I have said before that the internet has created a means by which the previously voiceless can now have a large megaphone simply by virtue of the collective action of the many. We saw how the mighty Rush Limbaugh had to issue an apology to a mere student because of the wrath unleashed upon him by huge numbers of ordinary people for his behavior towards her. This would not have happened pre-internet. [Read more…]
The great thing about the internet and blogs in particular is that it enables immediate feedback and criticism. Most authors welcome this by enabling comments but even those who do not allow comments (Andrew Sullivan at The Dish is one such prominent blogger) get rapid-fire feedback from other blogs. Once you enter the blogging world, you must expect criticism, sometimes in quite harsh terms. It simply goes with the territory. [Read more…]
In my private discussions with other bloggers about the issue of whether one should ban offensive commenters, the point was made that even if I could live with such comments, other readers may find them so offensive that they leave and never return because they think that by allowing them, the host is condoning such views. The suggestion was also made that men seem to be more comfortable with creating and being in a heated atmosphere and that if the blog host is not careful, the blog may become an exclusively male preserve. This is a serious argument that merits serious consideration. What is the blog host’s responsibility to provide a congenial environment to all who choose to visit? [Read more…]
The Daily Show takes to task the White House press corps for their focus on trivial trash-talk politics while ignoring the important issues that are right under their noses.
I have not been able to make much sense out of the Invisible Children video about Joseph Kony, except that it seems to have become a huge sensation. I had known before about Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army and their appalling treatment of whoever happens to cross their paths but was not quite sure what to make of this viral video, which I have not seen.
So I pass along without comment this commentary on the phenomenon by Charlie Brooker.
Boing Boing has more.
I have noticed something that is becoming increasingly common. After a politician says something pandering to appeal to some constituency, and is then quoted those words back and asked to explain it to a different constituency that may not share the same sympathies, the politician simply says that the quoted words had been “taken out of context”. [Read more…]
When I returned to Sri Lanka after competing my doctorate, I splurged some of our meager savings on my dream of owning a full set of the Encyclopedia Britannica, although it was really expensive. I used to enjoy looking things up and skimming through the pages. Unfortunately the turmoil in Sri Lanka in 1983 caused us to leave abruptly and leave all our stuff behind, so after enjoying the books for just a little over a year, I gave it away to friends with deep regret. [Read more…]
I do not pay much attention to Rush Limbaugh. As far as I know, he has never said anything insightful and his shtick seems to be, like Ann Coulter, to say outrageous things just to gain attention. I usually just ignore them but his recent outburst against Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke, repeatedly calling her a slut and a prostitute, was quite extraordinary. I didn’t think that even he would sink so low. [Read more…]
The news that some neutrinos may travel faster than the speed of light caused a sensation when it broke in September of last year.
Like many physicists who have lived through similar reports in the past, my reaction was one of skepticism, both of the claim and [Read more…]