Readers may have seen the minor brouhaha over at bpr3.org about Casey Luskin (DI-flack extraordinaire) using the BPR3 icon on a post without registering with ResearchBlogging.org. When this was pointed out to Luskin, he then registered with the site, a move that lead to much discussion. Now Dave Munger - the administrator of ResearchBlogging.org - has announced that Luskin’s registration will be denied. I’m not going to take a stance on this, but want to highlight a comment by Andrea Bottaro:
[L]et Luskin use the bpr3 logo, but add the general requirement that anyone using it should allow open comments/trackbacks on their site, and/or specifically allow a trackback to their post from a discussion/critique thread on this site. Then let actual peer-review run its course.
My bet is that Luskin will just reject the offer, and take the logo off. EN&V is scared stiff of open discussion.
I think this is a great idea. If a poster isn’t willing to open themselves up to peer-review than they don’t deserve to get the benefits of the BPR3 community. But since, Evolution News and Views and all the other DI/ARN-sponsored "blogs" actively prevent readers setting Luskin and his buddies straight (or if they do, threads mysteriously disappear) such peer-review will be about as welcome as light to a cockroach.
Yes - if you're going to criticise something, then you have an obligation to be open to criticism yourself. Fair is fair.
--Simon