mean so-called adults.org
From my RSS reader this afternoon, in the Scripting News feed (I won't dignify this with a link:)
I got an email from Doc Searls about the phones that the students at Virginia Tech used to record what happened yesterday on their campus."From what I gather so far (and info is incomplete), most of the cell phones in use by students at Virginia Tech, and the system they used as well (much more feature-rich than phones provided by big carriers, and user-programmable to boot) were provided by a company in New York run by my friend Rodger Desai. The company is http://ravewireless.com/">Rave Wireless. I think what they're doing is critically important: helping the users help themselves and each other. And using this tragedy to create the phone systems we want, rather than what the carriers are willing to give us."
Every time I think that there is a limit to the lows the blog triumphalists will stoop to in order to continue their little chat about marketing, I get proven wrong.
The quote above is from the RSS feed of Scripting News earlier this day. And it says what you think it does.
That the significance of the Virginia Tech tragedy, the worst school shooting in American history, eclipsing even Columbine; no, the worst shooting rampage in American history, is that
THEIR DYING GIVES US LEVERAGE WITH THE CELL PHONE CARRIERS.
Maybe we can "use" this tragedy to that end.
Well, at least he disclosed his relationship to the conversationalist primed to benefit from this tragedy this time.
Incidentally, you can tell they know they've stepped in it this time, since this entry has been conveniently redacted from Scripting News. I made sure to follow best practices and preserve a screen shot.
Callow thoughtlessness does not begin to describe this.
I'm sure Doc will have more about this.Undoubtedly.
Comments
Oh, HELL no.
And here I thought Jack Thompson not even waiting 'til the bodies were cold to go on his usual anti-gaming tirade was the lowest thing I'd heard about this mess. "Appalling" doesn't begin to cover it.
Posted by: GreyDuck | April 17, 2007 4:44 PM
Wow, that's awful. Thanks for passing this on.
Posted by: Ethan | April 17, 2007 9:24 PM
Part of a private email I sent to Dave made it onto Dave's blog and then was taken down after Dave and I talked about it. That's what happened here. I'm bummed that it got into an RSS feed, but what's done is done. The fact remains that neither I nor anybody mentioned in my email to Dave was trying to "use" this tragedy for anything other than to increase understanding and prevent the same or worse happening next time.
Posted by: Doc Searls | April 18, 2007 12:45 AM