Censorship (and that Thesis)

[Guest]

Quoting RJ Covino from 18:27, 13th Jun 2005

I think I'll wait for it to appear on the big screen. I've discovered that all contracts for books tend to come with a rider about signing away the movie rights.

I had a physics teachers once who had written the penguin (or somesuch big publisher) dictionary of physics for A level students; he couldn't really be bothered to edit the 2nd edition a few years later as the money was crap, but his editor at the publisher somehow came up with a couple of grand extra for the movie rights to said dictionary to bump up his advance...

[Curiosity]

I'm absolutely fascinated by how this thread has managed to tantalise and tease. As someone who is familiar with the illustrious Dr Motley, I would be fascinated to learn the story as to how he obtained his PhD?

[exnihilo]

In the normal fashion. Suggestions to the contrary are being made here by people who don't know him and were probably in Secondary School at the time, people who should be careful about making defamatory insinuations.

[Tweedle-Dum]

I was told the story by two gentlemen who frequent this board, and were around in the Motley era.

[hr]

Live by the sword, die by the arrow.

[exnihilo]

Ah. Now I understand. You're a rumour-monger. Got it. I wonder what other fascinating gossip you've been spreading around without knowing the first thing about that of which you speak?

[Ewan MacDonald]

Quoting exnihilo from 00:42, 15th Jun 2005
Ah. Now I understand. You're a rumour-monger. Got it. I wonder what other fascinating gossip you've been spreading around without knowing the first thing about that of which you speak?

Probably most of the malicious and unpleasant rubbish that he posts here I imagine.

[hr]
(edited for missing 'of' DOH!)

Nulla fere causa est, in qua non femina litem moverit
Juvenal 242

[Guest]

Quoting Curiosity from 14:41, 14th Jun 2005
I would be fascinated to learn the story as to how he obtained his PhD?

Just like everybody else. Lots of hard work diligently delving into the dark crevices no other man dared.

[who the bejaysus is Motley?]

Quoting exnihilo from 19:26, 14th Jun 2005
In the normal fashion.

And so ends the story of Motley and his thesis, with everyone living happily ever after.

[Curiosity]

Hmm, if it was truly "in the normal way" it's odd that so many stories of intervention from the highest level came into being. But obviously you know better than the rest of us.

[exnihilo]

In this instance? Yes, I do.

[Tweedle-Dum]

Quoting Ewan MacDonald from 08:13, 15th Jun 2005

Quoting exnihilo from 00:42, 15th Jun 2005
Ah. Now I understand. You're a rumour-monger. Got it. I wonder what other fascinating gossip you've been spreading around without knowing the first thing about that of which you speak?

Probably most of the malicious and unpleasant rubbish that he posts here I imagine.

No, some rumours involve me having met people involved, and being entitled to my own opinion, and freedom of speech.

[hr]

Live by the sword, die by the arrow.

[exnihilo]

Freedom of speech does not permit you to make untrue statements about others. Nor does it permit you to defame them in public fora.

[not jules]

Quoting exnihilo from 17:54, 15th Jun 2005
Freedom of speech does not permit you to make untrue statements about others. Nor does it permit you to defame them in public fora.

In england at least, methinks it does - Libel and slander do not make it illegal to say untrue things about people, merely expensive.

[Guest]

Quoting exnihilo from 00:42, 15th Jun 2005
Ah. Now I understand. You're a rumour-monger. Got it. I wonder what other fascinating gossip you've been spreading around without knowing the first thing about that of which you speak?

That may or may not be the case for Jules in this instant, but your point raises an interesting question, where is the line between rumour-mongering and institutional oral memory?
(in that much of historical source material is made up and/or not true, eg plutarch)

[Dave the Explosive Newt]

Quoting not jules from 18:35, 15th Jun 2005
In england at least, methinks it does - Libel and slander do not make it illegal to say untrue things about people, merely expensive.

By the same token, presumably exceeding speed limits, property damage and other minor offences are merely expensive as opposed to illegal?


[hr]

Will Watson. Medical Student. Cake Lover.

[Curiosity]

There is a slight distinction as the activities you have described are criminal, with potential for incarceration, while slander is strictly a matter of civil law. So yes, it is simply expensive rather than illegal. But truth is an absolute defence to any allegation of slander.

[RJ Covino]

Quoting from 18:39, 15th Jun 2005
eg plutarch)

I protest most strongly to this slandering of the name of Plutarch! Typical that you do so only behind the veil of an unregistered user.

To pluck one example purely off the top of my head, for the customs and rituals of classical Sparta as were preserved down to his own time, Plutarch remains an incredible eye-witness. He has also been shown to be well-read and his research has been demonstrated to be well above the par for an ancient authority. On his citation technique see most recently Maldonado Samper, A. (2001) "Las citas de poetas helenísticos en Plutarco", in Misticismo y religiones mistéricas en Plutarco, pp. 545-552.

[hr]

http://www.ralphcovino.com

[Tweedle-Dum]

Quoting exnihilo from 17:54, 15th Jun 2005
Freedom of speech does not permit you to make untrue statements about others. Nor does it permit you to defame them in public fora.

Where was the defamation?. The original claim was that I had seen, touched and read Eric Motley's Thesis.

[hr]

Live by the sword, die by the arrow.

[exnihilo]

And you at no point implied any irregularity?

[Tweedle-Dum]

It was unlike anything I had ever read before, but I've never read a Thesis, so that could be it.

[hr]

Live by the sword, die by the arrow.