The skeptic is a rational thinker, correctly questioning claims and
correctly seeking scientific evidence and research supportive of those
claims. The skeptic is a thinker.  The skeptic is open minded and will
not be swayed by innuendo, phony studies, or the attempt to shut down
an entire field of medicine on chimerical assertions of impossibility.

The SCOOPTIC is an irrational writer, a promoter,
always seeking and trading the latest "scoop" about alternative
medicine.  Always bandying about the
latest sensational "scoop" that this or that system of
alternative medicine cannot possibly work because
Ben Goldacre says so.  The skeptic trades
in logic and ideas - the SCOOPTIC trades
in innuendo and attacks supporters of alternative
medicine with insults, attacks, ridicule and phony
citations from other scooptics.

There is a BIG difference between the two
in that the skeptic AIDS science by encouraging refinement of tests
and the free and open exchange of ideas and cross discipline freedom.
The SCOOPTIC wants to KILL OFF research because it is "obviously"
impossible to prove anything with which the SCOOPTIC does not agree or
has decided is impossible.

The skeptic belongs in a free society of rational people exchanging
ideas and advancing knowledge for the benefit of mankind.  The
SCOOPTIC infests
newsgroups and newspapers and other media
and seeks to be in CONTROL of what is and is not "allowed"  in
medicine and is willing to trade
in confusion, misinformation, disinformation and obfuscation to attain
their "goals".

The skeptic, upon seeing supportive evidence, admits the possibility
of efficacy of alternative medicine and calls for additional testing
and research.  The SCOOPTIC,
upon seeing supportive evidence, attacks the researchers, denies the
evidence and when all else fails, runs and hides behind the skirt of
mother placebo.

The skeptic is his own person and they think for themselves.  The
SCOOPTIC wants TO BE SEEN as a skeptic and becomes upset when exposed
to be a scooptic.

There are varying types of scooptics:
the myopic scooptic,
compulsive denialist scooptic,
appeal to authority scooptic,
and rabid placebo monger scooptic.

Citizen Jimserac