03.25.06
Update on the Post’s Domenech
Ah, the truth surfaces; he’s a plagiarist:
- Washington Post Blogger Quits After Plagiarism Accusations
- A portrait of the blogger as a young plagiarist
Why anyone would think, in this day and age, that they can get away with something like this is beyond me. Especially when you’re as much a firebrand as Domenech is/was.
Here’s a bit of the right-wing flummery that I expect he would have produced had RedAmerica been able to continue:
“To my enemies: I take enormous solace in the fact that you spent this week bashing me, instead of America.” – from Red America Ends
So Domenech resigned. I understand thet the Post may hire another blogger to fill his place. Let’s hope that
- The Post vets their new candidate a little more thoroughly.
- They hire an opinion columnist from the left to balance the scales.
03.23.06
What about the rest of us?
New Blog: Red America
The Washington Post is now offering a platform for a conservative blogger, Bob Domenech, to
“offer a daily mix of commentary, analysis and cultural criticism”
Interesting that they don’t seem to value balance enough to offer a “Blue America” blog.
For what it’s worth, I don’t see anything wrong with Red America. Domenech himself says:
“…this is an opinion blog, and not a work of unbiased journalism…”
essentially defusing any illusion or pretense of objectivity in this forum. And that’s fine. In fact it’s great; if anything can show that Domenech doesn’t represent the majority of Americans it’s his words themselves.
But where’s the balance?
I call upon the Post to provide the same pulpit to a strong liberal voice as to Domenech’s conservative one.
Hooray for the “state-sponsored culture of piracy!”
BBC NEWS | Technology | Apple attacks plan to open iTunes
This is potentially a big blow for Apple, whose iTunes/iPod business model is built on its very lack of interoperability with other devices and services
Jonathan Arber, Ovum
Any company that can’t adapt to making money without resorting to breaking my ability to move my data from one place to another deserves to fold. I’m not some “open-source communist” on this idea; I have no problem with companies making money from the proprietary software they write. But if I own the data (be it text, pictures, or music) then don’t stop me from moving from one place to another. It’s one reason why I’ve never bought anything from iTunes (aside from “buying” the occasional free downloads) and never will.
03.17.06
Spam solution? Perhaps not.
Lots of really good commentary regarding the GoodMail solution and Esther Dyson’s op-ed piece in Dave’s comments. Unfortunately, aside from a brief visit from GoodMail’s founder, it’s been pretty one-sided.
This does have the feel of an answer for the privileged. For what it’s worth, I’m all for a better spam solution, but there are alternatives that can make it more difficult for the true spammers without making the rest of us bear the burden. SenderID, for all its weaknesses, comes to mind.
