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Comment by tinco | Hacker News Reader

How can it be divulging a trade secret when he isn't in on NYT's trade secrets?

I think it's slander because he does not know how many hours NYT spent on making it, he could be totally wrong yet he is stating it as fact.

Anyhow it's an unfair comparison because NYT actually had to come up with this idea, he just had to replicate it.

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I think it's slander because he does not know how many hours NYT spent on making it

You're confusing the legal concept of "slander" with the concept of "perhaps being wrong". For extra irony, by your definition of slander, you're guilty of it simply by accusing this guy of being guilty of it.

edit: Whoops, by posting this I too am guilty of slander by your definition.

Actually, slander is spoken.

When dealing with print, the term is libel.

Why is the difference meaningful?

I presume because the relative permanence of the printed word relative to the spoken, leading to its potentially greater exposure.

I was going to point that out but it seems like such a trifling point to make when there's not even any defamation at hand.

Haha thanks for the explanation :)

  | Anyhow it's an unfair comparison because
  | NYT actually had to come up with this idea,
  | he just had to replicate it.

No it's not. It could be worded better, but the gist is:

  The NYT spend a bunch of time and money to create
  Snow Fall. Using this product (scrollkit), you can
  create the same thing in about an hour. Call now!
  Operators are standing by.

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