Comments on: Engadget now is a dictatorship? http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2006/12/25/engadget-now-is-a-dictatorship/ Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:02:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Albygil http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2006/12/25/engadget-now-is-a-dictatorship/#comment-2044 Albygil Thu, 28 Dec 2006 12:16:00 +0000 http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2006/12/25/engadget-now-is-a-dictatorship/#comment-2044 Eugenia, I had read again your other post at the time of my writing, and it has only strengthened my opinion that we all desperately need people like you and Thom and many others who do this difficult work in a serious passionate way.. Maintaining a professional attitude in such evenience is extremely difficult, but it’s nonetheless necessary to let us readers understand. On the other side, you’re right: editorials and personal takes are the right place to express personal (passional) feelings, and that’s why they’re probably the most difficult to write. And as a reader while I’m expecting a stinging view, I’m also looking for witty posts, written with some style, not juvenile rants (that, in my view, makes the difference between Thom’s article and the endgadget guy’s one). It’s probably unfair to ask the same level of professionalism and dedication from paid journalists and from unpaid contributors. Can I ask the same quality level from GNU/GPL software and commercial one? Probably I shouldn’t, but I’d still like to see it happen. Eugenia, I had read again your other post at the time of my writing, and it has only strengthened my opinion that we all desperately need people like you and Thom and many others who do this difficult work in a serious passionate way.. Maintaining a professional attitude in such evenience is extremely difficult, but it’s nonetheless necessary to let us readers understand.
On the other side, you’re right: editorials and personal takes are the right place to express personal (passional) feelings, and that’s why they’re probably the most difficult to write. And as a reader while I’m expecting a stinging view, I’m also looking for witty posts, written with some style, not juvenile rants (that, in my view, makes the difference between Thom’s article and the endgadget guy’s one). It’s probably unfair to ask the same level of professionalism and dedication from paid journalists and from unpaid contributors. Can I ask the same quality level from GNU/GPL software and commercial one? Probably I shouldn’t, but I’d still like to see it happen.

]]> By: Doug Stewart http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2006/12/25/engadget-now-is-a-dictatorship/#comment-2043 Doug Stewart Wed, 27 Dec 2006 12:30:00 +0000 http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2006/12/25/engadget-now-is-a-dictatorship/#comment-2043 I’ve looked at some of the original posts. As I understand it, the auction winner claimed that he hadn’t in fact bid, but he had left his computer on and someone had made the bid in his name as a “practical joke”. I’ve seen his post about this which seemed to me polite and apologised for what happened. He indicated that he did not in fact want the item. This to me seems a very reasonable position. Putting aside the fact that it was for charity, if someone purchases an item in the name of someone else, without the other person’s knowledge or agreement, surely the other person cannot be required to pay. There were also other bids, so hopefully one of them would come through. Maybe I’m missing part of the story. However, I don’t see what is wrong about the guy declining to pay for an auction item that he never bid on. I’ve looked at some of the original posts. As I understand it, the auction winner claimed that he hadn’t in fact bid, but he had left his computer on and someone had made the bid in his name as a “practical joke”. I’ve seen his post about this which seemed to me polite and apologised for what happened. He indicated that he did not in fact want the item.

This to me seems a very reasonable position. Putting aside the fact that it was for charity, if someone purchases an item in the name of someone else, without the other person’s knowledge or agreement, surely the other person cannot be required to pay.

There were also other bids, so hopefully one of them would come through.

Maybe I’m missing part of the story. However, I don’t see what is wrong about the guy declining to pay for an auction item that he never bid on.

]]> By: Eugenia http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2006/12/25/engadget-now-is-a-dictatorship/#comment-2042 Eugenia Wed, 27 Dec 2006 01:45:00 +0000 http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2006/12/25/engadget-now-is-a-dictatorship/#comment-2042 No, the vandalizing part is when you opt for a charity and then you back off. Or when you curse on the editors via the commenting system. No, the vandalizing part is when you opt for a charity and then you back off. Or when you curse on the editors via the commenting system.

]]> By: mikesum32 http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2006/12/25/engadget-now-is-a-dictatorship/#comment-2041 mikesum32 Wed, 27 Dec 2006 01:29:00 +0000 http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2006/12/25/engadget-now-is-a-dictatorship/#comment-2041 So to you vandalizing = leaving comments you don’t like ? So to you vandalizing = leaving comments you don’t like ?

]]> By: Albygil http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2006/12/25/engadget-now-is-a-dictatorship/#comment-2039 Albygil Tue, 26 Dec 2006 11:31:00 +0000 http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2006/12/25/engadget-now-is-a-dictatorship/#comment-2039 I usualy tend to agree with your opinion, but this time I have to disagree: “Professionalism” should still be the main difference between bloggers and journalists. I agree is a dirty work, and that’s why we all need people like you and your collegues to be able to do it in a professional way. Everyone is entitled to express “rants and thoughts” on a personal blog, but not on a website that aim to be taken seriously (the blog-written style, can’t be an excuse): amateurism, retailation and juvenile behaviour shoudn’t be excused by editors well before than by readers. That said, seemed to me that in that case most comments were sympatethic with the author of the post, althought few were asking him to behave in a more professional way, I can’t really find any reason for him to close the comments. I usualy tend to agree with your opinion, but this time I have to disagree: “Professionalism” should still be the main difference between bloggers and journalists. I agree is a dirty work, and that’s why we all need people like you and your collegues to be able to do it in a professional way.
Everyone is entitled to express “rants and thoughts” on a personal blog, but not on a website that aim to be taken seriously (the blog-written style, can’t be an excuse): amateurism, retailation and juvenile behaviour shoudn’t be excused by editors well before than by readers.
That said, seemed to me that in that case most comments were sympatethic with the author of the post, althought few were asking him to behave in a more professional way, I can’t really find any reason for him to close the comments.

]]> By: Eugenia http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2006/12/25/engadget-now-is-a-dictatorship/#comment-2040 Eugenia Tue, 26 Dec 2006 08:54:00 +0000 http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2006/12/25/engadget-now-is-a-dictatorship/#comment-2040 > <i>Everyone is entitled to express “rants and thoughts” on a personal blog, but not on a website that aim to be taken seriously</i> I do not agree. OSNews for example has a special section called Editorials, which is exactly this, opinions. Sometimes we even add “My Take” at the bottom of a news item to do some commentary on it. I suggest <a href="http://eugenia.blogsome.com/2006/12/24/why-we-do-the-things-we-do/" rel="nofollow">you read this</a> too. > Everyone is entitled to express “rants and thoughts” on a personal blog, but not on a website that aim to be taken seriously

I do not agree. OSNews for example has a special section called Editorials, which is exactly this, opinions. Sometimes we even add “My Take” at the bottom of a news item to do some commentary on it. I suggest you read this too.

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