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Domain: bmartin.cc

Stories and comments across the archive that link to bmartin.cc.

Stories · 3

  1. Investigating the Complexity of Academic Writing (theatlantic.com)

    Science · Science · · posted by Soulskill · from the news-for-words dept. · 160 comments
    biohack writes: While the general public might expect that researchers should want to maximize comprehension of their work, academic writing tends to follow an opaque style permeated with professional jargon and complex syntax. Proposed explanations for the emergence of this style range from experts generally finding it difficult to be simple when writing about their expertise to more complex social and cultural theories: "Cynics charge ... that academics play an elitist game with their words: They want to exclude interlopers. Others say that academics have traditionally been forced to write in an opaque style to be taken seriously by the gatekeepers—academic journal editors, for example."

  2. Draconian Australian Research Law Hits Scientists

    Science · Australia · · posted by Soulskill · from the blunder-down-under dept. · 150 comments
    An anonymous reader writes: The Australian government is pushing ahead with a draconian law placing "dual use" science (e.g. encryption, biotechnology) under the control of the Department of Defence. The Australian ACLU, Civil Liberties Australia, warns the law punishes scientists with $400,000 fines, 10 years in jail and forfeiture of their work, just for sending an "inappropriate" e-mail.

    Scientists — including the academics union — warn the laws are unworkable despite attempted improvements, and will drive researchers offshore (paywalled: mirror here).

  3. Aussie Public Servant Criticises Gov't On Twitter, Gets Sacked

    Yro · Censorship · · posted by timothy · from the new-destination-moscow dept. · 151 comments
    An anonymous reader writes "An Australian public servant who criticised the government on Twitter has been sacked even though she did not reveal her name or her job to her readers. Federal Judge Warwick Neville told her Australians had no 'unfettered implied right (or freedom) of political expression.' Unlike Americans, Australians have only limited rights to Free Speech. The new ruling makes means public servants cannot criticize the government on social media, even privately and in their own time."