Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt

from the says-you dept

This week, our first place winner on the insightful side is an anonymous response to FCC-boss-turned-cable-lobbyist Mike Powell and his comments about how Gigi Sohn should be recused because of her consumer protection work:

Wouldn't Powell's logic also require that anyone who has ever worked in the telecom industry would need to recuse themselves from any telecom decisions made by the FCC? After all, if you can't be objective if you've worked against telecom companies, then you can't be objective if you've worked for them either.

In second place, it's another anonymous comment, this time in response to the Tenth Circuit ruling that ordering a student to stop talking about an instructor violates the First Amendment:

Accreditation boards take the ability for students to provide feedback about instructors and course design into account when reviewing educational institutions. If the students can't provide feedback, positive or negative, then courses can be adjusted in response to the student experience.

The other angle at play here is that it seems like the student didn't request an ADA accommodation, but even then, that doesn't make the instructor's response to her sitting on the floor valid. The admin should have told the student how to file for an accomodation to prevent that issue in the future. Could have saved the college a lawsuit.

For editor's choice on the insightful side, we start out with a comment from TFG in a conversation that emerged on our post about Washington Sate Governor Inslee wanting to jail politicians who lie, about the alternative notion of requiring IQ tests for politicians:

Found what looks to be a pretty good article on the subject:

https://theconversation.com/the-iq-test-wars-why-screening-for-intelligence-is-still-so-con troversial-81428

In addition to what Stephen said, it's worth noting that the inventor of the tests, considered them inadequate:

The first of these tests was developed by French psychologist Alfred Binet, who was commissioned by the French government to identify students who would face the most difficulty in school. The resulting 1905 Binet-Simon Scale became the basis for modern IQ testing. Ironically, Binet actually thought that IQ tests were inadequate measures for intelligence, pointing to the test’s inability to properly measure creativity or emotional intelligence.

That bolded section is hugely important. What's termed "emotional intelligence" here includes, I believe, emotional maturity and empathy, which is definitely something that leaders should have.

Also note that IQ tests were designed around testing large populations, finding a median, and identifying those that are in need of assistance in a school setting. The original purpose of them was a way to find and come alongside individuals who were being left to fall through the cracks of an educational system.

Applying that willy nilly to a bunch of other things, and especially using it as a gatekeeping mechanism, seems flawed to me.

(One of the good things to come out of IQ tests was their use in an economic impact study to drive home how leaded gasoline was a horrible idea in demonstrating the effect of lead poisoning on the learning abilities of children - which is arguably in keeping with the original intent of the tests.)

Next, it's That One Guy with a comment about the NYPD's ongoing failure to change or improve in any way:

'You refuse to comply? Your budget just shrank by 10 million.'

So long as the city keeps asking the NYPD to change while continuing to pay them the organization has no reason to change or give a damn what the city might bluster about. Either start cutting funding until they comply or drop the pretense that the city has any interest in keeping the NYPD in check.

Over on the funny side, our first place winner is an anonymous response to a commenter who wove a little fiction about Trump being "killed by a booby-trapped copy of the Constitution":

That's got to be something you simply dreamed up. Like Trump would touch a copy of the constitution...

In second place, it's Jojo, with a comment about Governor Inslee's proposal:

Inslee: “I’m going to arrest every politician that lies. [Proceeds to throw himself into jail.]

For editor's choice on the funny side, we start out with a comment from Designerfx about our mention of the way politicians "hang all sorts of gifts" on bills:

I think you missed the r in grifts

Finally, it's Pixelation with a comment about how John Deere must be feeling about the agricultural right to repair bill:

I wonder if they received a Deere John letter?

That's all for this week, folks!

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