Posts by Bart Janssen

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  • Hard News: So-called celebrity justice,

    For me it comes down to deciding who has the best knowledge and experience to make the correct call.

    Do you want a reporter or newspaper editor making that call or do you want a judge to make that call.

    I personally think we have too many laws and too many lawyers. But that doesn't mean I don't have a great deal of respect for the effort and knowledge that judges put into making what sometimes are very hard decisions. I don't think I'd be comfortable taking the decision out of their hands.

    Yes you can argue that sometimes name suppression doesn't work, but that isn't a reason to throw away a system that actually does work pretty well for most of the people whom judges decide are in need of name suppression. It is only when the media deem someone a celebrity that suppression struggles, perhaps the solution isn't to regulate the suppression system but instead to regulate the media?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report

  • Busytown: A turn-up for the books,

    Oh goodness. Didn't mean to tease.

    Yeah right - you just slipped and fell into that low cut top and mini skirt.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report

  • Busytown: A turn-up for the books,

    Richard Hammond

    Rodney Hide surely?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report

  • Busytown: A turn-up for the books,

    I heard a "rumour" on the weekend

    Um this makes me really uncomfortable. If it's true then we need facts not rumour. Leave rumour and innuendo for the MSM we should have higher standards.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report

  • Busytown: A turn-up for the books,

    And sad that people have been so horrible and unforgiving. Whoops – stuff up.

    Tania I accept that people make mistakes. What I am uncomfortable (and a bit angry) about is that instead of admitting the failure and doing everything in their power to rectify it, both the University and Prof Ihimaera have tried to minimize and dismiss and deny.

    If they had acknowledged the error and fixed it, it would been embarrassing but not anything more than that.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report

  • Busytown: A turn-up for the books,

    Rich

    I take your point that there is some separation of private activities from University.

    However, if a plant biologist does some woodwork then his homemade cabinet (a poor Krenov copy) is not really of interest to the Uni. If on the other hand he does some private consulting for a breeding company and it becomes clear he falsified results then that is the concern of the University. Essentially it is the use of the same skill set for which the University is paying.

    Prof Ihimaera wrote a novel and is employed to teach his creative writing skills. The overlap is obvious and hence any question of his integrity in his private novel writing reflects directly on his role in the University.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report

  • Busytown: A turn-up for the books,

    Were a small amount of unattributed material to be discovered in a doctoral thesis, for example, the student would be required to rewrite the thesis with appropriate attribution - precisely the action Professor Ihimaera will be taking of his own volition...

    As Gio said

    A decision he took several days after the university had publicly stated that there was no problem so far as they were concerned.

    And that is precisely my problem with the University on this issue. If it was a PhD thesis the student would be told to fix it and told they would not be getting their degree if they didn't fix it.

    An equivalent statement to Prof. Ihimaera would have required him to withdraw the book and correct the "error" and if he didn't he wouldn't be getting his salary.

    All of that of course would and should have been private and the public statement should have said "we are taking this seriously and taking steps to ensure the standards and reputation of The University are being upheld."

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report

  • Up Front: I'll Take Actium and Trafalgar,

    This list makes me think that humanity is incurably horrible and we are all doomed to endless evil and entropy

    Nope. Most folks are just fine and a lot of folks are considerably better than that. The people at the Kings Arms tonight are good examples of how good people can be and are - mostly.

    But there are some folks who aren't fine and the things they do shock and horrify, as they should. Sadly those people and the things they do make the news, as they should. And we live in hope that eventually there will be no more of that kind of people left.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report

  • Hard News: Please, be our guests,

    apologies for not being more user-friendly.

    I think she was saying you were TOO user friendly :P

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report

  • Busytown: A turn-up for the books,

    And just what kind of 'commercial art' are you thinking of???

    Another Unicorn perhaps?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report

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