Rose M. Welch's Favorite Techdirt Posts Of The Week

from the critical-thinking-for-a-critical-time dept

Sat, Dec 18th 2010 12:00pm — Rose M. Welch

Last week, we kicked off a new experiment with one of our community members highlight their favorite posts of the week, having Dark Helmet compile the inaugural list. The feature was quite well received, so we're going to keep it going. This week, we've asked prolific commenter Rose M. Welch for her favorite posts.

I decided to focus on examples of what I love most about Techdirt, namely, the abundance of posts that employ critical thinking.

The bastions of critical thinking -- which include logic, clarity, and context -- are generally absent from mainstream news sources, which tend to strive for outrage, scorn, or whatever they think is going to get the most page views. Techdirt moves in the opposite direction, providing a thoughtful analysis of each topic, without regard for popular opinion.

With that being said, here are my favorite stories of the week, one from each day, plus an extra so I'd have at least one more blurb than Dark Helmet. :)

Monday: Congressional Research Service Notes That There Are Serious Challenges To Charging Assange

In 1791, our leaders introduced a series of limitations on the power of our government to restrict our natural rights. First and foremost among these rights were freedom of speech and a free press. Almost immediately, the battle for these rights began with the likes of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison arguing unsuccessfully against limits on our limits. We gained traction in the 1970s, spurring 40 years of free speech and free press triumphs. People like me, who have only seen victory, sometimes need a kick in the pants to see how quickly those natural rights could disappear under a cloud of outrage. This post thoughtfully provides at least a nudge in that direction.
Tuesday: Author Slams 'Piracy,' Then Admits To A Huge 'Pirated' Music Collection And Counterfeit Purses

The focus of this post is a Norwegian author, who protests piracy while owning a large collection of counterfeit handbags and infringing mp3s. The author states that the "genuine Prada bags have... an inflated price," but fails to understand that her feelings and actions are the exact feelings and actions of the 'pirates' that she disdains.

I've seen this double standard so often that it's become easy to dismiss the people who make them. Unfortunately, each of these cases highlights the fact that this kind of cloudy thinking is normal and is something that we should respond to with education, rather than with cynical dismissal.
Wednesday: Battling Wikileaks And The Art Of War

This post is the epitome of critical thinking. When a sci-fi author and a guy who died over two thousand years ago can out-think our government, there's a problem. The trouble is obviously a lack of logic, clarity, and context, which our representatives have replaced with outrage, obfuscation, and a downright lack of understanding. Also, I ♥ The Art of War.
Thursday: Congressional Hearing On Wikileaks Surprisingly Focuses More On Gov't Overly Secretive Actions

I was heartened to hear many of our representatives espouse a principle near and dear to my heart: Transparency. As many speakers noted, much of the classified information should not have been classified which led to a healthy discussion of what should be secret.

Of course, the post also noted that many of our representatives want to have their cake and eat it, too. In this case, many of the speakers advocated for transparency and then argued for the prosecution of a single person, Julian Assange, with a single entity, Wikileaks, that published classified information, out of the multiple entities, including the New York Times and the Washington Post, that published the same information.

If you only read one post about these leaks, this should be it.
Friday: Homeland Security Presents 'Evidence' For Domain Seizures; Proves It Knows Little About The Internet - Or The Law

This post outlines some of the more glaring issues with the affidavit and warrants used to seize several domains during Thanksgiving. The affidavit confirmed Immigration and Customs Enforcement's earlier admission that they just seized what Hollywood told them to seize, with no thought or consideration. Hollywood's least likely dream had magically come true and even linking to possibly infringing content is criminal infringement. Yikes.

The most horrifying thing isn't that our immigration officials are wasting time on an issue that they clearly don't understand, but that a federal judge, a person presumably well-educated in the law whose purpose is to weed out bad warrants, literally rubber-stamped this one.
Extra Blurb: Comic Artist Dylan Horrocks Explains How Copyright Is Too Often Used To Kill Culture

This post begins with Techdirt complimenting an essay by a cartoonist who recently criticized Techdirt, which warms my logical heart. The post and essay note some of the more significant issues with the copyright system in the U.S. and manages to do so with comic book references. This post was chock-full of intellectual mana for my geeky soul.

^^That's it. :)

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38 Comments

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Rose M. Welch (profile), 18 Dec 2010 @ 11:26am

LOL
^^That's it. :)

^^This part was to let you know that the above text was the submission, not to be included in the submission. :P
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Dec 2010 @ 12:08pm

All of this makes me remember why home schooling isn't always the best idea. But carry on.
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The Infamous Joe (profile), 18 Dec 2010 @ 12:24pm

Schemer Owl
I'm on to you.
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Mike Masnick (profile), 18 Dec 2010 @ 12:43pm

Re: LOL
I figured, but it actually seemed like a nice way to close... so I left it in.
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johnjac (profile), 18 Dec 2010 @ 12:48pm

Re: LOL
Good List!

Many of the same reasons I like TechDirt

^^That's it
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johnjac (profile), 18 Dec 2010 @ 12:49pm

Re: Re: LOL
Mike,

Keep this going, please. I like the little something extra on Saturdays
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The Infamous Joe (profile), 18 Dec 2010 @ 1:18pm

Re: Schemer Owl
These posts are neat, but don't exactly inspire much commentary.
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Rose M. Welch (profile), 18 Dec 2010 @ 1:47pm

Re: Re: LOL
Oh, I see. :)
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Rose M. Welch (profile), 18 Dec 2010 @ 1:49pm

Re: Re: Schemer Owl
That's what I thought last week, until my husband took a look and actually read a few of the articles. I think being able to read a blurb made him more happy to click through and read the whole post, as opposed to just seeing lengthy posts with intimidating legal documents. :P
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Rose M. Welch (profile), 18 Dec 2010 @ 1:50pm

Re:
You know you're doin' it right when you have Internet stalkers. :)
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The Infamous Joe (profile), 18 Dec 2010 @ 2:04pm

Re: Re: Re: Schemer Owl
Hmm, maybe. I find that I can stop reading at any time, so the length of an article doesn't bother me, personally.

That's just me, though.

Also, I meant that it didn't inspire commentary on this site.. in the comments section. Because if I wanted to comment on one of your picks I would just go do it on the article itself. We need a way to spice up these "picks" posts.

PS- Figure out the title of this comment, yet? :) (I was bored.)
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Hephaestus (profile), 18 Dec 2010 @ 2:20pm

Everything I have done in IP for the past two years ,,,
Chaos Theory is a fun subject, so is profiling, so is data modeling, and so is pushing peoples buttons. Over the next year or so expect the following.

1) Serious backlash againsts IP and IP enforcement.
2) Laws on the books reguarding privacy.
3) Removal of the DNS system from the US governments control.
4) Pharma costs being looked at. (Think Sherman Act)

Well, merry christmas to all ... and its beeen a good fight!
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Dark Helmet (profile), 18 Dec 2010 @ 2:23pm

Nicely done.
I like your choices, although I think it would have been better to list the third story near the top, so that it can bless the rest of the lesser posts with its glorious light-warmth....

God I love rum in my eggnog....
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Hephaestus (profile), 18 Dec 2010 @ 2:29pm

Re: Everything I have done in IP for the past two years ,,,
sorry wrong blog ...
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Jay (profile), 18 Dec 2010 @ 4:03pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Schemer Owl
I figure, if we see how many people are linking to the articles in all of the shared ways, it may just be that the commentary is happening elsewhere, but eventually leads back to Techdirt.

Anyway to check and see how many people linked to Dark Helmet's blurb and see if it actually increased links to other articles?
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interval (profile), 18 Dec 2010 @ 4:40pm

Re: Nicely done.
Rum, yesss... lusers usually put brandy... yuukkk
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interval (profile), 18 Dec 2010 @ 4:41pm

Re: Re: Re: Schemer Owl
Say... your hubby's first name isn't Terry, is it?
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ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 18 Dec 2010 @ 5:19pm

Re: Re: Re: LOL
I predict everyone will be closing their favorite posts posts like that....
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Rose M. Welch (profile), 18 Dec 2010 @ 7:15pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Schemer Owl
No, it's Chad. :)
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Rose M. Welch (profile), 18 Dec 2010 @ 7:17pm

Re: Nicely done.
Brandy in mine...
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Freak, 18 Dec 2010 @ 8:39pm

Re: Re: Nicely done.
Luser :p

Here, I have a good litre or so left of this Screech, it'll be making some proper eggnog at the proper ratio: 1 part rum:2 parts other ingredients.

If it were possible, I'd insist you try some :p

On a more serious note, I think you're exactly right about the Norwegian author with counterfeit purses. It's far too easy to simply rest on, (what you believe to be), the right side of an argument inside of trying to fix the problem, or even keep examining it long enough to recognize what the real problem is, or where its roots lie.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Dec 2010 @ 12:12am

Neato
I came here to read a love note from Mike to Dark Helmet. What I got was a substantive article from Rose that summarized Mike's previous week's articles, and one from Dark Helmet.

I know I should expect these mind tricks from Rose, but it's infuriating thinking that Mike would claim credit for the post and place the article under his own name; but only by reading it do you find the author is actually Rose.
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Rose M. Welch (profile), 19 Dec 2010 @ 1:53am

Re: Neato
...only by reading it do you find the author is actually Rose.

The title didn't give it away? :)
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Fsm, 19 Dec 2010 @ 3:23am

Re: Re: Re: Nicely done.
3 parts rum, 0 parts other ingredients.

That's how I like my eggnog.
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Dark Helmet (profile), 19 Dec 2010 @ 5:27am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Nicely done.
I'm pretty sure that's the base recipe for grog, not eggnog....
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Dark Helmet (profile), 19 Dec 2010 @ 5:47am

Re: Neato
"I know I should expect these mind tricks from Rose, but it's infuriating thinking that Mike would claim credit for the post and place the article under his own name;"

That's a really dumb, bad attempt at trolling. I mean....the title man, look at the title....
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Freak, 19 Dec 2010 @ 6:45am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Nicely done.
A proper grog at least has lime in it, so you don't get scurvy.
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The Infamous Joe (profile), 19 Dec 2010 @ 6:46am

Re: Re: Neato
Trolls even here, in the cheeky weekend post comments? Very sad.
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The Infamous Joe (profile), 19 Dec 2010 @ 6:48am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Schemer Owl
Its an anagram of Rose's name, dammit. So sad, am I. :)
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Jeffro Troll, 19 Dec 2010 @ 8:29am

Jeff From Nike
That one Jeff guy that Church Chatted with on Comment 86 sounds sexy.
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Dark Helmet (profile), 19 Dec 2010 @ 9:02am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Nicely done.
Actually, according to three esteemed pirates on a certain Island that is managed by Governor Marley, the ingredients of proper Grog are as follows:

The Ingredients of Grog:-

Kerosene
Propylene Glycol
Artificial Sweeteners
Sulphuric Acid
Rum
Acetone
Red Dye No 2
Scumm
Axle Grease
Battery Acid
and/or pepperoni

mmmmmm!
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someone (profile), 19 Dec 2010 @ 9:42am

Re: Re: Neato
"I mean....the title man, look at the title...." --Dark Helmet

Says the man that thought "Mr. Coffee" was "Mr. Radar"
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Rose M. Welch (profile), 19 Dec 2010 @ 12:50pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Schemer Owl
Really?

Damn, I thought it was a political or pop-culture reference that I just wasn't getting. Drove me nuts. :P

Well played, sir.
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Rose M. Welch (profile), 19 Dec 2010 @ 12:54pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Nicely done.
Grog has alot of water, and usually some lime.
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Mike Masnick (profile), 19 Dec 2010 @ 3:53pm

Re: Re: Neato
The title didn't give it away? :)

My bad, too. I'd meant to have it go up under your name. That's now been fixed.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Dec 2010 @ 5:22pm

Re: Re: Neato
You see, I'm blind and there's a problem with my TTS software where it doesn't recognize titles at Techdirt for some reason. It must be a malformed HTML tag. I'll have someone look into it.
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Rose M. Welch (profile), 19 Dec 2010 @ 7:00pm

Re: Re: Re: Neato
Also, why would you expect mind tricks from me?

Not Jedi, am I.
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anindito, 20 Dec 2010 @ 1:06am

the art of war
In an era where information becomes a force to attack, then all efforts to obtain information and to keep the information does not become useless, conducted at all institutions, whether state or large corporations.
the art of war book written by Sun Tzu thousands of years ago, it's all been explained.
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