Just call me Barbra - The Streisand Effect
Orac has a really good letter into David Kirby and Dan Olmsted, two literary worthies of the mercury equals autism confederacy, concerning the attack on free speech implicit in Cliff Shoemaker's subpoena issued to Kathleen Seidel. As bloggers and otherwise free wheeling members of the cyber-commentariat, such tactics are not welcome and should be vigorously dealt with.
It will be interesting to see whether Kirby and/or Olmsted react to this. There is a precedent for co-operation. All sides came together to protest the ill-conceived Ransom Notes Campaign. Here is the same kind of thing - an obviously self-serving action that will have deleterious effects beyond the narrow concerns of the Sykes and Shoemaker. So far, the reaction from Lenny and Co of the yahoo site, "Evidence of Harm" (EOH) has been predictable, but not entirely. One EOH member cottoned that Kirby, Olmsted, Shoemaker and a great many others could be similarly subpoenaed and with far greater chances of success that Kathleen Seidel. She was promptly labelled a 'pharma shill'. That may not last, if Lenny, ex-journalist that he is, gives it a bit of thought. Not, mind you that Lenny is consistently thoughtful about things - but one never knows. We'll see. In the meantime do read Orac's letter and circulate it widely if you feel so inclined.
Liz Ditz of "I Speak of Dreams" is maintaining a list of bloggers writing about this issue, which should make somebody's honours thesis on the 'Streisand Effect" considerably easier.
Update: Not a bad article in the press, aptly titled:
What a Web of actional links we can weave at:
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080409/NEWS01/933585002
It will be interesting to see whether Kirby and/or Olmsted react to this. There is a precedent for co-operation. All sides came together to protest the ill-conceived Ransom Notes Campaign. Here is the same kind of thing - an obviously self-serving action that will have deleterious effects beyond the narrow concerns of the Sykes and Shoemaker. So far, the reaction from Lenny and Co of the yahoo site, "Evidence of Harm" (EOH) has been predictable, but not entirely. One EOH member cottoned that Kirby, Olmsted, Shoemaker and a great many others could be similarly subpoenaed and with far greater chances of success that Kathleen Seidel. She was promptly labelled a 'pharma shill'. That may not last, if Lenny, ex-journalist that he is, gives it a bit of thought. Not, mind you that Lenny is consistently thoughtful about things - but one never knows. We'll see. In the meantime do read Orac's letter and circulate it widely if you feel so inclined.
Liz Ditz of "I Speak of Dreams" is maintaining a list of bloggers writing about this issue, which should make somebody's honours thesis on the 'Streisand Effect" considerably easier.
Update: Not a bad article in the press, aptly titled:
What a Web of actional links we can weave at:
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080409/NEWS01/933585002
posted by Alyric | 7:03 AM
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