Talk:Unidentified flying object

UFO are litmus tests for new agents

UFO's were a mainstay test for intelligence agents in America for a number of years. The creation of a distinctive story, provision of intelligence reports to the agent and thenstory is analysed the source of the bogus intelligence is identified, the agent is downgraded or dismissed. There are no UFO's only fa== Books categorized ==

I see there are books that are listed as General, and some listed as Skeptical, Philosophy, Tech ect... How is this decided? Several of the general books are skeptically minded. Maybe we should remove the general category and force each book into a more specific category? Or maybe it could be in more than one category? Or remove all categories and just make it books? Putting them in categories seems so POV. Sgerbic (talk) 20:41, 3 October 2011 (UTC)

Lead photo

Why is the first photograph in this article of an IFO? Surely a better illustration of the subject matter would be something that remains unidentified. --taras (talk) 00:15, 15 October 2011 (UTC)

Ya agreed, we should definitly have a more interesting photo to lead with.P0PP4B34R732 (talk) 17:03, 21 October 2011 (UTC)

Definition of UFO

The statement that, "... technically a UFO refers to any unidentified flying object ..." is not accurate. That is simply the literal full form of the acronym. Technically the word had very specific uses by the people who created it. Official definitions went through several stages of evolution culminating in AFR 200-2, February 05, 1958.

   2. Definitions. To insure proper and uniform usage in UFO screenings, investigations, 
      and reportings, the objects are defined as follows: 

      a.Familiar or Known Objects - Aircraft, birds, balloons, kites, searchlights, and
        astronomical  bodies (meteors, planets, stars).

      b.Unknown Aircraft:

        (1) Flying objects determined to be aircraft. These generally appear as a result
            of ADIZ violations and often prompt the UFO reports submitted by the general 
            public. They are readily identifiable as, or known to be, aircraft, but their 
            type, purpose, origin, and destination are unknown. Air Defense Command is
            responsible for reports of "unknown" aircraft and they should not be reported 
            as UFO's under this regulation.

        (2) Aircraft flares, jet exhausts, condensation trails, blinking or steady lights
            observed at night, lights circling or near airports and airways, and other 
            similar phenomena resulting from, or indications of aircraft. These should not
            be reported under this regulation as they do not fall within the definition of
            a UFO.

        (3) Pilotless aircraft and missiles. 

     c. Unidentified Flying Objects - Any airborne object which, by performance, aerodynamic
        characteristics, or unusual features, does not conform to known aircraft or missiles, 
        or which does not correspond to definitions in a. and b. above.

There were also other official definitions but virtually all of them were intended to screen out known manmade objects or phenomena from UFOs, leaving only extraordinary and mystifying objects for further investigation. The USAF was reluctant to simply say they were looking for alien craft, but it amounted to the same thing and there were those inside the USAF who openly advocated the ETH.

The other issue with regard to the definition is that of usage. The word UFO in the context of a UFO report refers to the object that is the subject of a UFO report, and it may not be anything extraordinary. UFOs themselves however are, and the word has always been synonymous with alien craft. Never has the word been intended to "technically" designate some distant light or object that is merely "unidentified". — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.72.83.184 (talk) 02:06, 24 October 2011 (UTC)

Oh, balls! Who told you that? UFO has been used many times for simply objects on radar by the military or air-traffic-controllers that - temporarily or not - are not identified. Tinfoil off, please! HammerFilmFan (talk) 00:45, 9 February 2012 (UTC)

Remove the second picture please

The second picture is NOT of a UFO, though the original research of some Wikipedia author has indicated to him or her otherwise. Remove the picture and find one that is painting of a real UFO. I promise you, there are plenty to be found in various five-and-dimes around the United States.

128.59.171.194 (talk) 00:58, 1 December 2011 (UTC)

If a picture of what was known for certain to be a REAL UFO existed, this article would be very different. HiLo48 (talk) 01:11, 1 December 2011 (UTC)

I could not find any WP:RS to back up the speculation that "This image is one of the best showing a disc shaped object emitting beams of light. It is not in the shape of a cloud, nor does it have angels or cherubim floating around. As most Religious paintings duplicate scenes from previous eras, one has to ask where this artist got the data to paint his version."....so I removed it. - LuckyLouie (talk) 02:47, 1 December 2011 (UTC)

Pronunciation

I don't know about you guys but I pronounce it "you-foe" not U.F.O 94.4.72.212 (talk) 11:23, 8 December 2011 (UTC)

I pronounce the letters. (i.e.the latter form) HiLo48 (talk) 18:05, 8 December 2011 (UTC)