Silly conference reporting restrictions. I can't fathom why conference organizers still insist their events are "off the record" in this age of WiFi and Weblogs. For a small private workshop, fine. But any time a CEO of a public company stands up in front of several hundred executives, he or she knows what they say is fair game. After all, journalists could just interview the attendees and get them to confirm what the speaker said. It's pretty silly when armchair bloggers break news simply because the journalists next to them aren't allowed to report what they hear.

At Supernova, we put no such restrictions on attendees. A conference is a conversation, and if you're not comfortable saying something that might be repeated, don't say it. Pervasive Internet connectivity and low barriers to publishing are realities that everyone needs to deal with. From my perspective, the fact that attendees, whether professional journalists or not, can blog the event is a benefit, not a threat. It enhances the conference for those present and those elsewhere. [Werblog]

I've discussed this on my Corante weblog, Living Code. I will be more likely to visit Supernova than a WSJ conference. Supernova has had some really hreat topics and will be on my shorty list of meetings to check out.  10:00:13 PM    

Ann Coulter (bizarrely) blames global warming on 'aerosol spray'. David Appell points out the incredible lack of understanding Ann Coulter has of things environmental in her column. Looks like she did her normal amount of research on this topic. [David Harris' Science and Literature]

I no longer even bother taking what ANY columnist says seriously because so many of them write fiction, not non-fiction. Few are actually required to do any fact checking and are generally viewed by even their own editors as entretainment, not news. Ann Coulter is a prime example, picking and choosing facts, using hot words, being purposely rude, because he job is to stir up the ant pile, not actual educate anyone. The more she can keep people stupid, the better her for her career. As a nice aside, if you search google using fact checking columnist the number one link is an artcle discussing Ann Coulter and her bizarre behavior.  9:55:14 AM