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Google vs. Boilerplate Activism

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the ready-made-indignation dept.

ArmorFiend writes with this NYTimes article which "details the efforts of journalists to discern real reader-written letters from boilerplate form letters. Seems like there should be a centralized searchable DB of letters to the editor."

2 of 276 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I'm not so sure that this is a good thing... by ageOfWWIV · · Score: 5, Informative

    The problem with boilerplate form letters are that people who only have a shallow understanding of an issue or topic can simply mad-lib a form letter and sound like they're informed. This doesn't benefit the recipient nor the writer (who thanks to these canned letters, is given a cheap way out of actually learning, participating or becoming really involved)
    I can't help but notice a similarity between this and students who steal code off the web and claim it as their own.

    --

    ____
    ATS11=0 the secret to beating everyone else to a 1 line board.
  2. Re:Google by Paul+Boutin · · Score: 5, Informative
    And it doesn't mention the obvious hack to the system, either.

    If you spot the "demonstrating genuine leadership" letter, send it to these folks who've listed 74 and climbing.

    --
    Paul Boutin | writer for Slate, Wired, etc