German Chancellor Says Only Print Media Can Teach You 'Real' Reading

from the smelly-logic dept

Thu, Nov 29th 2012 3:40am — Glyn Moody

Angela Merkel may be Germany's Chancellor, and therefore a busy woman, but since she trained as a chemist , you might expect her to have a more positive view about new technology than this statement from a recent interview (original video in German), reported by the Netzpolitik blog, would suggest:

I regard the print media as very important. Being able to read is quite another thing from being on the Internet -- something that naturally will grow, and increase in importance. Nonetheless, the ability to read is something very, very important. And therefore I hope that, alongside the strong development of all the new media, all the well-known newspapers, the print media, the magazines, have a good future.

What's strange here is that the vast majority of those newspapers and magazines publish all or most of their articles online as well as in printed versions. The words are identical, so what magic ingredient does Frau Merkel think is missing online? It can't be the readability, since digital versions are arguably more legible, thanks to the ability to change the print size for those whose eyesight is not what it was.

The only real difference is that online versions are insubstantial, simply an image on a screen, while printed versions consist of ink on paper. Maybe her comment does, in fact, reflect her past as a chemist, and what she secretly misses is that characteristic odor of printing inks. Perhaps she just needs a iSmell Personal Scent Synthesizer device or equivalent.

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Filed Under: angela merkel, digital, germany, reading

62 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 3:59am

ALONGSIDE = "ONLY" !!!!
alongside the strong development of all the new media, all the well-known newspapers, the print media, the magazines, have a good future.

wow masnick, this is a stretch even for you !!!!!

you've managed to convert ALONGSIDE to ONLY..

seems the Germans have a better command of english than you do !!!!..
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 4:05am

About chemistry Lamar Smith is being considered to be chair of the Science, Space and Technology house committee(holy c.! why so many double letters in a word?)

Quote:
"Mr_raccoon sez, "Remember Lamar Smith (the guy who tried to pass off SOPA as being good for the internet)? Well there is a lot of talk about his chairing the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. The GOP is set to vote on this today. This is like making an arsonist the fire-chief.""

http://boingboing.net/2012/11/28/sopas-daddy-lamar-smith-to.html

About the fraulein though, I don't know if she knows that on the internet almost everything is written, people have to read it. Personally I started reading a lot more since the internetz came along.

Maybe she is sad because the language used on the web is not the same language used in books, sometimes I believe the internet has created an entirely different dialect.
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FuzzyDuck, 29 Nov 2012 @ 4:12am

Re: ALONGSIDE = "ONLY" !!!!
Come on, can we have Techdirt articles based on something else than arguably misinterpretated words please?

"I hope that, alongside the strong development of all the new media, all the well-known newspapers, the print media, the magazines, have a good future."

She's not referring to print media only, she also mentions newspapers and magazines (she doesn't exclude their online presence), print media is just one of the things she mentions.

Quite obviously she's referring to written media in general and says that written media is important. Now you can quibble about her choice of words, but I'd agree that written media is important whether online or offline.
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PaulT (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 4:12am

Re: ALONGSIDE = "ONLY" !!!!
"wow masnick, this is a stretch even for you !!!!!"

Not really, if you bothered to read the full quote rather than the part you cherry picked in order to attack someone - yet again, someone who didn't write the article you were attacking.
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Zakida Paul (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 4:13am

Re: ALONGSIDE = "ONLY" !!!!
Did you even look at who actually wrote the article? If you can't even get that right, why would we put any stock in your comment?
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 4:14am

Re: ALONGSIDE = "ONLY" !!!!
Heh, commenter who doesn't understand how to use capital letters, uses punctuation like a texting 12 year old and thinks "Glyn Moody" spells "Mike Masnick" is criticizing someone else's grasp of English. Funny.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 4:19am

The cynic in me says that this is preparing the ground for charging Internet companies to subsidize the legacy print industries.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 4:21am

Re: Re: ALONGSIDE = "ONLY" !!!!
I cherry picked the important statement, and pointed out that what Merkal said is the opposite to what Masnick is claiming she said.

HE LIED, and posted the proof of that lie !

and I did read it all, the first part was about reading in general, saying basically being able to read is more imporatant that being on the internet, and she is right.

The word ONLY is certainly not the same as ALONGSIDE, masnick did not only cherry pick that makes the statement that is a lie to what was actually said.

disgusting conduct Masnick.. even for you..
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 4:23am

Re: Re: ALONGSIDE = "ONLY" !!!!
who fucking cares, they are all little masnick clones, and it's masnicks site, he posted it, even if he did not write it..

so he's posted a comment third hand, and did not even have the balls to put his own name to it...

Masnick would not have allowed it to be posted, if he had any doubts about it's accuracy..

twice as bad..
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 4:30am

Re:
she is saying the exact opposite !!!..

what did she say..

ALONGSIDE the NEW MEDIA, the other media's are going to do just fine..

how is that preparing the ground for a subsidization ??

she is saying the legacy industries are doing ok, and wont go away..

you're like masnick and his trolls cannot seem to understand english !!! and it's probably the only language you know !!!..

And therefore I hope that, alongside the strong development of all the new media, all the well-known newspapers, the print media, the magazines, have a good future.

so you dont understand ALONGSIDE and HAVE A GOOD FUTURE ??

what are they teaching you in schools these days ??

the cynic in me says you have massive problems where you are. sadly.
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Yogi, 29 Nov 2012 @ 4:33am

Dinosaur
I am glad that Merkel appreciates the art of reading - I recommend that she read up on the concept of "dinosaur". I also think that someone on her staff under the age of 60 should take her on a field trip to the INTERNETS so that she can see for herself the intricate setup of tubes that transmit information which no one can read because its not on paper...
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PaulT (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 4:37am

Re: Re: Re: ALONGSIDE = "ONLY" !!!!
"HE LIED, and posted the proof of that lie !"

No, he didn't. A guy named Glyn Moody expressed his *opinion*, which is based on words other than the ones you're using to launch your attack. Masnick had nothing to do with it other than allowing Moody to write on his site, and had written exactly ZERO of the words you're attacking.

"and I did read it all, the first part was about reading in general, saying basically being able to read is more imporatant that being on the internet, and she is right."

So, it's impossible to learn to read read via the internet and other electronic media? Or are you saying that traditional media is more important and the only valid way to read - you know, the interpretation of those words that Glyn was addressing and which you chose to ignore in your attack?

"disgusting conduct Masnick.. even for you.."

Still too stupid to read the byline, let alone the damn article, huh?
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PaulT (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 4:40am

Re: Re:
There are pills you can get for that, you know. Help is at hand, you don't have to make a public mockery of yourself just because you're too scared to see a psychiatrist.
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Zakida Paul (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 4:41am

Re: Re: Re: ALONGSIDE = "ONLY" !!!!
Well, when you are going to attack the accuracy of an article, you damn well get the author right or you invalidate your whole comment, you idiot.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 4:46am

Lets break it down for the slower of you

"you might expect her to have a more positive view about new technology than this statement from a recent interview"

(that is the comment by the author on the statement)..
Lie no.1

TRUE STATEMENT:
the Internet -- something that naturally will grow, and increase in importance.

So the above statement IS NOT A POSITIVE VIEW !!!! is it a negative view ?? is it a neutral view?
Sounds quite positive to me!

I regard the print media as very important

Good for her, she has a personal opinion, she did not say "the government regards the print media as very important".

She said "(in my opinion) I regard the print.......important"

"I also regard being able to read is more important than being on the net"..

Good point, not much you can do on the net if you cannot read, and reading is more important than the net, than print media and most other things.. she said being able to read it really important..

True Statement indeed.

What's strange here is that the vast majority of those newspapers and magazines publish all or most of their articles online as well as in printed versions.

What do you mean ALONGSIDE !!!!!!

oh no,, "AS WELL AS" that must not mean the same thing as ALONGSIDE !!! HAHAHAHA

"The words are identical"

NO THEY ARE NOT,

ALONGSIDE is not ONLY, but "as well as" is not ALONGSIDE

the words being identical would mean they are ALONGSIDE !! would it not ?

in fact would you be able to point out were in fact her claimed BIAS resides ? if the IS any bias it would be in the fact that she regards being able to read higher (personally) than being able to be on the internet.

she is positive able the new media's and says they will grow, and she is positive about the legacy industries saying that they have a good future.

again, the author of this article has set out to show something that is not true, and to try to gain some points for your "cause". But this is going TOO FAR even for TD.

again, it's pretty bad, bordering on liableous
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 4:51am

Re:
"Liableous"? Perhaps Merkel will suify Mr Moody.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 4:56am

Re: Re: Re: ALONGSIDE = "ONLY" !!!!
Please stop highjacking the articles on this site with this nonsense. Do you stay awake and glued to the computer all day and night so that you can pounce and get your comment in before everyone else? Are there no soap operas or sitcoms you could watch and yell at instead?

I wish people would stop answering the troll who constantly haunts this column. And I say "the troll" instead of trolls, plural, because they do all seem to be the same individual, speaking of clones. His sole job in life seems to be driving people away from reading comments here by spewing nonsensical crap. I'm so tired of it.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 4:57am

Re: Re:
You realise, of course, that Germany are about to enact pay to link law?

Merkel obviously agrees with this.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 4:59am

Re: Re:
You mean Mike right?
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 5:01am

Re:
AC You need to dig up to get out of this hole NOT carry on digging down!
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Reality Check, 29 Nov 2012 @ 5:02am

Re: Re: ALONGSIDE = "ONLY" !!!!
Obviously he didn't read enough print media as a kid. Probably learned reading on the internet.
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The Groove Tiger (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 5:06am

Re: Re:
Oh do shut up darryl.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 5:10am

obviously more important to kill off trees to make the paper than just erase the print from a screen. so much for the 'Green' outlook that the EU tries to put out
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 5:18am

Or perhaps she's just a luddite.
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DannyB (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 5:22am

Stone(d) Tablets
> I regard the print media as very important. Being able to read
> is quite another thing from being on the Internet -- something
> that naturally will grow, and increase in importance. Nonetheless,
> the ability to read is something very, very important. And
> therefore I hope that, alongside the strong development of all
> the new media, all the well-known newspapers, the print media,
> the magazines, have a good future.

I regard the Stone Tablets media as very important. Being able to read
is quite another thing from reading from a printing press -- something
that naturally will grow, and increase in importance. Nonetheless,
the ability to read is something very, very important. And
therefore I hope that, alongside the strong development of the
printing press, all the well-known stone tablets, papyrus rolls,
and laboriously hand-copied books, have a good future.
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gorehound (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 5:22am

I do not own one Digital Book or File and I fully Support owning physical products only.
Go ahead and call me a Dinosaur as I do not care.
For one thing I personally have a Library of close to 1500 Books and original pulp magazines.

A. My Son is my heir and will Inherit my Appraised Library worth over 16 Grand.If these were all Digital he would inherit NOTHING.And worth NOTHING

B.I own books that are worth between $5 all the way to $1200.
Many True Hardcover 1ST Editions and very Rare old Paperbacks like Avons,Pocket Books, Ace Doubles, Beacon,Pyramid, ETC.

I refuse to buy Digital Files and would always want to Own My Stuff.I am not paying for valueless DRM Files.
EVER !!!
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DannyB (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 5:24am

It's not the medium that matters
It's not the medium that matters. It's the writing. What makes/made printed media worth reading was the writing not the fact that it was delivered in dead tree format. Whether delivered by pixels or even direct transfer into the brain, it is the writing that matters. It is a question of whether someone has something worthwhile to say, and whether it is worth reading. The medium of communication is unimportant.
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Bayan Rafeh (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 5:33am

Re: Re: ALONGSIDE = "ONLY" !!!!
What he means is that it's perfectly acceptable for the print form of media to die, just as copying books by hand died out when the printing press was invented.
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PaulT (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 5:43am

Re:
Your opinion and it's as valid as anybody else's, but I would point out 2 things:

1. Your library represents an investment to you and that's great. However, most people who read will largely own mass produced paperbacks, which will be read once and discarded/resold when finished. For those people, digital books are equally valid and perhaps more valuable (I don't have to pay extra for my hold luggage if I pack a few more books in my Kindle, for example).

While you're clearly a book lover and collector, pretending that most others will share your opinion is something else entirely. For many people, cheap, portable and easy access to a wide range of titles is more important than having a pretty hardback that may increase in value over time.

2. Many eBooks exist that don't involve any kind of DRM, and the value of such files can be measured in other ways than their financial worth.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 5:53am

This is exactly why I hope she gets replaced at next elections. Also, is the Pirate Party doing anything to take advantage of this latest development with Google and having to pay for headlines? I haven't heard anything about the German Pirate Party lately. Did they just implode after the last scandal?
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btrussell (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 5:56am

Re: Re:
Wouldn't he let her blow him?
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Not an Electronic Rodent (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 6:08am

Re: It's not the medium that matters
Which is exactly what Mr Moody is pointing out - that Ms. Merkel seems to see a difference between print and online media despite both often containing the same words and therefore having the same "reading worth" as you say.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 6:09am

Perhaps she was thinking that being online is means using those much maligned abbreviations found mostly in SMS texting, whereas reading involves old school proper grammar and such. If true, this would point out that she has no clue.
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silverscarcat (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 6:12am

Re: Re: Re: ALONGSIDE = "ONLY" !!!!
Um, AC, did you miss the part that it was the German Chancellor that said that, not Mike or Glyn?

Because, it seems to me, that you missed that part.
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Zakida Paul (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 6:20am

Re:
She really doesn't. I have seen novels and reference books where the spelling and grammar are atrocious and my spelling and grammar has improved just by posting on forums. It still isn't great but it was worse.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 6:36am

Re: Re:
It is a shame when the leaders of countries are so far out of touch with their constituents that communication is near impossible.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 6:48am

she is simply stating the obvious.. paper is the number one medium in which any person, anywhere can obtain.. at least, much easier than a computer, a network connection, or having electricity for that matter
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Michael, 29 Nov 2012 @ 6:56am

Re:
I'll add something else.

Your collection sounds great. I hope you are keeping it in a climate-controlled environment that is keeping these precious physical books from degrading. It would be nice if you did not have the expense of keeping such an environment to house your huge collection. It is unfortunate that, some day, your vast collection of knowledge is going to end up a very large pile of useless dust.
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BentFranklin (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 7:44am

Re: Re: Re: Re: ALONGSIDE = "ONLY" !!!!
Which is why when a post becomes hidden they should hide all the responses too. When you click to expose the original troll post it can easily expose all the responses then.
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BentFranklin (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 7:49am

Re:
This.

Not everyone has always-on mobile broadband at their fingertips. Even those who can afford it all might benefit from a lesson in how fragile our electronic systems really are, just in terms of energy supply if nothing else.

Electronics will always be, and should always be, built upon and extending physical and biological systems, not replacing them entirely.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 8:21am

Re: Re:
His collection is likely to last longer than any existing digital collection in private hands. Unless copied onto new media at regular intervals, and if necessary into a new file format, digital collections expire rather rapidly.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 8:57am

Re: Re:
No, please let him dig his own grave. Once it collapses upon itself and fills in we can all get some peace and quiet.
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FuzzyDuck, 29 Nov 2012 @ 9:15am

Re: Re: Re: ALONGSIDE = "ONLY" !!!!
Glynn said that Merkel said ONLY PRINT media, but print media was just one of the items she listed. She never said ONLY PRINT. It might be wishful thinking that print media will survive, but that's not the issue we are discussing.

There's just no story in Merkel's quote. She basically says nothing of substance. She hopes both the new and the old will thrive. Well that's very nice of her. Next.
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sniperdoc (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 9:36am

Worthless techdirt article
Considering that the techdirt article actually listed no sources and was rather opinionated I'm thinking Merkel is pretty much dead on, if one refers to print media being more articulate and actual journalism.

The Techdirt article author mentions that print and digital media are identical. This is usually far from the truth as reputable publications such as Reuters, NBC or Times sometimes have drastically different digital articles than their print media and a lot of times the quality of work is drastically lower, i.e. grammatical and spelling errors, than the print media.
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Mr. Applegate, 29 Nov 2012 @ 11:03am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: ALONGSIDE = "ONLY" !!!!
+10,000,000

Please!!!! and thank you!
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fb39ca4 (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 11:38am

If he feels that strongly he can always print out an online article.
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PaulT (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 12:13pm

Re: Worthless techdirt article
"if one refers to print media being more articulate and actual journalism."

Maybe it's because I grew up with British tabloids, but I can't help but giggle at this particular assertion.

"This is usually far from the truth as reputable publications such as Reuters, NBC or Times sometimes have drastically different digital articles than their print media and a lot of times the quality of work is drastically lower, i.e. grammatical and spelling errors, than the print media."

Perhaps, but is that a feature of the attitudes within the organisation (e.g. print is "worth more" so it gets the larger resources), the nature of the format (print errors are forever, digital errors can be corrected in a second) or because one format is more inherently valuable? I personally doubt it's the latter.
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nasch (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 1:35pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: ALONGSIDE = "ONLY" !!!!
Which is why when a post becomes hidden they should hide all the responses too.

Yes, YES, a thousand times yes!
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nasch (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 1:40pm

Re:
A. My Son is my heir and will Inherit my Appraised Library worth over 16 Grand.If these were all Digital he would inherit NOTHING.And worth NOTHING

Actually you can pass a hard drive with books on it in your will. As long as they're not DRM'd, it's no problem. Even better, you don't have to wait to die. You could give your son a copy of your 1500 books, and keep the copies you already have. Copyright infringement? Yeah maybe, but you could do it. Obviously those concerns don't outweigh the benefit to you of having physical books, which is fine.
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btrussell (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 5:43pm

Re: Re:
But they will still be protected by copyright!
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btrussell (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 5:46pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: ALONGSIDE = "ONLY" !!!!
Even when it is just a discussion?
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 7:06pm

Re: Re: It's not the medium that matters
there is a difference !!!! you see a difference as well, we all do.. so what is your point again ?
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 7:11pm

Re: Stone(d) Tablets
yea stone tablets and papyrus rolls are an example of "print medie" they have been around for thousands of years, it's had a great past, and there is no reason for it not to have a great future..

what your saying is how good and reliable and valuable print media is !!! we'll done.. 1 for the print industry..

do you think the crap written here will still be around in 2000 years or more..

stone plates and papyrus roll that are here today, will still be here in 2000 years from now.. TD WONT !!!!
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 7:20pm

Re:
so if you arase the print from the screen, is it no longer being stored on some computer somewhere ??

a document on the net has to be powered 100% of the time, from the time it was created to the time it leaves the net (if ever)..

print a document, you use carbon neutral trees to make the paper, and it's ONCE ONLY.. the paper does not require a constant source of power for it to exist.

oh and what if you have a power failure ?? you might have a document on your hard drive but with no electricity you cannot read it, it might as well not exist..

but if you have it in print form, you can read all you like, without any electricity, and without a computer and without the net.

paper locks carbon up, using electricity is not sustainable and uses fossel fuels (mostly).

You really dont want to go there with an energy and environmental analysis of with is better a printed sheet of paper of a document consuming energy 100% of the time.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 7:23pm

Re: Re: Re:
I know I have made my point, when all you can do is bitch about me, oh dont even try to address the issues !!!

that would require some brains from you.. so far you have not displayed them..

my work here is obviously done, when you have to personal attack you've lost.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 7:27pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: ALONGSIDE = "ONLY" !!!!
exactly..
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Nov 2012 @ 7:30pm

I wonder if masnick and moody can actually look each other in the eye ?

or do they look down in shame wondering if they will get 'away' with the spin and lies..
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The Groove Tiger (profile), 29 Nov 2012 @ 10:15pm

Re: Re: Re: Re:
Yes, yes. Now please go see a doctor about that chafed foreskin you got from all your self congratulatory jerking.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2012 @ 2:47am

As a German: This is not about reading, it's about power, politics, influence and money. And the symbiosis between
politics and newspaper corporations:

Most of the German newspaper and magazin market is controlled by three corporations, having their own economical and therefore political agendas. You could argue that Frau Merkel won the last elections (and presumbly the next) in large part due to the support by these corporations, so of course she would like see their influence continuing. The corporations in turn get nice things like the "Leistungsschutzrecht", a law designed to make google et al pay up for every link on a German newspaper headline.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2012 @ 4:56pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: ALONGSIDE = "ONLY" !!!!
ALL THE TIME...
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2012 @ 5:05pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: ALONGSIDE = "ONLY" !!!!
hey I got you upset didn't I !!!! again, that means that what I am saying hits some nerves for you.. and as you refust or are unable to provide an argument to counter mine..

YOU LOSE... loser..

but thanks for confirming that fact here, as everyone knows when you have to resort to straight out lies, and personal attacks, you've lost.

not that winning here is that hard, when the morons who write for TD and so blatenly stupid, and willfully deceptive.

I think most people who have some intelligent slightly higher than a hand full of soil can see that ALONGSIDE does not mean the same thing as ONLY..

and "DOING JUST FINE" is not a call that something is doing badly.. again only a moron idiot would say that, and only others idiot morons would believes the shit that comes from this site..

Again, Masnick should hang his head in shame, for being responsible for this peice of shit of an ariticle, and for the overall accuracy and quality of this web site.

it's ok to have a web site for 'your cause' but that is no excuse to lie and spin the shit out of everything to make your very weak argument..

you dont even have to do any research to see what a shit spin that is here...

you just have to read.. she said OTHERWISE, moody makes out she said ONLY..

again, you HAVE to be a fucking brain dead idiot to think those two works mean the some thing.. or that what moody claims she said, is not what moody posted that she said..

someone is lying, and we have proof it was not merkel,, and proof it is MOODY, assistend my the equally untruthfull Mansick.
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Dec 2012 @ 4:53pm

Re: Re:
Coming from the person whose brain usually compares apples to machine guns, as an exaggeration of the popular phrase, any comparison out of that waste of space you call a mind wouldn't be worth the paper or screen it's printed on, you unimaginative shitstain.
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