CNET goes for bush...

Pretending to defend the interests of the pro-technology crowd, CNet published GOP beats Dems on tech-friendliness. The story mascarades as a "study" on congressional voting records but, as reader Jim Grady noted:

Next, exactly none of these issues is a measure of whether you're "pro technology" or not. They've all got other things mixed in there -- for example voting against restrictions of online firearms sales? If you're for restricting firearms sales you're going to vote against any
avenue of expansion, it doesn't mean you're anti e-commerce for crying out loud.

A lot of these are regulation and free trade votes, not tech votes. Then I got down to the bottom of the list and saw "To approve a tax bill that extended a research and development tax credit" and thought I'd have to change my tune, but no! Click through and read what that bill actually is -- HR 1308, the Bush tax cut, a small part of which has to do with R&D credits, but the vast majority of which was just questionable breaks for the rich. Saying that because democrats voted against this they're against technology is probably the most misleading part of the article.

The author of this piece of junk is one Declan McCullagh, apparently a CATO fan, and probably more. You can also write to the editor, and tell them what you think. I've told them to forget about me ever reading their site again.

Understand that I wouldn't mind if they favored bush in a bona fide editorial. What galls me is the pretence of objectivity.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please write to these bastards only if you are an actual tech person and/or CNet reader, and make sure they understand that. These folks know the net and won't be impressed by a mass of messages from people outside their readership. But if you qualify, please give them hell, and say goodbye to them as well.

•  That's mainly because

  All the GOP people want to ban internet taxes forever.

  by FleetAdmiralJ on Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 11:56:27 PM PDT

  •  aoeu

    That is incorrect.  Internet should be plural!

    by TealVeal on Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 11:57:53 PM PDT

    •  Really?

      Why? The plural of Universe is Universe.

      by dotpeople on Fri Oct 29, 2004 at 03:44:34 AM PDT

•  Was this already posted at

  Slashdot? If not post it there. Let Cnet be slashdotted.

  by xsal on Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 11:57:52 PM PDT

  •  No idea...

    ...I don't frequent slashdot.

    by M Aurelius on Fri Oct 29, 2004 at 12:02:07 AM PDT

  •  You can copy this whole thing if you want - NT

    by M Aurelius on Fri Oct 29, 2004 at 12:02:57 AM PDT

    •  To get anything posted as Slashdot

      you need to be a "blessed" contributor.  There's a long history of front-page stories being rejected by general contributors and the same story being accepted by the Slashdot editors hours later from a different contributor.

      Slashdot, Politech and News.com patrol the same circles, so don't expect any clarification there.

      by dotpeople on Fri Oct 29, 2004 at 03:53:08 AM PDT

•  This is why I never cared for C-Net

  It doesn't surprise me at all. It's been becoming more favorable to corporate interests for years. There was a time when it was okay, but I haven't visited cnet.com in at least 5 years.

  by rogun on Fri Oct 29, 2004 at 12:23:01 AM PDT

  •  Readership

    With domain names like news.com and com.com (allowing infinite third-level name combinations), CNet has gradually become the central dissemination point for mainstream technology news.  Yes, there are more specialized trade rags, but for a general technical audience, the CNet/ZDNet combination is the tech industry.

    by dotpeople on Fri Oct 29, 2004 at 03:47:39 AM PDT

    •  I've always considered their tech news bad

      They began slipping when it became more important to please corporate interests. ZDNet is still okay, but it's slipped some as well. And unless something's changed, ZDNet isn't affiliated with CNET.

      by rogun on Fri Oct 29, 2004 at 10:30:43 PM PDT

•  How soon they forget

  What Clinton was able to do for our economy in the nineties, especially the tech boom.

  Many of the millionaires in Silicon Valley should be grateful!  Democrats can help the economy.  And besides, how could anyone do worse than Bush?

  Oh yea - Herbert Hoover!

  by diplomatic on Fri Oct 29, 2004 at 12:31:51 AM PDT

•  scumbaggery of the highest order

  Declan McCullagh is the same anal pore who wrote the Wired article which started the whole "Gore invented the Internet" myth. I haven't read a word he's written since.

  by buddhistMonkey on Fri Oct 29, 2004 at 02:55:36 AM PDT

  •  Politech

    He is custodian of the Politech mailing list and cannot plead ignorance as a defense.

    by dotpeople on Fri Oct 29, 2004 at 03:49:54 AM PDT

•  Declan and Microsoft Trial

  I followed Declan McCullagh (and a few others) during the Microsoft antitrust trial. His reporting was far different than other reporters and IIRC did not always match the transcripts.
  

  by B Rubble on Fri Oct 29, 2004 at 06:24:17 AM PDT