Wednesday, March 24, 2004

Chomksy Blog. I'd be more excited if he had started posting to Language Log, but even if we won't be seeing flashes of linguistic brilliance, it's still newsworthy that Noam Chomsky has started a blog. The introductory post is a little hard to decipher. This blog will include brief comments on diverse topics of concern in our time. They will sometimes come from the ZNet sustainer forum system where Noam interacts through a forum of his own, sometimes from direct submissions, sometimes culled from mail and other outlets -- always from Noam Chomsky. Posted by Noam Chomsky I wouldn't have guessed that Noam Chomsky calls Noam Chomsky "Noam Chomsky", but if it's good enough for Rickey Henderson I guess it's good enough for the Noam. Hat tip: NicoPitney over at Kos. [Thoughts Arguments and Rants] 8:05:23 PM    comment []

Letters. Writers, editors, publishers and, yes, even readers respond to "The Confessions of a Semi-successful Author." [Salon.com] 7:37:07 AM    comment []

And, as expected (see MSFT European Vacation"): EU slaps record fine on Microsoft. Regulators hit the software giant with a fine 0f $612 million for violating European Union antitrust law and order the unbundling of Media Player software from Windows. [CNET News.com] 6:20:32 AM    comment []

Newly Released Documents Shed Light on Microsoft Tactics. Details about the tactics Microsoft used to secure a dominant position in software markets are emerging in a state courthouse. By John Markoff. [New York Times: Business] 6:16:46 AM    comment []

EA's Jeff Brown Speaks Out!: Sex in TSO is impossible!. Jeff Brown, infamous smack talker, cheetah deleter, midlife crisis poster boy, and EA's Director of Corporate Communications has circulated a press release to a number of media outlets (including CNN and Tech TV).  . . .   [I]s he really that clue impaired or is this a policy of feigned ignorance designed to minimize EA's legal liability? His statement follows. Read. Enjoy!  [The Alphaville Herald] Speaking of backstory . . . we've got that, too, doncha know. 6:15:03 AM    comment []

But Will IRS Accept Virtual Cash?. A journalist immerses himself in the virtual world of online gaming and sets himself a challenge: to earn more from the sale of imaginary goods than from writing. As his deadline looms, he scrambles to make good on his bet. By Daniel Terdiman. [Wired News] A blog doesn't need a clever name has the backstory. Julian Dibbell's Play Money blog is where you can see it all playing out. 6:04:37 AM    comment []