From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Tue, 26 Jun 2001 10:39:06 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Tue, 26 Jun 2001 10:38:56 -0400 Received: from fluent1.pyramid.net ([206.100.220.212]:18984 "EHLO fluent1.pyramid.net") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Tue, 26 Jun 2001 10:38:38 -0400 Message-Id: <4.3.2.7.2.20010626071942.00b9b380@mail.fluent-access.com> X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 4.3.2 Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2001 07:38:05 -0700 To: Alan Cox , kernel@Expansa.sns.it (Luigi Genoni) From: Stephen Satchell Subject: Re: When the FUD is all around (sniff). Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org In-Reply-To: In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org At 01:34 PM 6/26/01 +0100, Alan Cox wrote: >It is common for newspaper staff to be corrupt, same with magazine people. >Sometimes because people generally believe in a cause and are not impartial >(which I've seen both pro and anti Linux btw) and sometimes because >advertising >revenue is a good thing. Alan, never attribute to conspiracy that which is adequately explained by stupidity. You would be surprised how often newspaper and magazine reporters and their editors make gaffs like this with absolutely no intent of malice, or with the sole malice of wanting to write an article that will be "interesting" to a large readership while taking insufficient time to check all the facts. When I worked at a magazine as a staffer, I was amazed when the editor-in-chief, in response to complaints about a columnist who "got it wrong" a lot, said that he kept the columnist on because his mistakes attracted readership. "He gets TONS of letters, and the readers can't wait to see how he screws up next!" Again, not by intent, but by incompetence. For reporters, it's not a matter of "not caring," it's a matter of being required to knock out 15 articles in one day (not uncommon for a reporter on a major metropolitan newspaper) and not having to hand references that are willing to provide answers quickly. Final comment: Know what a well-adjusted paranoid is? "Hey, they ARE out to get you, but it's nothing personal." Satch