Now comes the point: Defamation suits of any kind are nigh impossible to win. I don't see from what was presented in the article how the plantiff can win. The article was in fact reporting actual quotes. Truth is never libel, nor are opionions. Libel must have a specific intent to be injurious and must be a knowing falshood. How on earth this case doesn't fall under one of those I can't see. If this case is won or even if the jurisdiction is accepted and upheld it does present a grave danger to free expression on the web. Not all countries have the same standard for libel/slander.
As for other countries sueing America. Remember this is America. We never listen to international law when it doesn't suit us, but that is another discussion.
I think it is more about how they can justify a mission to non-science people. "Hey look water! Maybe there is life there. Now can we please have the money to go? Please?"
Hopefully a real manned mission will come out of this. We've set our sights to low in the past 30 years and allowed to many choice moments to pass. After we let the Pluto mission lose its chance to study an atmosphere I had lost all hope for Nasa. We must make a manned mission to Mars, people may talk about cost and worry over what scientific results it would have. Ignore that; go to Mars because it is there.
I hope they will bring back the SimCity 2000 ability to have riots burn down your entire metropolis. I used to have endless fun watching the rampaging proletariot storm the abodes of the fat capitalist running dog lackey bourgeoisie while screaming 'Viva la Revolution!' Until my parents yelled at me to go to sleep.
I had a moment of horror when I realized I owned one of those CDs, execpt it played fine in my G4's super drive and I already ripped it. So its not exactly very well protected is it?
I think this teaches me to look far more carefully at the labels. I do not want to toast my drive.
Changning a story to give it a difference balance is if nothing else on the slightly scummy side.
If they want to add more information or change the view of the story than what they should do is: 1) Post a short summary while they still don't know all the facts. 2) On the same page, but clearly timestamped, the later facts or views.
This would allow news sites to keep their integrity and change their minds. Also, the internet is a fluid medium, the old rules of printing on paper don't apply. Dynamic stories probably take more effort but are in the end more satisfying.
At least I understand now why the offical citation for the internet includes the time downloaded to the closest second.
Not getting an answer is as important as getting one.
"Well this expirement/proof did nothing, so lets try something else." And scientific progress moves on. Just like all the failed proofs of Fermat's Last Therom.
I admit I don't know much about the merger so feel free to take my comments with a grain of salt:
Right after all the reports about the massive money pit that is AOL and how it is hurting Time Warner why do these companies rush into mergers? And why right after the Enron and Global-Crossing fiascos is no one examining the benefits to the CEOs of the companies? While the Compaq-HP deal was announced last year there was alot of criticism about the benefits to both companies, where has it all gone? Was this a self defense merger? Were the two companies afraid that with out a merger they wouldn't be able to compete with other companies?
Well I suppose I can look foward to good printers being sold with lousy computers and less hope of HP ever having decent Mac support.
As I said, not knowing much about the deal and the two companies, feel free to ignore.
Actually retirees might be the best. They are the most likely to be isolated as a group and an online coomunity could provide a way for them to meet new friends or for those who can't get around as much any more to keep contact with people. Amittedtly there is the learning curve problem. Perhaps online communities should try to train people in their use instead of wating for people to show up. That would create money problems though.... Curse that law of unintended consequences.
Sadly Hawaii isn't the only ecosystem being disrupted by exotic species. Most island ecologies are now threatened by these invaders. Australia has its cane toads and rabbits. Zebra mussels infest the US waterways. Some idiot in the 1930s decided he would dry up the Everglades in Florida by seeding it with swamp killing trees from a plane.
Invasive species destroy biodiversity and alter ecosytems beyind thier ability to cope easily. Add to that the effect of human alteration and climate shift we are rapidly losing vital species and habitat. Unfortunatly there are no easy answers. Remember the SNL skit about "The Bat Problem?":)
Now if I may be excused I have to go battle the kudzu, it grew another foot today.
...macs are not evil. Macs are not inherently less of a computer than a PC. I made the best decision of my life to move back to Macintosh a few months ago. OSX really does combine the ease of a mac with the power of unix. I hope that one day people will understand that it is not an either or situation with operating systems. I keep my Win box around and boot my mac into Linux all depending on the job I want to do. Quite simply what operating system you use should be determined by the task at hand.
It is somewhat akin to saying a GE refigerator can prevent a non-GE toaster in the same house to protect the homeowner. People are losing sight that a computer is a tool on which programs are loaded. No where does it say that one appliance should dictact your other appliances, nor should one piece of software dictate what other software can run.
I love my titanium glasses. Without them I would have to wrap tape around my glasses to prevent my nickel allergy from making my face bleed. So light too. Now all I need is some of this titanium jewelry.
As long as the price of windows is hidden under the price of the PC most people won't notice. How many people even know that you can supposedly get a refund for windows if you don't use it. It is the same thing as IE, other browers are free, but as long as IE comes with the computer and you can't get rid of most people won't bother looking for an alternative.
Of course, what better way to to show your support for someone you wouldn't know on the street than to post on slashdot and go and tramp on someone's server.
Anyway congratulations Rob and Kathleen. I hope you have many happy years together.
Slashdot Mirror
Now comes the point: Defamation suits of any kind are nigh impossible to win. I don't see from what was presented in the article how the plantiff can win. The article was in fact reporting actual quotes. Truth is never libel, nor are opionions. Libel must have a specific intent to be injurious and must be a knowing falshood. How on earth this case doesn't fall under one of those I can't see.
If this case is won or even if the jurisdiction is accepted and upheld it does present a grave danger to free expression on the web. Not all countries have the same standard for libel/slander.
As for other countries sueing America. Remember this is America. We never listen to international law when it doesn't suit us, but that is another discussion.
I think it is more about how they can justify a mission to non-science people.
"Hey look water! Maybe there is life there. Now can we please have the money to go? Please?"
Hopefully a real manned mission will come out of this. We've set our sights to low in the past 30 years and allowed to many choice moments to pass. After we let the Pluto mission lose its chance to study an atmosphere I had lost all hope for Nasa.
We must make a manned mission to Mars, people may talk about cost and worry over what scientific results it would have. Ignore that; go to Mars because it is there.
I hope they will bring back the SimCity 2000 ability to have riots burn down your entire metropolis. I used to have endless fun watching the rampaging proletariot storm the abodes of the fat capitalist running dog lackey bourgeoisie while screaming 'Viva la Revolution!' Until my parents yelled at me to go to sleep.
"Burn! All of you burn!"
I thought the point of the probe would be to cause as little damage and disruption as possible.
On the other hand there is nothing those wacky Nasa engineers can't do with time.
I had a moment of horror when I realized I owned one of those CDs, execpt it played fine in my G4's super drive and I already ripped it. So its not exactly very well protected is it?
I think this teaches me to look far more carefully at the labels. I do not want to toast my drive.
Warner's First Rule:
Guns, Explosives, and ACME Tornadoes never work right. They just don't/
Changning a story to give it a difference balance is if nothing else on the slightly scummy side.
If they want to add more information or change the view of the story than what they should do is:
1) Post a short summary while they still don't know all the facts.
2) On the same page, but clearly timestamped, the later facts or views.
This would allow news sites to keep their integrity and change their minds. Also, the internet is a fluid medium, the old rules of printing on paper don't apply. Dynamic stories probably take more effort but are in the end more satisfying.
At least I understand now why the offical citation for the internet includes the time downloaded to the closest second.
Not getting an answer is as important as getting one.
"Well this expirement/proof did nothing, so lets try something else."
And scientific progress moves on. Just like all the failed proofs of Fermat's Last Therom.
I admit I don't know much about the merger so feel free to take my comments with a grain of salt:
Right after all the reports about the massive money pit that is AOL and how it is hurting Time Warner why do these companies rush into mergers? And why right after the Enron and Global-Crossing fiascos is no one examining the benefits to the CEOs of the companies? While the Compaq-HP deal was announced last year there was alot of criticism about the benefits to both companies, where has it all gone? Was this a self defense merger? Were the two companies afraid that with out a merger they wouldn't be able to compete with other companies?
Well I suppose I can look foward to good printers being sold with lousy computers and less hope of HP ever having decent Mac support.
As I said, not knowing much about the deal and the two companies, feel free to ignore.
Actually retirees might be the best. They are the most likely to be isolated as a group and an online coomunity could provide a way for them to meet new friends or for those who can't get around as much any more to keep contact with people. Amittedtly there is the learning curve problem. Perhaps online communities should try to train people in their use instead of wating for people to show up. That would create money problems though....
Curse that law of unintended consequences.
Sadly Hawaii isn't the only ecosystem being disrupted by exotic species. Most island ecologies are now threatened by these invaders. Australia has its cane toads and rabbits. Zebra mussels infest the US waterways. Some idiot in the 1930s decided he would dry up the Everglades in Florida by seeding it with swamp killing trees from a plane.
:)
Invasive species destroy biodiversity and alter ecosytems beyind thier ability to cope easily. Add to that the effect of human alteration and climate shift we are rapidly losing vital species and habitat. Unfortunatly there are no easy answers. Remember the SNL skit about "The Bat Problem?"
Now if I may be excused I have to go battle the kudzu, it grew another foot today.
...macs are not evil. Macs are not inherently less of a computer than a PC.
I made the best decision of my life to move back to Macintosh a few months ago. OSX really does combine the ease of a mac with the power of unix. I hope that one day people will understand that it is not an either or situation with operating systems. I keep my Win box around and boot my mac into Linux all depending on the job I want to do. Quite simply what operating system you use should be determined by the task at hand.
It is somewhat akin to saying a GE refigerator can prevent a non-GE toaster in the same house to protect the homeowner. People are losing sight that a computer is a tool on which programs are loaded. No where does it say that one appliance should dictact your other appliances, nor should one piece of software dictate what other software can run.
I love my titanium glasses. Without them I would have to wrap tape around my glasses to prevent my nickel allergy from making my face bleed. So light too. Now all I need is some of this titanium jewelry.
I don't seem to have any problems using the classic enviornment under OSX. Try that first see if it works.
As long as the price of windows is hidden under the price of the PC most people won't notice. How many people even know that you can supposedly get a refund for windows if you don't use it. It is the same thing as IE, other browers are free, but as long as IE comes with the computer and you can't get rid of most people won't bother looking for an alternative.
Shouldn't this be spelled 'apostrophe'? ;-)
Of course, what better way to to show your support for someone you wouldn't know on the street than to post on slashdot and go and tramp on someone's server.
Anyway congratulations Rob and Kathleen. I hope you have many happy years together.