Posts by BenWilson
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I used to ask my writing students to do an exercise
Jolisa that sounds like a great idea for creative writing and just the kind of thing that wouldn't work in a clash discussion, like most discussions of controversial topics end up being.
I've long ago internalized a habit from a de Bono book about thinking about a topic, which could be summarized as "Note the For points. Note the Against points. Note anything else that's interesting. Then make a decision". It's great for thinking for oneself, but as a way of discussing with people it falls flat badly. Most likely you get picked up on one point people disagree with, and maneuvered into being their enemy. Or coopted as an ally by the other side. The idea that you can raise a point (and give it a fair shot) simply for the purposes of discussion and balance is usually seen as disingenuous, or weak.
I'm not sure if people appreciate this, but it's exactly how I try to write on PAS. Curiously, rather than being seen as a mild, centrist position (which is what I consider most of my positions to be these days), it seems to get me into arguments even more. It almost like it's the most alien mindset of all.
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I'd be surprised if it were common.
I wouldn't. I can hardly imagine an environment more likely to lead staff to the idea of dealing on the side. The few times I've been in there, and talked in euphemisms about various things, the staff seem to only have played along because they thought I felt uncomfortable being open about the purpose of the equipment. I've never actually bought hydro equipment, it was always a matter of curiosity, to see just how blatant the whole thing was. I'd be talking about growing tomatoes and so on, and they'd be smiling and tapping their noses etc, while we inspected some piece of equipment clearly designed to be hidden in a cupboard. We'd then move to the other part of the shop which was full of a vast array of devices by which to smoke our "legal herbs". Eventually I'd buy a novelty pipe to compensate them for their time.
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Ah yes. This article suggests no lessons had been learned a year later. Scary part is it could have even been a hoax. But there is no doubt that the two people mentioned were real people who got into real trouble.
This would never have happened with snail mail.
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I think there was a thought in there somewhere...
"Our own prejudices are the hardest to spot"?
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No Megan, it's on topic and worth hearing. Thanks.
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Something might get viewed a million times in 24 hours if it's interesting enough for people to email and facebook it around. That's a hell of a lot of non-privacy.
Yes, I distinctly remember a chain email in the late 90s which consisted of some girl saying that she liked the taste of her boyfriend's jizz. Her real name was in this email, and it had reached millions of people within one day. If her workplace didn't all ending up knowing, it would have been amazing.
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Yes, quite. And Tom seems dedicated enough to demand that no photos be taken when he's on the town. But should he have to?
I'm curious what his response is if anyone just says "Get stuffed. It's my camera." Does he leave? Or make a scene? Or act as if the whole world is watching?
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There is nothing new here. To my mind these are social issues that should be of no interest to law makers, not technology or legal ones.
It is best if we keep the law functioning the way it always did, sure. But new technology does make things possible/easy that previously were not. So you do have to go over the problematic cases. It was never so easy to put a picture of someone else in a public place as it is now. Not only is there the internet for dissemination but also the fact that so many more people carry at least one reasonable camera with them at all times in their phone, with ever increasing storage so more pictures are being taken too.
So the law makers do need to keep abreast of the practicalities of the present day, and the implications of technology during a time of massive technological change.
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Perhaps I'm missing something.
Me too. My browser would generally seem unique on account of the IP address it connects from.
Interesting that someone could profile my browser, so changing IPs wouldn't hide it. But obviously, changing browsers would. Or workstations. Or any single one of the settings they profile on, like the fonts or something. I'm not getting spooked just yet, not that I have anything to be spooked about anyway, considering I use my real name all the time.
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Boobquake is spreading. Rudest sex I've ever seen in a Spielberg production tonight. I'm not sure if it's ripping on Americans or Ozzies more that the 30 second orgasm was perfected.
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