Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Tempers Flare Over Ill-Tempered Sword Remarks

Posted by timothy on from the say-is-that-edge-sharp dept.

msaulters writes "The Austin American Statesman is reporting on Daniel Watson, a Hays County swordsmith who is suing a group of San Francisco-based techies, charging that they extorted him by posting negative comments regarding his sword-making business on the discussion forums they host and then offering to clamp down on such comments if he bought advertising with them. On the one hand, this sounds very chilling, as the defendants, Sword Forum International, are very well-known and respected in the world of sword-making, and abuse of that position would be very un-cool. On the other hand, they make some valid points in the article, and historically, the ability to express your opinions freely online is one aspect of the internet that arguably should never be curtailed."

5 of 69 comments (clear)

  1. Just stop it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Here is a list of words and phrases I am sick of and never, ever want to hear again.

    1. Beowulf cluster
    2. Shock and awe
    3. "Virii"
    4. "Boxen"
    5. Woot
    6. "Fair use rights"
    7. Jingoistic
    8. Chilling

    That is all.

    1. Re:Just stop it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
      Blockquoth the poster:


      Here is a list of words and phrases I am sick of and never, ever want to hear again.

      1. Beowulf cluster
      2. Shock and awe
      3. "Virii"
      4. "Boxen"
      5. Woot
      6. "Fair use rights"
      7. Jingoistic
      8. Chilling

      That is all.


      Man, and I managed to touch on almost every one with this article.
      1) Beowulf used a sword
      2) A Beowulf cluster of these would be an awesome and shocking sight.
      3) The mottled patterns in the steel resemble clusters of "virii"
      4) I used my shiny sword to slay a herd of unwary boxen
      5) Techno-WootzTM, need I say more?
      6) This case has Fair Use of free-speech rights written all over it
      7) What the hell does Jingoism have to do with any of this? I don't think I've ever seen anyone on /. use any variant of the word until now. I'm not sure 99% of /.'ers out there even know it's meaning.
      8) Silence is deafening. Forced imposition of it on the net is Chilling.

      Somebody mod this fucker down as a troll.
    2. Re:Just stop it by psi_diddy · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      7) What the hell does Jingoism have to do with any of this? I don't think I've ever seen anyone on /. use any variant of the word until now. I'm not sure 99% of /.'ers out there even know it's meaning.
      [ironic smirk]Jingoism is obviously extreme nationalism, as any red-blooded American knows. The UN would supress America's knowledge of Jingoism and that is why they ought to be given the boot along with all the other foreign nationals![/ironic smirk]

      "There are two things that I can't stand. People who are intolerant of other people's cultures. And the Dutch." -Nigel Powers

  2. Re:so the website is mightier than the sword? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Isn't it "cooty rats semen?"

  3. Re:The Angel Sword website. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Why the hell would anyone moderate the parent as a troll? If you bother to RTFL before modding, you'll see the poster was correctly quoting the name of their trademarked steel. I don't believe he was trolling, and I actually thought it was kinda funny, until I read the site and found out that Wootz was an ancient, respected mettalurgical technique. The parent should've been modded +1 Informative, or Funny, at least. Geez, give a guy a break!

    By the way, I'm the original submitter of the story, and I wouldn't post anonymously, except for fear the bastard moderator I'm trashing still has some points left.