Wow, just wow. Not only have they just invoked the Streisand effect, they threw some gasoline on it to boot. It’s all part of the Climate McCarthyism on display this week.
UPDATE: Ironically, Cook’s “97% consensus paper” was published one year ago today, under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license.
Data in the SI was added 16 days after publication, but not all the data, not sure if they have any legal basis to withhold the rest and still keep CCL license – Anthony
Brandon Shollenberger writes:
My Hundredth Post Can’t Be Shown
Dear readers, I wanted to do something special for my hundredth post at this site. I picked out a great topic for discussion. I wrote a post with clever prose, jokes that’d make your stomach ache from laughter and even some insightful commentary. Unfortunately, I can’t post it because I’d get sued.
You see, I wanted to talk about the Cook et al data I recently came into possession of. I wanted to talk about the reaction by Cook et al to me having this data. I can’t though. The University of Queensland has threatened to sue me if I do.
I understand that may be difficult to believe. I’d like to provide you proof of what I say. I’m afraid I can’t do that either though. If I do, the University of Queensland will sue me. As they explained in their letter threatening me:
That’s right. The University of Queensland sent me a threatening letter which threatens me further if I show anyone that letter.
Confusing, no? It gets stranger. Along with its threats, the University of Queensland included demands. The first of these is:
This demand is interesting. According to it, I’m not just prevented from disclosing any of the “intellectual property” (IP) I’ve gained access to. I’m prevented from even doing anything which involves using the data. That means I can’t discuss the data. I can’t perform analyses on it. I can’t share anything about it with you.
But that’s not all I can’t do. The University of Queensland also demanded I cease and desist from:
This fascinates me. I corresponded with John Cook to try to get him to assert any claims of confidentiality he might have regarding the data I now possess. I sent him multiple e-mails telling him if he felt the data was confidential, he should request I not disclose it. I said if people’s privacy needed to be protected, he should say so.
He refused. Repeatedly.
Apparently I badgered Cook too much. I tried too hard to get him to do his duty and try to protect his subjects’ privacy. The University of Queensland needs me to stop. If I don’t, they’ll sue me.
So yeah, sorry guys. I wanted my hundredth post to be interesting, but I guess it won’t be. Anything interesting I might have to say will get me sued. And maybe not just sued. The University of Queensland apparently wants me arrested too:
I don’t know what sort of hack they had investigate the supposed hacking, but this is silly. There was no hacking involved. The material was gathered in a perfectly legal way. I could easily prove that.
Only, proving it would require using the data I’ll be sued for using…
My Hundredth Post Can’t Be Shown
I think Chad is mixing up the Liberal Party (and coalition Nationals or Liberal Nationalist) with the Liberal or Liberal Democrats in UK. The Nationals or old Country Party are not in the same mind set as the Lib Dems in UK, that are very left. There are some rather right wing persons in all parties. But the Liberals and Nats are far better educated, some Rhodes scholars than the leading MPs who have ties with the unions. Although Bob Hawke was a Rhodes scholar too and Kim Beaseley. There’s a royal commission being held into unions right now, with regard corruption.
It seems our ex PM Julia Gillard has renovations to a home taken from a union slush fund. Oh dear.
America and social welfare? Not like ours in Australia. They may get food stamps and then have to work for ridiculous pay to get them. Didn’t Obama wish to increase the minimum hourly wage from $2 to $7 and it was rejected. What did Reagan say or his wife, ‘If you are poor it is your fault’ and cut welfare. I’ve heard the same sentiments too always from rich people. Mind you with there very large population, it must be terrible to keep the balance right with more poor people than rich or middle class.
“observa says:
May 17, 2014 at 7:46 am
…following on from a bunch of our universities’ finest howling down the public broadcaster ABC’s Q&A program with Federal Education Minister Chris Pyne in attendance as the token non-lefty that Aunty feels forced to have on the show.”
What was so funny about that evening show was the protesters were so smart they forgot to orientate their protest sign correctly. It could be read correctly from the protesters point of view. Everyone else, audeince, cameras, it was presented back-to-front…until they relalised their error. Bit like some protesters a few months back with their sign upside down.
I stopped watching Q & A, I find it too biased. But what can we do about it, eh? Funny about the wrong way to hold signs, Gee, that makes them look even more stupid!
UQ may not have a case, but they have a government full of money behind them if they want to fight they can clean you out financially and break you with litigation.
A number of people have advised Brandon to refer this to his congressman or senator or to an appropriate law enforcement body. I hate to break the news, but those people are too busy and too self-important to get involved in a minor league pissing match like this one.
It is a shame that an institution that in theory should be for open discussion of ‘science’ turns out to be nothing but an impotent bully – all bluster, no punch. For shame.
Don’t think for a second the Obama administration won’t cooperate and prosecute. You might not be a conservative, but you’re a “denier.” Climate change is a scheme to give progressives more power globally. Deniers threaten to interfere with what is being foisted on us in the name “science.” Therefore, deniers get the full force of the government boot on their neck as do all other “enemies” of progressivism.
From an attorney acquaintance:
Publish in the United States. Encourage the lawsuit from the University. Defend by demanding an immediate trial on the merits– the truth and accuracy of Cook’s published statements. Resolve the issues with finality. End the tyranny of the mythical 97%.
Mods – dp (me) is not DP in this thread – an unfortunate development.
J I am not sure of your intentions, was it a veiled threat (or warning) to Brandon. However, hacking into another’s email account or whatever, is an offense. However it is not a source of National Security or anything like Wikileaks. Spreading lies about climate change is and you are doing the country a favor by unveiling it. Even if Obama and Co would rather you didn’t.
You need to join forces with Mark Steyn who has been sued for things he has written, and excused because what he said was true, but it still costs $. He is currently being sued by Michael Mann, of hockey puck fame (infamy).