http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110722/11552515212/judge-decreases-amount-jammie-thomas-owes-file-sharing-again-yes-again-says-its-appalling.shtml#c303 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:16:58 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110722/11552515212/judge-decreases-amount-jammie-thomas-owes-file-sharing-again-yes-again-says-its-appalling.shtml#c303 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110722/11552515212/judge-decreases-amount-jammie-thomas-owes-file-sharing-again-yes-again-says-its-appalling.shtml#c140 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:33:54 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110722/11552515212/judge-decreases-amount-jammie-thomas-owes-file-sharing-again-yes-again-says-its-appalling.shtml#c140 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110710/22391815034/re-inventing-wheel-real.shtml#c214 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 09:13:16 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110710/22391815034/re-inventing-wheel-real.shtml#c214 from CommonSense's post above yours
" to this cool new thing that interests him, and point out that even though it was done before, the creator of this particular project had no previous knowledge of the other projects. It's a clear example of independent invention, and that is all. Time between inventions matter as much as the distance between inventors, which should be not at all."

No one missed where he said it had already been invented before, all Mike is saying is that they did it both independently.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20110711/17464515050/you-dont-own-what-you-thought-you-bought-verizon-breaks-phones-turns-off-feature.shtml#c1077 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:07:16 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20110711/17464515050/you-dont-own-what-you-thought-you-bought-verizon-breaks-phones-turns-off-feature.shtml#c1077 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110706/07020714985/definition-irony-deus-ex-leak-spawns-conspiracy-theories.shtml#c393 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:48:43 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110706/07020714985/definition-irony-deus-ex-leak-spawns-conspiracy-theories.shtml#c393 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110630/04111614922/can-google-succeed-merely-being-not-facebook.shtml#c694 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 12:47:38 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110630/04111614922/can-google-succeed-merely-being-not-facebook.shtml#c694 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110630/04111614922/can-google-succeed-merely-being-not-facebook.shtml#c344 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:23:04 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110630/04111614922/can-google-succeed-merely-being-not-facebook.shtml#c344 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110630/04111614922/can-google-succeed-merely-being-not-facebook.shtml#c208 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:04:37 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110630/04111614922/can-google-succeed-merely-being-not-facebook.shtml#c208 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110223/01463713218/how-reasonable-andy-stopped-nprs-lawyers-threatening-fan-actually-connected-with-him.shtml#c125 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 08:25:36 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110223/01463713218/how-reasonable-andy-stopped-nprs-lawyers-threatening-fan-actually-connected-with-him.shtml#c125 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110111/15305112606/one-mentally-deranged-shooter-is-no-reason-to-throw-out-first-amendment.shtml#c2 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 09:18:26 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110111/15305112606/one-mentally-deranged-shooter-is-no-reason-to-throw-out-first-amendment.shtml#c2 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101117/01402111906/tsa-defending-its-groin-grabbing-or-naked-image-security-techniques.shtml#c887 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 15:28:35 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101117/01402111906/tsa-defending-its-groin-grabbing-or-naked-image-security-techniques.shtml#c887 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101103/01353811698/time-to-stop-being-so-fascinated-with-the-cyber-part-of-cybercrime.shtml#c380 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 09:38:43 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101103/01353811698/time-to-stop-being-so-fascinated-with-the-cyber-part-of-cybercrime.shtml#c380 That's exactly the point I'm trying to make.

"but I'd contend that classification is very definitely not the primary intent in most cases when it is used in a news article or political speech. Education isn't going to sort that out for you.
News is entertainment and emotions get better ratings than dry fact and politics is a popularity contest and emotions are a very good way of tugging the electorate around."
That part I'm not debating other than to say I think that is what we need to change, will it be easy, no, but I do think it is necessary to make the fight.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101103/01353811698/time-to-stop-being-so-fascinated-with-the-cyber-part-of-cybercrime.shtml#c266 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 08:41:04 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101103/01353811698/time-to-stop-being-so-fascinated-with-the-cyber-part-of-cybercrime.shtml#c266 "Both would fall under the artificial bucket "street crime" though, and how is it important to seperate a mugging on the street from a mugging where, for example, the victim is attacked in their own home to the same result?" In this scenario one would probably have home invasion as the charge rather than mugging, unless, it was over the internet that the "mugging" happened. Then it wouldn't be street crime, it wouldn't be a home invasion, it would be a cyber-mugging, in which case your both describing the severity of the crime, as well as the method. While it was wrong, you could argue convincingly i would think that it was less wrong then breaking into someones home and stealing from them, as the personal violation would probably feel considerably less.

As to your other points I have no doubt that there is a certain emotive content to the word, but like I said before we need to educate that away, not stop using it.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101103/01353811698/time-to-stop-being-so-fascinated-with-the-cyber-part-of-cybercrime.shtml#c235 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 08:30:30 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101103/01353811698/time-to-stop-being-so-fascinated-with-the-cyber-part-of-cybercrime.shtml#c235 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101103/01353811698/time-to-stop-being-so-fascinated-with-the-cyber-part-of-cybercrime.shtml#c206 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 07:57:55 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101103/01353811698/time-to-stop-being-so-fascinated-with-the-cyber-part-of-cybercrime.shtml#c206 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101103/01353811698/time-to-stop-being-so-fascinated-with-the-cyber-part-of-cybercrime.shtml#c169 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 07:35:36 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101103/01353811698/time-to-stop-being-so-fascinated-with-the-cyber-part-of-cybercrime.shtml#c169 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101030/23442911657/google-sues-the-us-government-for-only-considering-microsoft-solutions.shtml#c159 Mon, 1 Nov 2010 09:40:28 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101030/23442911657/google-sues-the-us-government-for-only-considering-microsoft-solutions.shtml#c159 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101026/04340211587/how-the-defense-department-and-nsa-is-hyping-cyberwar-to-better-spy-on-you.shtml#c509 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:50:38 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101026/04340211587/how-the-defense-department-and-nsa-is-hyping-cyberwar-to-better-spy-on-you.shtml#c509 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101020/17152311516/visiting-australia-make-sure-you-tell-the-customs-officials-about-the-porn-on-your-hard-drive.shtml#c211 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 09:23:20 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101020/17152311516/visiting-australia-make-sure-you-tell-the-customs-officials-about-the-porn-on-your-hard-drive.shtml#c211 "Australian Sex Party leader Fiona Patten said the measure amounted to an invasion of privacy, and warned that many tourists and even Australians would not know what pornography was illegal.

"They are still totally confusing," she said of the arrival cards.

"What is illegal to import to our country is not necessarily illegal to possess," she added."]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100909/21161010962.shtml#c66 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 12:31:46 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100909/21161010962.shtml#c66