So, you HAVEN'T been serious for the last three years? You admit failings in ethical work and being honest in pursuit of strictly personal benefits?
...and now you're going to be all different.
...oddly enough, as you're ratings start tanking according to BBM.
...and you want us, those of us who did say no to hoaxing... those of us who did not look for fame or fortune through this... those of us who've invested literally our lives in this... you want us to "trust you".
Anyway, as this unfurled around us, I did a blog post about it... it was entitled after a bit of very thoughtful Ashanti wisdom... "One falsehood spoils a thousand truths."
The post was sadly prophetic as the next day, the famed Wem ghost photo was shown to be a hoax.
The person that took the famed image of the little girl in the fire literally went to his grave claiming it was genuine... when it clearly wasn't.
Why did he do this? What did he gain?
...but now the pseudo-sceptics (those evangelical non-believers) are rightfully "Har-Haring" any "woo-woo" (their words for anyone who believes in literally anything that doesn't match their personal paradigm,) who believed in that image... and they ARE taking it to anyone who'll listen.
"See? The Woo-Woos thought this was PROOF of GHOSTS! They're STUPID! They can't be TRUSTED! They're not worth..."
"...allowing them access to your historic site."
"...giving them access to resources."
Don't believe me? Look it up. It's already happening.
Heck, not a few days later, an obvious UFO video hoax appeared (and thankfully was quickly squashed) which reeked of the smell of a would-be-psuedo-sceptic looking to pounce on overly credulous Ufologists for buying his (rather badly amateur) hoax... it didn't work... and wouldn't be the first time something like that was attempted.
In hoaxing, you cost yourself your own credibility... and the credibility of those who "fall" for your hoax... those "marks" who fall for your con.
...and what happens if something legit comes your way?
#1: Your colleagues and partners will never trust your findings ever again.
#2: No one will ever completely believe you as they'll wonder if you are scamming or have been scammed again.
#3: You will never be taken seriously by any level of academia... and if you eek in somehow, and it comes to light you do have a shady past, you'll be asked to leave or find thing rather tense.
#4: You hurt all of us by proxy.
Simple truth is... these are fascinating subjects and topics. There's no need to "fake" or support a fraud for any reason... unless your goal is to undermine the study and your own integrity.
If you want to let everyone know you're an entertainer or clown... or at least that your efforts are "For Entertainment Purposes Only" and boldly state that, fine... You're fiction... we're different.
...but if you say you're the real deal... or you even give the impression (outside of fictional dramatics,) you're on the level... don't be shocked when your shenanigans not only get you ostracized from serious academia and studies... but also affect how everyone sees your character... and how other's in the field view you.
...because your one falsehood for dramatic effect, to make a buck or two, to show how the "woos" are easily fooled, or to help you grab fifteen seconds of fame will ruin a thousand truths.
Decide for your self... Do you want to be a mid-point article (if you're lucky) in People Magazine... or help discover and uncover something important for everyone and be thought of as a person who helped find the answers.
The former is destined to become a footnote in a trivia book somewhere in the future.
The latter might get a library named after them.
The choice is yours... but if you choose fakery over substance, you'll forgive the rest of us for not wanting to be associated with you in any way, shape, or form... ever.