http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcoldreading.html
Hey, my dad’s birthday is at the end of August. And he wears glasses! Are you sure you’re not a psychic? Admit it – you’re debunking it just to cut down on the competition!
My dad died on August 26 - and he wore glasses! But I still don’t believe in psychics.
Amazingly enough, Ian Rowland said just that kind of thing BY MAIL to a large number of people (under the guise of being a horoscope) and got very, very high ratings on accuracy.
People who want to believe, will believe, I guess.
I had a pysch teacher that demonstrated this (he called it “glittering generalities”) by sending two (very different) volunteers out of the room. He had them come in one at a time and told them each what he had observed about their personalities. They both said he did a great job at describing them. The revealing thing (to the rest of the class) was that he used the exact same speech for both.
Wow, Dex, that’s a great report! And the offer of a 40% discount on Ian Rowland’s book is something no Doper should miss.
I can hardly wait for the naysayers to show up here. And we know who they are, don’t we? 
Neigh-sayers? We got horses on these boards?
Yep. Let’s hope we get to talk to the right end.
Well now i know the tricks…wonder how many I can “hook” at the next party??? Also when someone i know is watching that show and proclaiming astonishment at the moderators success with the subjects I can quickly come to their aid and tell them how it was done!
HA HA HA
Cat 
Just curious, prefect, how you ran across Dex’s report, as it has a future date (18 Nov 2003) on it. I assume it was planned to be released to the world on that date so isn’t yet linked from the main Dope page. Did you stumble across it during a keyword search or is there a list of Staff Reports that I don’t know about?
You can sign up for the Straight Dope mailing list. If you do, you will be sent an e-mail every Friday giving you links to this week’s Straight Dope column, a classic column, and the following Tuesday’s Staff Report.
Right! I ordered my copy! Anyone else?
I strongly suspect that Mr. Rowland’s offer is an act of real generosity, and that he won’t make much (if anything) selling books at a 40% discount. (Of course there’s no real way to calculate the margin on something like that, since you can’t value the work he puts in himself. Anyway–) Thank you Ian Rowland!!
I ordered mine too, though I must say I found Mr. Rowland’s website to be rather difficult to use. It took me an unacceptably high number of clicks to get to the order page.
After reading Dexter’s review, I was going to order it, but noticed when asked to give credit card information it is not a secure cite, so I passed. I agree with friedo too, it’s not the easiest cite to navigate. It takes page after page of clicking before you order. You also have to look closely on where to click. “Click here” is neither highlighted in a different color from the main text nor is it underlined. You just have to run your mouse over it to make sure that is where to click.
JZ
Sheeeeeeeeesh. What wusses. You mean you actually have to click with your finger, seven or eight times, to get to a 40% discount on a fantastic book? Pauvre, pauvre petit! I hope that you don’t get finger strain or blisters from all that heavy work.
Look, sarcasm aside, I’m not particularly computer adept, and I had no trouble navigating the site or knowing where to click what. It wasn’t anywhere near as complex as my bank or my DVD club. I mean, come one, what the hell d’you want?
On the security issue, Ian says that the bank is secure.
You tell 'em, Dex! I had no problem with the site. It may not be the very best design ever, but the ordering section was easy to use, and I’d rather get through three or four pages that explain the methods of payment, shipping costs, etc., than be surprised later, as has happened before. And I was kept motivated through the whole thing by the thought of the 40% discount. Well that and the thought of using my newfound knowledge to pick up women and scam rubes–er, I mean, educate innocent consumers on the fraudulent nature of fortune tellers and psychic hotlines.
Ian Rowland will be giving a 2-hour talk at The Amazing Meeting in Las Vegas - January 15th to 18th, 2004. Not only will Ian be there but some of the most famous debunkers of psychics, James Randi along with Penn and Teller.
I can’t wait; it should be a blast.
I am pleased that some Dopers have been interested in my book, and that some have actually placed orders.
With regard to comments about my website, please can I set the record straight.
- The ordering is secure, and in fact I have gone to extraordinary and expensive lengths to make sure of this!
I realise our friend John Zahn above meant no harm, but his post is seriously misleading. My website itself does not have SSL security because you don’t give your credit card details to me, or to my site. During the ordering process, my website hands you over to the bank’s credit card order processing service and this does have advanced SSL security. The bank is Barclay’s bank, which is one of the ‘big four’ here in the UK and one of two most experienced and well-respected with regard to secure online order processing. It’s expensive for me, as the site owner, to use this service, but I do it precisely because I want the best possible security for my customers.
- I am sorry if some people find my site hard to use, and I always welcome constructive criticism to make it more user friendly. However, lots of people write to me to tell me they do find it easy to use, so I guess you just can’t please everyone.
Here’s the problem. If I provide lots of information up front (about which cards are valid, delivery times, security, postal rates etc.) then some people resent having to wade through it all before they can tap their information in and place an order.
If I don’t provide all this information, then sure, the process is a little more streamlined, but what happens is (a) people complain that I don’t provide the information and (b) they send me emails asking lots of questions. Dealing with these emails one at a time used to take up hours and hours - so I decided to put all the answers to all the stuff people wanted to know on the Order Pages.
In any case, certain information has to be provided by law in order for me to accept orders online.
If friend Zahn had read the information about security, for example, he would have understood the position and not posted here, on a public forum, that ordering via my site isn’t secure when in fact it is as secure as modern technology can possibly make it.
Love to you all, and thanks again to those who have ordered the book.
- Ian Rowland (Ianzin).
I bought Mr. Rowland’s book when the new edition first came off the presses. It is a “must own” for all skeptics or anyone interested in the subject. Not only does he explain how these frauds work in much more detail than Dex’s article but he also explains how you can foil a “psychic” if one tries to read you.
dimossi mentioned the Rowland will be speaking at The Amazing Meeting. He will not be the only Doper lecturing there. Our very own Bad Astronomer will be speaking there as well.
Thanks for the great article, Dex. You’re my favorite author of staff reports. I know I’ll be sending out the link to this one many times over the years.
Haj
This article did not talk enough about the TV Editing. It should have given an example.
This is how the “biggest douche in the universe” (said so on South Park does it):
Actual commments:
Douche: I see an elder man waiting for someone by the light. His name sounds something like Charles, does this mean anything to anyone?
Moron in the audience: Could that be me?
My uncle was named Charles, he died last year at 63.
Douche: Yes, that is him. It wasn’t an accident was it?
Moron: No, he died from cancer.
Douche: Yes, your Uncle Charles wants you to know that he feels no more pain, the cancer could not follow him into the great beyond.
Moron: Thank god he feels no more pain.
Edited version that they show on TV:
Douche: I see an elder man waiting for someone by the light. His name sounds something like Charles, does this mean anything to anyone?
Moron in the audience: Could that be me?
<…edited out…>
Douche: Yes, your Uncle Charles wants you to know that he feels no more pain, the cancer could not follow him into the great beyond.
Moron: Thank god he feels no more pain.
Shows you what little I know about computers. I did miss the security aspect, and after page seven or so of going through the various stages as I was filling out the page for credit card information my lock icon never did come on, which I always assumed it was supposed to, to show a secure cite. It always has on other cites. So Ian, my sincere apologies, and I really hope your book does well.
JZ