Is Ufology a Sinking Ship?

Greetings. The "field" known as ufology has changed quite a bit since the days of Dr. J. Allen Hynek, Richard Hall, Coral Lorenzen, and Dr. James E. McDonald. Let's explore the situation....

Back in the heady days of Project Blue Book, the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization, and the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena, the field of ufology seemed to be far more focused on collecting sighting reports, and conducting field investigations. The idea of promoting one's self was not at the forefront of anyone's mind, as far as I can deduce, so the actual investigations into the enigma of unidentified flying objects were the sole motivation for most, if not all. 

Now there were authors that had written volumes about the UFO topic, some dogged researchers numbered among them. Coral and Jim Lorenzen wrote several books on the topic, many being classic pieces of UFO literature, including the iconic "Flying Saucer Occupants.' Edward J. Ruppelt, the former head of the U.S. Air Force's Project Blue Book wrote the classic "The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects." Dr. J. Allen Hynek's "The UFO Experience" is still required reading for anyone attempting to get a handle on the UFO situation back in the 1960's and 1970's. In addition to these works, many other books were published about UFOs, some well researched, some not so much, but nobody was getting rich writing about the topic. The opportunity to make some financial headway was simply not in existence, yet....

In 1969, when the Mutual UFO Network arrived on the scene, after their less-than-legitimate beginnings (a mutiny from APRO,) symposiums began to be held, which afforded the opportunity for speaking engagements. Authors, researchers, and a new species of ufologist, the personality, were now able to reach a far larger audience than had previously been available before, snail mail and long distance phone calls having been the tools of necessity for the UFO field. As the 1970's became the 1980's and 1990's, the situation kept morphing, evolving from a grounded, grass-roots effort to investigate the UFO problem, into an effort to participate in the new and burgeoning business of the UFO speaking circuit. NICAP ceased operating by the early 1980's, with APRO following suit late the very same decade, leaving MUFON all alone to fight the changes on its own, but unfortunately the "organization" became part of the problem, having lost its professional integrity by the 2000's, perhaps a bit later, depending on the person asked. 

Nowadays, the UFO entertainment industry maintains a throttlehold on the UFO subculture, with legitimate investigative efforts being kept completely out of the limelight. Those very same investigative researchers are few and far between, and their healthy skepticism is looked at in an extremely negative light. The celebrities/personalities of the UFO world, George Knapp, Jeremy Corbell, and their ilk, rule the day, with dogged researchers like David Marler and John Greenewald seen as skeptical dinosaurs by many. The promotional floodgates have opened, carrying a monumental tidalwave of merchandise, all ready for purchase by anyone willing to open their purse or wallet. It leaves one wondering if the UFO subculture will someday arrive at a point where no investigative research work is done at all, just self-promotion and sensationalism. Ufology seems to be a sinking ship, and no amount of tinfoil will save the day.

Thank you for your time and consideration.