective") and have been increasingly tempted to post a reasonably detailed outline of that plan on this List - but it now seems it is probably too late to do that. Oh well...

The relevant links to the PDF archive are, once again:
(a) From now until 13th January 2014:
we.tl...

(b) More permanently:
rapidshare.com...

Great detailed post! I will try to download the files and read through them to get more insight on this never ending issue that I HOPE will be disclosed to the public

Great stuff Isaac!

Thank you for all your dedication and hard work!

reply to post by IsaacKoi


Awesome thread and great job! I hope a torrent eventually pops up as my net isn't stable at the moment.

Auricom
I hope a torrent eventually pops up as my net isn't stable at the moment.

I'll certainly think about that.

I've never created a torrent in the past, so am not sure how easy it is.

reply to post by IsaacKoi


Psst... Isaac, the rapidshare link isn't working. I keep getting this message - ERROR: Share invalid. (735d42ea)

The We Transfer link worked for me though. Thanks again for another great thread and resource!

IsaacKoi

I've never created a torrent in the past, so am not sure how easy it is.

It's easy if you have a torrent program like µTorrent. I've created a torrent file for you, but my upload speed is too slow to help seed this. Perhaps someone with a faster connection can help getting it seeded.

Torrent file ----> s000.tinyupload.com...

freelance_zenarchist

Psst... Isaac, the rapidshare link isn't working. I keep getting this message - ERROR: Share invalid. (735d42ea)

Odd. The Rapidshare link works when I click on it (even when I'm not signed into to my account, so I presumably should see what everyone else sees).

Anyone else tried that link?

I presume that for the next few days most people will be using the Wetransfer link (which is the easier option, involving fewer clicks) - but that service only operates for a few days.

freelance_zenarchist

IsaacKoi

I've never created a torrent in the past, so am not sure how easy it is.

It's easy if you have a torrent program like µTorrent.

I have uTorrent. Since you say it's easy, I'll have a look at creating torrents.

reply to post by IsaacKoi


When I click the link I'm taken to Rapidshare, then when I click the "to Download" button I get the error.

IsaacKoi

I have uTorrent. Since you say it's easy, I'll have a look at creating torrents.

In uTorrent click File, then Create New Torrent. The next screen is pretty self explanatory. You can U2U me if you have any questions.

I recommend creating the torrent from a folder that contains all the other folders and PDF's, rather than from the .zip file, that way people are able to see and choose which files to download, but it's up to you.

reply to post by IsaacKoi


I'm not understanding your google group archive work, is this just an email to get the updates/lists or is it an actual google drive share thing .. ?

When I click on the rapidshare link i can access it but then i get the message :

This file exceeds your daily limit.

The wetransfer link works fine.

Alundra
When I click on the rapidshare link i can access it but then i get the message :

This file exceeds your daily limit.

The wetransfer link works fine.

Ah, I see. Thanks. In that case, there probably isn't a problem.

The wetransfer link can be used while quite a few people are downloading the zip file and when the wetransfer link ceases to work in a few days things demand should have dropped and the rapidshare link should work. Fingers crossed.

If not, I'll sort something else out. Ideas welcome.

The UfoUpdates List was the closest thing that existed to a central gathering place. Now we can expect even more time to be wasted reinventing the wheel within ufology, with researchers not becoming aware of research/investigations already done by others...

Well...maybe its a good thing we've all been talking about some kind of collective.

reply to post by IsaacKoi


It's very simple. I use uTorrent and love it, here's a quick link to set up a torrent: Link

What's nice is that you can be your own tracker. (Meaning you host it locally on your computer.) That way we don't have to mess around with places like ThePirateBay.

I thank you for your consideration of creating a torrent. I will help seed as long as needed.

Isaac, would like to echo everyone else's comments mate and thank you yet again for another great pdf archive -truly important work you're doing for future UFO research and when it comes to this collection I'm sure it's appreciated by everyone involved in the subject.

I was always a lurker in the html archives but really did learn quite a bit about all the different viewpoints on specific cases (and also saw that whilst some explanations were tenable some were not) so the collection really is an important piece of internet history and unfortunately I think you've got it spot on when it comes to your comments below.

I think it is very, very likely that the closing of UpDates
(while perfectly understandable, due to the effort involved)
means that we can see even less detailed discussion of
issues/sightings.

We can also expect even more time to be wasted reinventing the
wheel within ufology, with researchers not becoming aware of
research/investigations already done by others... This List has
served as the closest thing I've seen to a centralised
discussion point for leading ufo researchers (including,
unusually, a significant number of prominent skeptics) during
more than the last decade.

Was also (obviously) a great way to keep up updated with international researchers like A. J. Gevaerd and newly declassified South American government UFO documents and I think everyone agrees with his comments below about the closure of the information exchange being sad news indeed.

Sad news, indeed.

I would like to take this opportunity, in my name and in the
name of those in Brazil who benefited from the List for all
these years, such as I did, to thank you warmly for your efforts
to keep UFO UpDates working as a great forum for information
exchange.

I have been on the List for at least some 15 years and you,
Errol, have given me plenty space here to take to our
international Listers in so many countries what the best the
Brazilian Ufology has produced in all this period. I am very
grateful to you.

Cheers!

IsaacKoi
The UfoUpdates email List had seen a dramatic drop in posts in the last few years (which I think is related to the dramatic rise in posts to various UFO discussion forums, blogs and – in particular – Facebook). While messaging/posting on Facebook is very quick and easy, it has its faults. Different modes of communication seem to incentivise different depths of analysis. Facebook's presentation of replies (e.g. cutting off the number of lines displayed without clicking on another button to reveal more) incentivises posts which are generally kept within that limit of about 3 lines.

Errol Bruce-Knapp has today started to use the UfoUpdates page he set up on Facebook a few years ago. It will be interesting to see how many of the old crowd move across to this Facebook page and how it functions. I'm not sure whether can replace (or intended to replace) an email discussion List since:

(a) researchers (particularly older ones) seem to like the List format but dislike forums and/or Facebook. Some of them are more likely to move to some of the existing private Lists rather than public forums.

(b) Facebook's format encourages short responses rather than detailed discussions.

Those of you that were interested in this archive of posts to the UfoUpdates List may also be interested in the archive in the thread below of 6,964 pages of posts by various researchers and members of the public to the Paranet bulletin board system between 1989 and 1993:
PDF Archive: Info-Paranet "Newsleters" (1989-1993)

vbstrvct
If I may be so bold to suggest this to IsaacKoi, maybe your "Collective" working group could be a place where some other kind of discussions and debate could occur? Coupled with your idea of keeping and creating an archive of scanned material, I bet it would be of great interest to many participants.

I've heard back from Errol Bruce-Knapp, and he remains firm in his view that he is retired now. Since I cannot persuade him to continue UfoUpdates on a lower-maintenance infrastructure (such as Google Groups), it now looks to me that I'm going to have to set up my own email discussion List with a public archive. I'm not wild about the thought of doing this, but want there to be such a List.

reply to post by IsaacKoi


How about Yahoo Groups? (Wiki)

As I've mentioned before, get it up via a torrent and I'll leave it as a permanent seed for whoever wants to download it. If I can manage to download the archives posted I'll gladly upload a copy as a torrent.