On Thu, Oct 25, 2007, Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote about "You ain't paranoid if
people really are out to get you!":
> Since the topic came up earlier today, I thought this might be relevant:
>
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/oct/25/google.israel
>
> What was attributed to government paranoia or greed turns out to be
> good defense.
Forgive me for saying this, but this piece of "news", which was also
published in all major Hebrew newspaper, is one of the worst pieces of crap
that was published in the last year.
A good journalist should know that "reporting a fact" is not the same as
reporting the whole truth. For example, a journalist might report that
"Nadav Har'El was not found guilty of a murder", which is technically true
(I really haven't been found guilty of any murder), but incorrectly implies
that I have been suspected of some murder, and might cause readers to wrongly
associate me with some murder or some suspicion, that never existed in the
first place.
In the case of the story you quoted, the papers basically quoted a fact: that
the Hamas was using Google Earth to see maps of Israel to decide where to
launch their rockets to. But quoting this fact as a piece of news *implies*
to the average reader that the Hamas are somehow dependent on Google Earth
for their targeting Israel, and if Google Earth did not exist (or was
somehow blocked by Israel) - the rockets would immediately stop.
But the plain truth is that Google Earth doesn't give Hamas much beyond
what a plain printed map - of the type you can buy in any bookstore or gas
station - could give them. They are probably using Google instead of the
printed map because of the same reason we use it - convenience - not necessity.
Similarly, I am guessing that the Hamas are writing their terrorism plans
on a computer with Microsoft Word, not on pieces of paper. So, why not publish
a piece of "news" saying that
Microsoft Word Used to Plan Terror Attacks!
After which surely many readers will want to block Microsoft sales in the
Gaza strip, and many readers might start believing that Microsoft is evil
and must be boycotted...
--
Nadav Har'El | Friday, Oct 26 2007, 14 Heshvan 5768
[EMAIL PROTECTED] |-----------------------------------------
Phone +972-523-790466, ICQ 13349191 |What's tiny, yellow and very dangerous? A
http://nadav.harel.org.il |canary with the super-user password.
=================================================================
To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with
the word "unsubscribe" in the message body, e.g., run the command
echo unsubscribe | mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
