Now ive been in this game a long time, perhaps a bit too long.
I was there pre 'Most Haunted' and before 'Taps'.
In fact, probably before a lot of internet groups started up and the paranormal boom of today.

However, one thing has not changed and thats the rivalry between paranormal groups.
It seem that although we are all looking into the same thing, the competition is so very high!

Lets look into that a bit closer.....

It has come to RiPA's attention that one or two groups out there are currently slating the RiPA's work and the way they do things.
What I would like to know is:

• How can they say what they're saying if they do not know how RiPA work?
• What do they hope to get out of slagging off another team?
• In what way does that make the team they represent look good
• Why bother? if they dont like, get over it!

So my first point. RiPA works very hard at what they do. The team meet every week and what goes on at those meets is very in-depth work. From lectures by well-known names within the field as well as the RiPA's themselves to recreating a scientific parapsychological project that has been endorsed or requested by a university with which RiPA is involved with.

Ok, so RiPA does not rely on a fancy website filled to the brim with repeats of topics that can be found on countless other para-sites, nor do they depend on investigations to make the team look big or good or 'the best'. They mainly concentrate on education and coming up with new reasonable theories as well as helping parapsychology departments across the world. Most of the work RiPA do is behind the scenes and you can only truly appreciate this if you become a RiPA.
The only people that come to these meets are, of course, the RiPA's and anyone who has been cordially invited by a RiPA.

So i reiterate my first point, how can a team slate another team when they really dont know what goes on behind the scenes??

Point 2. I think this speaks for itself. Surely its playground tactics? Imagine you join your team to a prime location and the team leader tells the person in charge of the premises, 'Dont have these guys cos they do this and that and this and that'.
This will only lead to that group shooting themselves in the foot eventually as the team that does little but slag people off. Not only that, slagging off other groups can be so very childish and unprofessional.
Ok, now some teams do have techniques that may cause for concern, but flag this up with that group directly. You will be helping them as well as the paranormal society and lets face it, due to recent TV revelations, it needs all the help it can get!

Point 3 I kinda covered above. Only in very extreme circumstances (health, safety, stupidity) should the warning signs be put out. But really make sure you know what that group is about before you even entertain giving that team a bad press.

Last point. Now RiPA are unlike most teams out there. The way they work, teach, learn and conduct investigations is not of the normal run-of-the-mill variety. RiPA are not a ghost hunting team, nor are they in it for profit. RiPA works in pyschology anomalistics with guidance from some big names in parapsychology. This makes RiPA instantly different from, lets say, the team known as 'A.N Other'.
While 'A.N.Other' have their ways to do things, maybe their specialist area is photography or filming etc, Let them do it.
Surely if the paranormal teams that have a chip on their shoulder swallow their pride and learn to get along with other groups, this could only help to find and discover what we are all trying to look for. The evidence of whether or not the paranormal exists, whatever subject of it it maybe.