Stanford Center for Internet and Society

In a recent email debate, a friend of mine raised an interesting point about the role of the Internet in fueling populist fervor, especially during the current economic meltdown when populism has been a particularly dominant cultural force. We were discussing the issue in the problematic context of anonymous online bulletin boards, where negativity and vitriol seem to fester in nearly every context. It is certainly the case that angry, anonymous posts about Wall Street elites can often be unproductive and reactionary, and they have the potential to breed further negativity. But it seems to me the recent glut of news reports about lavish bonuses and other company perks on Wall Street touches on something deeper.

Author: Ranjini Acharya

John Alexis Mardas, a former associate of the Beatles, has won the right to bring defamation proceedings against the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune in an English court for publishing an article that described him as a “charlatan” who spread false rumors about the Beatles that may have resulted in the band’s breakup. Evidence in the case established that there were less than 200 hundred hard copies of the article published and approximately 30 hits of the story online. In allowing the case to proceed, Justice Eady of the English High Court held that the determination of “substantial publication,” in the context of online defamation cases, “cannot depend upon a numbers game, with the court fixing an arbitrary minimum according to the facts of the case.”

Published in Tuesday, February 24, 2009, Volume 6, No. 3

The New York Times this morning has a wonderful article on the demise of Morse
Code (Morse Code: A Fading Signal by Miguel Helft).  Until a
recent revision to the requirements by the Federal Communications Commission
for an Amateur Radio License, proficiency in Morse Code
was required.