Couldn’t Help But Notice (082007)
Thanks to a clever new tool called Wikiscanner, we learn that some folks at the New York Times apparently have too much time on their hands. They have been whiling away spare hours as Wikipedia vandals targeting entries relating to conservatives (here, here, and here). It turns out that the Times was warned about acts of vandalism originating from its IP address range late last year (via this comment at Dan Riehl’s place.
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Shameless shilling — Although it happened two weeks ago, I just noticed that Michelle Malkin linked in an update to yours truly’s cross-posted NewsBusters entry on the Alms for Jihad book suppression.
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The BBC is caught dead to rights engaging in selective censorship — and it IS censorship in the traditional sense of the word, since the Beeb is a “public body, funded by the taxpayer” (HT LGF via Instapundit):
The BBC has been forced to remove statements from its website referring to Jesus as a ‘bastard’.
It is the latest in a string of offensive comments that BBC editors have allowed members of the public to post.
The remarks have been allowed to remain for weeks, despite complaints from religious groups.
It has led to claims that the BBC is allowing its output to be hijacked by extremists while censoring anti-Muslim sentiment.
….. One website user wanted to see if BBC editors were allowing these offensive remarks to remain while blocking others. He wrote: “No one can surpass the Muslims for denial of their role in Terrorism and Suicide bombing.” The remarks were almost immediately deleted.
Instapundit “It’s as if they reflexively side with the enemies of Western civilization.” Delete the “It’s as if,” and he’s about right.
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I can attest personally to the fact that there is a lot, lot, LOT of resistance to buying a new computer with Vista out there on the part of experienced users. Jim Louderback at PC World, who is moving on to another gig, is just one:
So why, nine months after launch, am I so frustrated? The litany of what doesn’t work and what still frustrates me stretches on endlessly.
….. I could go on and on about the lack of drivers, the bizarre wake-up rituals, the strange and nonreproducible system quirks, and more. But I won’t bore you with the details. The upshot is that even after nine months, Vista just ain’t cutting it. I definitely gave Microsoft too much of a free pass on this operating system: I expected it to get the kinks worked out more quickly. Boy, was I fooled! If Microsoft can’t get Vista working, I might just do the unthinkable: I might move to Linux.
If a lot of users hold on to their XP computers until the absolute ends of their useful lives, tech retailers and resellers could have a very unhappy Christmas season. Though I think it’s a long shot, we might even get the “Microsoft recession” I was speculating about last year (”If Mister Softee keeps diddling around with Vista and slows down the tech sector, maybe we should call the next downturn The Microsoft Recession.”)
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As to the flap over the surveillance bill (HT Moderate Voice) — Doesn’t anyone else notice the disconnect between “Bush is dumber than a box of rocks” and “Bush fooled us into giving him even more power.”?
