Suit yourself: Libel and Bloggers

"Bloggers can be both a provider and a user of interactive computer services. Bloggers are users when they create and edit blogs through a service provider, and they are providers to the extent that they allow third parties to add comments or other material to their blogs.

Your readers' comments, entries written by guest bloggers, tips sent by email, and information provided to you through an RSS feed would all likely be considered information provided by another content provider. This would mean that you would not be held liable for defamatory statements contained in it. However, if you selected the third-party information yourself, no court has ruled whether this information would be considered 'provided' to you. One court has limited Section 230 immunity to situations in which the originator 'furnished it to the provider or user under circumstances in which a reasonable person...would conclude that the information was provided for publication on the Internet....' " [Read more on EFF]

This law is valid only in the USA of course. We don't even have a proper law on rape as a crime, so let's chill for a while. I mean at least we now know how to fend off suits from the USA. Ha!
From the How to avoid libel and defamation piece on BBC:
[quote start]Be very careful about the adjectives you use. A misplaced word can result in costly action. If you are campaigning about a factory that releases chemicals into the atmosphere, referring to the factory as �poisoning the atmosphere� is inadvisable![/quote end]

Moral of the story? Watch your a$$. (Suman dives for cover as a hailstorm of libel suits crash down on him).

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Blogger Sued for Comments on his Weblog

SEO Book�s Aaron Wall was sued today by Traffic-Power.com for alleged inaccuracies and lies appearing in comments other people have left on his blog. If this case goes to trial, it�ll set an important precedent in the blogging community and the Internet at large, answering a critical question, particularly for business blogs: are the comments others leave on your blog a legal liability?
Read more on intuitive.com
[Via Lockergnome]
In my opinion, bloggers should not be held accountable for comments that website visitors post. It is not a bad idea to have a disclaimer on your blog that states 'I am not responsible for others' comments'. I don't know how far it will protect you; maybe a legal expert can shed some light? I am all ears.

    

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I am not an economy analyst

I got a mail forward today that had quotes from all the big-wigs of Bangalore IT industry. I was stunned to find a part of one of my old posts converted into a quote:

This city is out. Bangalore's chaotic traffic, bad roads, sad lifestyle and the lack of well-connected mass transport facility is bound to have a direct impact on the IT companies that operate in the city: factors like road-rage, fatigue, and longer commuting time affect an employee's productivity. - Sumankumar .R, Economy-Analyst

That was my quote with a couple of words misplaced or added all right (I never said �sad life�).
If you have received this forward please note that I am NOT an economy-analyst. I am just a technical writer that talks too much. I�d appreciate if some one told me who made it up. I�ll buy him or her dinner. Economy Analyst! That felt good. But mother promise, I am not one.    

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Google Talk

IM, Voice chat and more. http://www.google.com/talk/ What's next?

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Born on August 23rd

Born on August 23rd. Happy birthday me.

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Blogger for Word

Blogger for Word is a free add-in for Microsoft Word that lets you save a Word document as a post to your Blogger blog with just a few clicks, and without even opening up a browser. Blogger for Word makes it even easier to express yourself online, save your documents to the web, and edit your work both online and off.
Download it


Blogger Help : About Blogger for Word

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Post Secret

postsecret.blogspot.com
Amazing! (Via Munna)

    

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Are newspapers for adults only?

"Supreme Court on Thursday issued notices to the Centre, Press Council of India, the news agencies and major dailies on a public interest litigation seeking classification of newspapers on the basis of their content to denote whether these were fit to be read universally or by adults only."

[Via Rediff]
Ahem! Watch out. Slimes. And, it is a crying shame that SC had to resort to such a measure.

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Inside AdSense

Ladies and gentlemen, the AdSense blog.
Inside AdSense: The AdSense blog.
[Via Search Engine Watch]

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Publish your blog as a book!

Sometime back I was thinking out aloud. Now, it is a paid service. [Suman pulls off his shoe and hits himself on the head with it]

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String operation on MadMan shows he is a fraud

And you thought the bubbly, witty, chef at Shiok is an exemplary gentleman? Wake up! Madman is a fraud, says Rohan Pinto. Mr.Pinto might unearth facts about Madman strangling Labrador puppies or mugging people in the suburbs. You never know. I'll wait for your word on those Mr.Pinto. In the meantime, let me know the name of the institute that coached you in 'Reasoning and Logical ability'.
Mr.Pinto who writes about techie stuff like Open-source boom and boosting Technorati search speeds, surprisingly, is not aware of cutting-edge technologies like�?ahem�?copy/paste, moving to your own domain from blogspot... Don't worry Pinto, you'll catch up soon.
My nephew asked me what shooting one's own foot was all about. The next time he asks I am going to send Mr.Pinto's post to him.
Check out the whole story

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Riding a great wave

Jai Arjun Singh writes about the Mumbai Tsunami Bloggers in his piece titled Riding a great wave.
FYI Arjun, there were bloggers from other cities too that chipped in during the tragedy. You should have googled for it; it appears that you did not.

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More than 60% of the bloggers are female

..claims the MIT blog survey. What it means is that behind every other blog there is a girl. Oh boy!
Marketers, media planners, and single men that think there are no girls out there make note. I told you Sikney, I told you man.

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Ogden Nash and the cow

The cow is of the bovine ilk; one end is moo, the other milk.
–Ogden Nash
Had to post this after reading Chandru's post. Amit, I am sure this is one of your 'pet' quotes.

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How to be a good wife

Yes, I like the bit about not wearing any clothes in the "in-law's house." The institute also has time-tables for the day, specifying "midnight to three in the morning" as the best time to have sex, and "three to six in the morning" as the "time to sing bhajans". I can imagine this scene:

Read more on India Uncut
Amit, you should try your hand at writing screenplays. You have a vivid imagination! Ha ha. I loved it.

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Low cost PC and the desktop revolution

Times of India says:

India's leading PC maker HCL Infosystems has finally launched the sub-Rs 10,000 PC, a price point that has been often cited as the ‘magic figure' that could increase computer penetration in the country.

But what we conveniently forget is that Linux is tougher to learn (at least now) than Windows (that's one of the reasons why Windows is so popular in SOHO and personal PC segments). So the revolution is not there yet. Will Linux be able to match the marketing muscle of Microsoft? Will Linux become popular also as a desktop OS? Only time will tell. I am interested in how Microsoft is going to counter this desktop Linux threat.
Check this Linux Vs Windows comparison out. Interesting!

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Mumbai is not a refugee shelter

We need citizens who are responsible, and not all those who just come to Mumbai in trainloads. Mumbai is not a refugee shelter for all and sundry. -- Manoj Shah

Mr. Shah, what about your cousin or brother or son or daughter that is going to the USA? What if USA says 'we don't want dirty Indians.' Eh? Thanks Rediff for making a headline out of such a racist thought.

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Only Delhi

...Earlier this week, as two freshers were returning to their rooms at night, they were summoned by senior students. They were first made to sing and dance and then strip, as the seniors shot obscene MMS clips on their mobiles. The traumatised victims rushed to the nearby police station and a case has been registered on charges of obscenity, threatening and forceful confinement against three seniors.

[Via NDTV]
MMS after the DPS fiasco. Only Delhi guys can display such genius. Only Delhi, man!

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What goes around, comes around

Gillespie one of the leading pacemen of the Aussie cricket team said that he'd pack and leaver if one more bomb went off in London. For a change, the high and mighty get a taste of their own medicine. I am waiting for Srilanka to raise security concerns about playing in England. That should complete the reversal of roles.

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World Bank discussion on private sector and tsunami recovery

I received a mail from the World Bank, seeking my contribution to the discussion on 'World Bank discussion on private sector and tsunami recovery'. I am copy/pasting the mail as is. Read it and please contribute. Also, forward this message to friends who might be interested in contributing. Communists please excuse. ;-)

Dear Colleagues:
The World Bank would like to invite the authors and readers of the Tsunami Help India blog to participate in our current discussion on the private sector's role in the recovery from the Indian Ocean tsunami and other natural disasters. We hope you will take a moment to join us and share your thoughts and experiences. Please feel free to share this invitation with friends and colleagues who might also be interested. We look forward to your participation! The full announcement is below.

The Private Sector's Role in Disaster Recovery and Risk Mitigation
http://rru.worldbank.org/Discussions/topics/topic67.aspx

More than US$9 billion in public and private funds has been pledged to help countries devastated by last year's Indian Ocean tsunami. As the relief effort now moves from immediate humanitarian assistance to long-term reconstruction and recovery, the private sector must play a key role in restoring growth and guarding against future risk. By increasing investment, the private sector can develop alternate safety nets and create a diverse and resilient economy better suited to weather future disasters. Governments and donors can help by increasing access to finance, promoting technology transfer, and reducing regulatory barriers to business. What lessons can be learned from other experiences with private sector involvement in natural disaster recovery efforts? What private sector activities will have the greatest impact on recovery and growth? What can governments and donors do to maximize the impact of private investment?

This online discussion is moderated by Margaret Arnold, senior program officer in the Urban Unit's Hazard Management team at the World Bank, and Saroj K. Jha, senior infrastructure specialist with the Transport and Urban Development Department of the World Bank. The discussion, which will run through August 8, 2005, is supported by the following background readings:

Regional Economic Cooperation in Trade and Investment for the Rehabilitation of Tsunami-Affected Countries
Suthad Setboonsarng, Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Review 1 (1): pp. 133-148, April, 2005
http://rru.worldbank.org/PapersLinks/Open.aspx?id=6385

Global and Regional Mechanisms for Promoting Trade and Investment in Tsunami-Affected Countries
Marc Proksch, Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Review 1 (1): pp. 113-132, April, 2005
http://rru.worldbank.org/PapersLinks/Open.aspx?id=6486

The World Bank's Tsunami Recovery Web site World Bank, 2005
http://rru.worldbank.org/PapersLinks/Open.aspx?id=6487

Surviving Disaster and Supporting Recovery: A Guidebook for Microfinance Institutions
Eileen Miamidian et al., World Bank and United Nations Capital Development Fund, February 2005
http://rru.worldbank.org/PapersLinks/Open.aspx?id=6488

World Economic Forum?s Disaster Resource Network World Economic Forum, 2005
http://rru.worldbank.org/PapersLinks/Open.aspx?id=6489

Is there a Hot Topic Discussion that you would be interested in participating in or moderating? If so, contact us with your ideas: rru@worldbank.org
If you have not subscribed to Rapid Response's e-newsletter and would like to do so, please visit http://rru.worldbank.org/Main/Newsletter.aspx and give us your contact details.

If you would like to unsubscribe, simply visit http://rru.worldbank.org/Main/Newsletter.aspx, key in your e-mail address and uncheck the subscription box.

Rapid Response Unit
Office of the World Bank-IFC Vice President for Private Sector Development and Office of the Chief Economist, IFC
Tel: (202) 458-7777; Fax: (202) 522-3480
URL: http://rru.worldbank.org
Email: rru[at]worldbank[dot]org

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Lest We Forget: The United States And The Holocaust

I was curious about the stand that the Allies took on the rescue of Holocaust victims. I was not surprised to find that the Allies, including the USA, took a stand of utter apathy and turned a blind-eye to what was probably the darkest hour ever, of humanity.

Rescue was not a priority for the United States government. Nor was it always clear to Allied policy makers how they could pursue large-scale rescue actions behind German lines. Due in part to antisemitism, isolationism, the Depression, and xenophobia, the refugee policy of the U.S. State Department (led by Secretary of State Cordell Hull) made it difficult for refugees to obtain entry visas.

The State Department also delayed publicizing reports of genocide. In August 1942, the State Department received a cable confirming Nazi plans for the murder of Europe's Jews. The report, sent by Gerhart Riegner (the representative in Geneva of the World Jewish Congress), was not passed on. The State Department asked American Rabbi Stephen Wise, who also received the report, to refrain from announcing it. Reports of Nazi atrocities often were not publicized in full by the American press. In 1943, Polish courier Jan Karski informed President Franklin D. Roosevelt of reports of mass murder received from Jewish leaders in the Warsaw ghetto. No immediate executive action was taken.

On April 19, 1943, U.S. and British representatives met in Bermuda to find solutions to wartime refugee problems. No significant proposals were considered at the Bermuda Conference. In January 1944 Roosevelt established the War Refugee Board in the Treasury Department to facilitate the rescue of imperiled refugees. Fort Ontario, in New York, began to serve as an ostensibly free port for refugees. Refugees brought to Fort Ontario, however, were not from Nazi-occupied areas, but rather from liberated zones.

By the spring of 1944, the Allies knew of the gassings at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Jewish leaders pleaded unsuccessfully with the U.S. government to bomb the gas chambers and railways leading to the camp. From August 20 to September 13, 1944, the U.S. Air Force bombed the Auschwitz-Monowitz industrial complex, less than five miles from the gas chambers in Birkenau. However, the U.S. maintained its policy of non-involvement in rescue, and bombed neither the gas chambers nor the railways used to transport prisoners.

[Source: Holocaust Encyclopedia] [Image source: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/]

Also read:
An intellectual disease on India Uncut
U.S. government, England knew about Holocaust on Standard-Examiner
Churchill and the Holocaust

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Bye Arnab

samarkand02
Originally uploaded by adel.

Arnie. Bye. Have fun in Phirang land. I know we may meet today or tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed your stay in Bangalore. Madman what's with the gangsta look? Looks cool I must admit. Vasu, did you give the rubber gift?

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Comedy by Rediff

In a classic piece on Rediff, titled God cannot be so cruel, Archana Masih writes about how no body cares about middle class. Ms.Masih writes,

While promises are being to slumdwellers who lost their homes, the loss of the middle class Mumbaikar is being ignored.

Let us ignore the typos and the grammatical lapses. After all she is human. She probably will edit the piece later and fix the embarrassing mistakes.

The dance teacher lost 10 years of research work -- over 200 audio cassettes with rare interviews that were submerged under 7 feet of water, printouts reduced to pulp and roles and roles of photographs that are now all stuck together.

All right, that was a sad loss. But how does it prove that the middle class in Mumbai was (is being?) ignored? And when we are talking about close to 1000 people (it may increase) dead, shouldn't one be happy just to be alive? Correct me if I am wrong.
Archana also writes,

Like many others from the urban middle class, she doesn't have housing insurance and does not expect any assistance from the government. Caught in a peculiar situation where their situation is better off than those living in shanty towns, it is the lower and middle class of Mumbai's citizens that seem to be find themselves between the proverbial devil and the deep sea.

Let us ignore the typos and the grammatical lapses again. I tried understanding what she was trying to say but I couldn't. I don't understand how this kind of writing slips through and gets published. I can live with a typo or a grammatical error Archana, but logic or the lack of it thereof is another thing. Do you have the numbers on how many 'urban middle class' people have housing/personal insurance policies? What do you mean "Caught in a peculiar situation where their situation is better off than those living in shanty towns..."? Huh? What is the purpose of this piece? Milking some emotion? Let Bollywood do that. Please, mighty please. That said, Rediff is providing helpful and important information and doing a great job. But why this then? God only knows.

More MSM screw ups here. Thanks to the bloggers, people do get real news. A couple of Collaborative Blogs, Mumbai Help and Cloudburst, are doing the honours.

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