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Comment by edw519 | Hacker News Reader

I once had a friend who never forgot a birthday or holiday. I always got a card from him. The problem was that it was always a card that someone else had sent him. He scribbled over their message and wrote his own, then added a lame message, "I'm doing my part by recycling."

This went on for years and I hated it. It wasn't funny anymore and I didn't want to read what others had written to him.

Then it hit me... Who was reading all the cards I had sent him?

Michael Arrington is like that friend. I will probably never send him an email because I don't want anyone else (much less the whole world) reading it.

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That's a nice anecdote, but apart from the slanted attack on Michael Arrington (which is obviously proving popular, looking at how many upvotes you got), I'm not sure what it's got to do with the article at hand.

Michael Arrington might act like a douche sometimes (maybe even lots of the time), but that's no reason not to treat this story on its merits, rather than responding with a cute character attack.

slanted attack on Michael Arrington

cute character attack

Not an attack, just an observation. And not of his character (which I am hardly qualified to judge), just of his behavior in this particular post.

I dunno, posting word for word emails from someone else in a blog just seems a little over the top to me, regardless of the reason. I don't know the merits of this case, nor do I care.

The antecdote was to make a point (as antecdotes are usually meant to do). It's the same as the office gossip. If he's saying/doing that to someone else, what's he saying/doing about me?

Thank you for introducing me to "antecdote". Brilliant word!

I suppose it is half anecdote, half antidote, which must be highly useful. Or is it maybe an ante-anecdote, an amusing story in advance (a.k.a. prophecy)?

Not surprisingly, such a useful word is in widespread use, apparently. 33,200 uses to be exact, according to Google. But no clear definition, according to antecdotal evidence.

ITYM "the available antecdata" (the plural of anecdote is anecdata, doncha know ...)

Michael Arrington is not like that friend, because he not your friend. Michael Arrington is a reporter, only tell him stuff you want made public.

They threatened legal action. Posting emails doesn't seem like an unethical move after the other side has initiated hostilities.

Exactly. They've said the alternatives are lawsuit or go with their "altered" deal. He picked lawsuit.

Since we're now going to a lawsuit, these emails are going to be exhibits in court => public knowledge.

> these emails are going to be exhibits in court

And by showing how poor they case would be, hopefully avoiding expensive hostilities.

Perhaps the better option is to only send emails you don't mind anyone else reading. And I would even suggest that you extend this to everybody you email.

Arrington is a journalist. Fortune sent him stuff and said 'publish this'. No suprise that he published it. If you sent him something 'off the record', I have no idea what he'd do. But the original fortune emails did not look like private personal emails.

> I will probably never send him an email because I don't want anyone else (much less the whole world) reading it.

I am sure he can differentiate between a personal e-mail and one sent because of your work.

Pointless attack on Arington aside, what are you wishing your friend would send you?

Are you looking for a card, or a friend acknowledging that it is your birthday?

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