I visited the TSM Wikipedia article today and noticed various and sundry flags at the top where someone made these claims:
It resembles a fan site.
Tagged since March 2010.
Its neutrality is disputed. Tagged since March 2010.
It may contain original research or unverifiable claims. Tagged since March 2010.
Its factual accuracy is disputed. Tagged since March 2010.
It is written like an advertisement and needs to be rewritten from a neutral point of view. Tagged since March 2010.
Very few or no other articles link to it. Please help introduce links to this page from other articles related to it. Tagged since March 2010.
It may contain material not appropriate for an encyclopedia. Tagged since March 2010.
It may contain improper references to self-published sources. Tagged since March 2010.

all tagged since march! so it looks like someone logged in with the intention of smearing TSM to me. I admit I am not an expert on Wiki and these may be legitimate claims, but there are an awful lot of them. Some of the claims seem nitpicky. I can't see why someone would have a problem with this article and its links. can anybody offer any knowledge of Wiki and how it works? Can this fly? I think someone who wrote the article should either contest these flags or change the article to meet wiki's criteria. I suspect an angry 12 stepper did this.
lets figure a way to fix this before TSM loses the cred it needs to help people

Nice job of catching that.

Of course its an angry bitter 12 stepper. How angry would you be committed to a program that has alcohol looming over you like a pit bull on crack.

I was AA for 5-6 years, 4.5 sober. Here's a story.....

Guy shared that he was told by another guy either drink or I'm gonna shoot you....he said shoot then cuz either way I'm dead....and the gun is quicker he probably thought....

Can you imagine? Now be that guy and see all these people getting "cured" and what are you gonna think? So all along I could have enjoyed my life without this damn Pit Bull looking me straight in the eyes waiting to pounce?

I'd be bitter but probably would feel (especially if I'm religious) that I would be doing a disservice to humanity by this sort of sabotage shananigans.

Oh well,...I'm at least doing better...BEst to you all, Jim

don't worry, guys-- this is all normal and natural for Wikipedia and will result in a better article that's ultimately taken seriously by everyone.

I personally consider myself cured by TSM, but TSM is a treatment patented by Dr. Sinclair and described in a book by Roy Eskapa that is either self-published or perceived as such. It is natural for people to be skeptical.

These flags on the article have been prompting users to engage in debate about what the Sinclair Method is and how much of it is verifiable. This is the just one of the first of many steps in letting the world know about TSM.

so what can we do? I loked and some of the writing seems unscientific. like "makes alcohol seem like a better idea than it really is. did that guy who used to be here write it all? can we change it? what can we do? I'm introducing my uncle to sinclair and if it works I think my whole family will try it. they are watching me. when i send them to the wiki (which was very informative for me) it looks like a joke.

The Sinclair patent is expired. (Eskapa, p. 62) Eskapa writes about this in the book and I have a lengthy post about it http://www.thesinclairmethod.net/community/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=537&p=10386&hilit=sabotage&sid=9e1c48fcd39db1f59317c0ae39f471bd&sid=3477c5cf3f356bf17a40a20c83a62d4e#p10386

If you click the Wikipedia article was actually challenged by a member here, schulte123. He is one of those who just dropped in briefly to report a good result. It is NOT a plot by vengeful twelve-steppers. He seemed, when he was actively posting here, to have gotten a good result and had an interest i getting the word out.

We've pretty much had the consensus here for a while that the Wikipedia article is a mess. It was done by Robert Rapplean, who holds the dubious honor of being the only member to be banned from this site. He caused a lot of conflict here. The ultimate reason for the ban was pm's to newbies in which he claimed to be a "practitioner" when his only academic cred is something like a two-year IT certificate from a juco. We still have people worried that he lurks on the board under another name but personally but I don't care much one way or another -- I just take each post as it comes. But I do have concerns that the Wikipedia article undermines our credibility and needs cleanup. We are beginning to get up a head of steam in our growth and so the time probably has come to get around to it.

I frankly think, based on a rather quick review just now the article flags are well-founded for the most part, and that schulte123 has expressed him well to the author (Mythobeast aka Rapplean). Actually Rapplean seems to be attempting to respond to the criticisms.

One criticism I have is the credit to Beverly Rayfield for bringing TSM to the U.S. -- or any mention of her at all. The domain name sinclairmethod.com points to her outpatient rehab clinic in Florida. The article says she uses TSM to treat dual diagnosis patients; the web site seems to tout their version of TSM as a primary alcoholism treatment. They offer a one-week intensive or twenty-week outpatient program, that includes CBT and a scrip for naltrexone (not the actual drugs) each for $3,800.00. GRRRRRR. I've posted links several times to great, self-administered CBT programs, which are FREE; these are actually shown to be more effective that therapist-led CBT. For $300.00, you can get a "workbook" and a canned note to your m.d. from the clinic. I should note that I think this is the clinic in Florida that Eskapa mentions in the "Julia's story" chapter. I should also say that Eskapa does not criticize or even name the clinic, and he emphasizes throughout the book that psychological therapy is not necessary as part of primary treatment under the TSM protocol. So the shout-out to Rayfield in the Wikipedia article is somewhat of an infomercial for her little operation that is the only one of which I'm aware that profits from TSM . I used to worry that we were feeding people to that clinic, but I hope it is vice-versa (others use naltrexone as an anti- craving drug but that's a whole other rant).

That's just one of many problems. I'd like to revive talk of just getting on there and overhauling the entire thing. But we really need to make certain that it's impeccably credible. I think a coordinated effort would produce the best result. Minneapolisnick is willing to coordinate. He is on vacation but you can post here or pm him if you have ideas to get started.

Lo0p -- How about a little project to help take your mind off your troubles? AJ_: You game? Calling bob3d! Anyone elso? I've got way too much on my plate right now but I'll continue giving nick my input into my own vision for an effective article.

I'd really like to hear from our veteran members here, and those who've posted links to abstracts or scholarly (or other credible) literature about TSM. Also, if you are willing to share your personal info with someone to be fact-checked if you have completed treatment and posted a graph (PlainVanilla, etc.), no need to share the actual at this point but whether you are willing to do so, that would be helpful.

Thanks Lena, I should edit myself before going on about vengeful 12 steppers.

If I can be of any help although, it seems as though I've already gotten the PDF book started and rather than let that go to the wayside I should stay focused on that as I'm sure once I start posting links to it, there will be a lot of opinion. As of yet, I have yet to receive any emails to nalsyourpal@gmail.com with your favorite links, so I am culling them on my own.

I expect the very scaled down skeleton of a book with chapters to be done in a 2 months ,...and when I post it,...maybe then it will be easier for people to pick a chapter they like and mail a link they think relevant to that chapter//....BEst, Jim

sweet. let me know if there's anything I can do. I'll keep my eyes open for links. i'm such a newb here that unfortunately my knowledge and understanding of TSM is limited. sorry to come at y'all with issues so early. I have surfed TSM like a mofo the last 5 weeks or so and am really into it. I get into things hardcore. If this works I'll have everyone I know on it who wants to deal with AL problems. and there are a lot trust me. and sorry to bring in the idea that 12 steppers did the flagging. I've been inundated with their bull!@it for 2 years and need to get that chip off my shoulder.

It wasn't schulte123 it was this guy: 21:35, 20 March 2010 Literaturegeek (talk | contribs) m (13,309 bytes) (Added {{article issues}} with parameters advert, disputed, fansite, notability, npov, one source, original research, primarysources, self-published and unencyclopedic tag to article using Friendly) (undo)

Easiest way to take care of it would be to email RR, although I'm sure he has the page notify him of changes.

Jim,

I fully expected to be engaged in the book endeavor, but currently I'm writing a presentation which I'll be presenting to an international group of people at a convention in May. Needless to say, I'm overly focused on that right now. I apologize for the lack of input into this endeavor.

It has been a goal of mine before you ever even appeared on this website, to create a time-line from when I discovered TSM, started TSM through the cure, and the months beyond to this day. My secret (at the time) disbelief of the treatment efficacy and the surprise behavioral change that occurred at week 21 are very important for other people, especially the skeptical, to read. I still intend to do this work and submit it to you for incorporation into the TSM's "little book". (BTW, I like the nickname "Little Book", since our 1 rule treatment juxtaposes well against the "Big Book" with it's 12 steps).

Bob

Lo0p -- I didn't check the latest flags so thanks for clarifying that schulte123 is not the flagger-in-chief. I still like that he is challenging the article. You know the article is cruff (new word I just invented). You posted a while back about fixing it up, remember? Let's get to work, 'kay sweetheart? You've got a warehouse full of scholarly lit just looking for a centralized location. Or would you rather we be known here as Beverly Rayfield's backfield?