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If You Don't Want People To Know About Stuff, Maybe Don't Put A Press Release On Your Website With The Info

from the just-a-tip dept

Wed, Jul 1st 2009 7:12am — Mike Masnick

Reader jprlk alerts us to the amusing news that Carleton University apparently put a press release on its website with all of the details concerning an upcoming visit by the Emperor and Empress of Japan... and opened it up by saying:

The Government of Japan respectfully requests that media outlets do not report on specific details, including exact times, prior to the events. Thank you for your cooperation.

Someone, apparently, isn't quite aware of the way the web works. When you put that info on the web yourself, Carleton University, you've already "reported on the specific details, including exact times, prior to the event." The University has since pulled the press release, but it's too late, as it's been picked up by the local press. As you can see, the blog post above summarizes the situation nicely:

So I guess the message from Carleton is that they'll put stuff on their website, but SHHHHHH! nobody else is to say anything.

Welcome to the internet, Carleton University.

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Filed Under: press release, secrecy
Companies: careleton university

21 Comments

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John Doe, 1 Jul 2009 @ 7:21am

Maybe they are smarter than you think?
Maybe they used a little reverse psychology to get the word out? Maybe they were told not to publish the info so they did but told everyone to keep quiet knowing they wouldn't. Then when work got out that a high profile visitor was coming, they could say "oops". :)
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John Doe, 1 Jul 2009 @ 7:22am

One more thing...
Maybe they were using the Streisand effect? :)
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Dark Helmet (profile), 1 Jul 2009 @ 7:22am

Well
Well, to be fair, how smart do you expect an institution of high education named after the Fresh Prince's cousin to be?
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Rebel Freek (profile), 1 Jul 2009 @ 7:53am

Re: Well
I wonder if they were told to give out info on the visit, then not give out the info at all...
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minijedimaster (profile), 1 Jul 2009 @ 8:11am

Re: One more thing...
Maybe they're just that dumb? :)
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Jul 2009 @ 8:34am

Either that or if the Japanese are being paranoid the university was feed a false timetable to publish then removed as `proof` its the real one
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Crassly indifferent vs stupid, 1 Jul 2009 @ 9:11am

Mike you are a Jerk
Mike Masnick:
I know that you cannot pass up the opportunity to point out how stupid someone else is. And sure - Carleton University was pretty dumb to post that information on the internet, especially when they were respectfully asked by the Government of Japan not to post time specific details. Of course some people are completely oblivious to the security concerns of attempting to protect a foreign dignitary. On the other hand, YOU were obviously completely aware of all of these issues, and despite that fact still choose to send out this information via RSS to the world, before any of these events took place. Mike, do you think you could have published the "Ha Ha, Isn't Carleton Stupid" article after the Emperor left? Yes, Carleton and the local news outlets were dumb to run with this story. You, being aware of all of the implications of your irresponsible actions are not stupid, just crassly indifferent.
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bob from bob's wholesale fish and meat market, 1 Jul 2009 @ 9:36am

Re: Mike you are a Jerk
no, you are a jerk
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rwahrens (profile), 1 Jul 2009 @ 9:38am

Re: Mike you are a Jerk
And your assumption is that Mike/Tech Dirt's circulation is somehow greater or wider than the local newspapers?

Maybe it is, but the point is in his article - ONCE IT'S ON THE WEB, IT'S OUT THERE. You seem to have missed it...
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Javelin, 1 Jul 2009 @ 9:54am

Re: relevance
My short list on this subject:
1. That's nice...
2. Where is Carlton University?
3. Why do I care?
4. If not me then WHO?
5. Did I say "so what"?
6. Is the Emperial entourage worried someone might show up?
7. Is the Emperial entourage worried someone might NOT show up?
8. If you assume everyone is stupid, you are never disappointed.
9. No offense intended ;)
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Jul 2009 @ 10:12am

Re: Mike you are a Jerk
I agree. You didn't need to re-post the details did you?
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Another AC, 1 Jul 2009 @ 10:34am

He didn't post the details
He merely linked to them.
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Jul 2009 @ 10:48am

Re: Mike you are a Jerk
Well welcome to the internet little fellow! Now you see in these parts there's all sorts of people crawling around and most of them will claim to have fornicated with your mother. Now keep a sharp eye out and be careful where you go and just remember when someone jumps up and calls you or anyone else stupid on the internet they are screaming into a hurricane made of obscenities and sodomy.
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ChimpBush McHitlerBurton, 1 Jul 2009 @ 11:45am

Re: He didn't post the details
Yeah, jerko, he just *linked to them*

oops, isn't that copyright infringement?
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Dark Helmet (profile), 1 Jul 2009 @ 1:43pm

Re: Re: Mike you are a Jerk
"Now you see in these parts there's all sorts of people crawling around and most of them will claim to have fornicated with your mother. Now keep a sharp eye out and be careful where you go and just remember when someone jumps up and calls you or anyone else stupid on the internet they are screaming into a hurricane made of obscenities and sodomy."

Dude, I totally fornicated with that guys mother, you stupid ass-fucker.
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Luke, 1 Jul 2009 @ 1:51pm

Re: Re: Re: Mike you are a Jerk
Dad,

Stop posting on the same blogs as I do.
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Jul 2009 @ 2:44pm

Re: Mike you are a Jerk
Wow, what a mess of hate and venom.

I think what you fail to realize is that the information is already out there. The horse is gone, the dam has burst, Timmy is in the well and Lassie can't get him out. Am I making any sense here, hello, hello?

I think you have a valid point, but, really, does it matter at this point? The information is out there and no amount of "pleeze?" is going to make it come back home. Perhaps someone will read this, realize that "Oh, we were going to do the same thing!!!1!" and then, not do it.

'k? Now don't be hatin' on the peeps, mkay?
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Mike Masnick (profile), 1 Jul 2009 @ 5:48pm

Re: Mike you are a Jerk
Heh. Blame the messenger much? I did not release, post or share the details. Carleton University did, after which the local press did. I simply discussed the situation.

If you cannot understand the difference between someone talking about the issue and revealing the information, I'm not quite sure how to respond to you.

I may or may not be a jerk. But if you are going to accuse me of being a jerk for revealing such info, you might want to make sure I actually revealed such info.
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Crassly indifferent vs stupid, 2 Jul 2009 @ 5:47am

Re: Re: Mike you are a Jerk
Mike - you linked to the posting - and pointed everyone in the right direction in case they wanted to get the details. (simply discussed, Ha!) Wasn't that one of the points of your article? Here let me quote you..."Someone, apparently, isn't quite aware of the way the web works." When you use your website and RSS feed to link to another web page, Mike Masnick, internet users are likely to follow that link to the information on that page. When saying you did not "release, post, or share the details", are you being dishonest, do you actually not know how the internet works, or are you just trying to minimize any responsibility for your actions?

And Mike, why would you say "If you cannot understand the difference...". Isn't it obvious that I can tell the difference. As I said in my earlier post, the people at Carleton likely made a dumb mistake. I distinguished that from your actions which were made with full understanding of the ramifications - you just didn't care. Perhaps like some of the other people who posted comments, your take is that once information is out, the actual number of people who see the information is not relevant. I suspect the security detail for the Emperor has a different take.

I know, waiting a day or two to report on this HOT story would have required a bit of forethought, or empathy, or just a basic understanding of how the internet works. As you were ridiculing Carlton for their lack of forethought and basic understanding of how the internet works, I am thinking you have those two areas covered.
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Jul 2009 @ 8:28am

Re: Re: Re: Mike you are a Jerk
Brilliantly ignoring the fact that this information was officially released 6 days ago...
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Mike Masnick (profile), 2 Jul 2009 @ 11:53am

Re: Re: Re: Mike you are a Jerk
When saying you did not "release, post, or share the details", are you being dishonest, do you actually not know how the internet works, or are you just trying to minimize any responsibility for your actions?

Ok, let's try this again: I DID NOT RELEASE the info. Others did. I wrote about that as the story. It's newsworthy. That's why I wrote about it.

I'm not sure why you have so much trouble understanding such a basic concept. THE INFO IS OUT THERE. Me telling people doesn't change that.

I honestly cannot understand how you think my posting about a story that OTHERS HAD ALREADY WRITTEN ABOUT is somehow wrong.

My job is to tell the story. Not to hide information because someone might not like it.
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