Date: Fri, 5 Nov 2010 19:32:42 -0400
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Much fun! Re: [wsfa-forum] "If it's on the internet
 it's public domain"
From: whitroth at 5-cent.us
To: wsfa-forum at yahoogroups.com
Cc: "WSFA members" <wsfalist at keithlynch.net>
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

Michael Walsh wrote:
>> mark <whitroth at 5-cent.us> 11/4/2010 8:31 PM >>>
>>Michael Walsh wrote:
>>>> Elspeth Kovar <ekovar at panix.com> 11/4/2010 3:09 PM >>>
>>>> Michael Walsh wrote:
>>>>> http://whatever.scalzi.com/2010/11/04/the-stupidest-thing-an-editor-with=
>>> -three-decades-of-experience-has-said-about-the-web-today/#comments
>>>>> http://tinyurl.com/263lp3p
>>>>>
>>>>> Well, wasn't that special?
>>>> Following this has been tremendous fun.  It's hit Scalzi, Gaiman, The
>>>> Washington Post, and just keeps spreading.  Try google and you may not
>>>> be able to keep up.
>>>>
>>>> There's also now a link (see the WPost article) to a FB page where
>>>> people are tracking down and posting more and more copyright
>>>> infringements,almost as a game.  I'm having a hard time getting work
>>>> done today!
>>>
>>> It is not wise to make the InterWebs angry.
>>
>>That's Internet... but reminds me of the first huge 'Net attack, the
>>Green Card Scam. '93? '94? Spring. Cantor and Siegel, two lawyers,
>>spammed *ALL* of usenet advertising green card services for legal
>>immigrants. Within 24 hours, their ISP had crashed three times under the
>>weight on incoming complaints of Fair Use violation, within a couple
>>more days, all legal documents that were public were posted, including
>>the info on the house they'd sold, the one they owned and rented out,
>>and the one they lived in. And, a week or week and a half later, the
>>entire text of his ->disbarment<- in two states for grossly cheating his
>>clients and doing what he had been hired for, nor returning unused money.
>>
>>They eventually divorce, I think, and one of them died. They still
>>claimed there was no "community", and it was all a business opportunity.
>
> Would you be surprised to know there's a wiki entry for them?
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Canter_and_Martha_Siegel

Nope. I know about it, just figured I'd tell the short version without
making people go searching....

        mark "was there when it happened"