Posts by Rich of Observationz
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I reckon a "discharge without conviction" should *only* be given when the defendant broke the law, but in a technical fashion that means that a conviction isn't justified. It should never be given when there's a justifiably aggrieved victim (as in the above case). If no punishment is indicated, then the defendant should be convicted and discharged.
Based on that, I'd say that there should be a clear framework for name suppression:
- before a trial finishes, there would be automatic name suppression unless the defendant elects to waive it, it would interfere with a just outcome of the trial, or it would cast suspicion on a third party who might be thought to be the accused.
- after an acquittal or discharge without conviction, name suppression would continue except on the above grounds.
- after a conviction resulting in a substantial sentence (jail, community service or a fine over $1000) name suppression would only be available to protect the identity of the victim.
- where a minor sentence is imposed, name suppression would be at the discretion of the judge on the grounds of disclosure imposing a disproportionate additional penalty.
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The insurmountable problem with electronic (or postal) voting is that it destroys the concept of the secret ballot. People can influence, buy and cajole voters as they wish (or simply fill their families ballot papers out and send them off).
Incidentally, has anyone noticed the text of Maori Party posters - "our whanau supports the Maori Party". Personally, I make *my* voting decisons idenpendently of the rest of my family, and I reckon most Maori people do as well. But the National Party (Maori Section) seem to think it's ok for Dad (or Mum) to decide how everyone's going to vote?
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At the last count, Volgograd had a slightly smaller population than Auckland
Yeah, well the Wehrmacht probably helped in that.
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Russell, we all know about R..... H..., the c...r... and the n...y g... already. Or is this the one about an All Black, several members of the Finnish ladies volleyball team, and a range of items from the vegetable section of a well known supermarket?
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He needs to wake up and realise that 87.4 percent of New Zealander voters have enough common sense to know he is wrong
Maybe if Craig had been flogged at school every time he made a grammatical error, he'd be able to write correct English. It's "New Zealand voters" and "know that he is wrong".
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So if you're a university lecturer, your work must be of "academic" standard? You wouldn't be allowed to write a semi-pornographic scurrilous novel, for instance?
Also, if universities are responsible for their staff's work, can I raise a complaint about the barista at [redacted] who served me a mochachino that was oversweet and way short on the espresso? I believe they are an doctoral student in Chemistry, and should be a lot more competent with basic process.
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What isn't teaching is research - or publication, really.
So Auckland Uni gets Witi's royalties and pays him a salary in return?
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"Guidelines for the Conduct of Research"
Hang on, how is a novel "research"? Indeed, what is the university's standing in any of this? I'm assuming that Prof. I's contract probably allows him to write books in his own time, and that isn't part of the teaching and research he does for the university.
(Ok, so he may have a disrepute clause, but that isn't what they are saying).
Now, my point on this is that some work, from student essays up to postdoc publications, partly or fully exists in order to establish the capabilities of the author. So plagiarism is clearly a problem because it removes that linkage - the work isn't the author's own, so it doesn't establish their ability.
But a novel isn't that. The only warranty implied when you pick it up in Whitcoulls is that the pages have ink on them. The purchaser may or may not find it entertaining, thought-provoking or informative. They aren't however, making a judgement as to whether to employ the author in any capacity.
There are some forms of creative work where unacknowledged borrowing is standard, dance music for instance. Not to mention the whole issue of ghostwriters. Should Churchill and his publisher have noted that many of his books were largely written by teams of assistants?
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..provide the site owner with verifiable contact details like everyone who writes a letter for publication to a newspaper or magazine.
Because that helps get a better quality of comment? Is it just me who thinks the majority of letters written to NZ national newspapers are from diagnosed mental patients, who were thrown out of the SS after failing the English exam? It's no coincidence that Garth George used to be the Herald's letters editor.
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Also, not all non-fiction has notes. Lower level textbooks mostly don't.
George Dangerfield's "The Strange Death of Liberal England", a classic of its kind, has not a single footnote or reference in the entire book. Since he was writing around 20 years after the events, he may have written the entire book from personal recollection, but I doubt it.