Sowell - Anarchy On The Internet

[Terri]

By Thomas Sowell
August 27, 2008

The Internet provides vast amounts of information but it can also spread vast amounts of misinformation, or even deliberately misleading disinformation.

For more than two weeks, scarcely a day has gone by without e-mails pouring in to me, asking about columns that someone has written and brazenly spread around the Internet with my name on them.

Most of these e-mails have come from regular readers who are savvy enough to recognize columns that have a different style and substance from my own columns.

We usually think of "identity theft" as involving using someone else's name for economic fraud. But identity theft can be used for political fraud as well-- as in this case.

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[stormy]

Some people do this to others, also. Maybe they all ought to get together.

I've seen Charlie Daniels stuff sent out as anonymous. There's a lady in Indiana who wrote the piece about "The Death Of Common Sense". But, only on her site do I see the author--never when it's printed elsewhere.

And, I'm sure there are others.

[lpara]

Wow--amazing. Google has lost all objectivity and credibility--they are SO in the tank for liberals and liberal causes.

[RiverKing]

I'd give a lot to hear an honest first-person explanation of why a person would fabricate some of the outrageous stories found on the Internet. Or why a person would sign someone else's name to an opinion piece. I probably still wouldn't understand it though.

Sowell is, as usual, entirely correct. If those who now control access to the Internet don't take responsibilty, the Internet will become worthless.

[Terri]

We've been the victim of copyright theft several times. This was the most memorable instance.

Theft of Doug Patton column

Someone stole (and yes it is outright theft) Doug's column from our website, put it into an email and sent it all over the world.

Personally, I thought this woman should have been prosecuted but it's very difficult to protect intellectual property.

People do not see anything wrong with stealing someone's work and putting their own name on it.

And they won't see any reason to be concerned because Joe Biden is a plagiarist either.