QuoteI agree " More criticism is therefore good, not bad, for the LENR rep" but that criticism must be 'positive' and 'constructive' and history must view it this way. I suggest Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann were treated very badly in pursuit of this principle and we have not learned from history.
I agree that this could be discussed. I don't have a settled view on the matter, except that their continued work for many years after the announcement and initial interest has not led to the validation of their initial claims.
I know F claims it has - but if you look at the tenuous nature of his later evidence, and the fact that when Mckubre replicated F his results, with better calorimetry, are equally tenuous with lower claimed excess, you can understand that not many share F's view.