Re: Seth Finkelstein / N.Y Times

To CYBERIA-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
From Mike Godwin <mnemonic@WELL.COM>
Date Fri, 20 Jul 2001 10:05:57 -0400
In-Reply-To <3.0.5.32.20010720074740.008fda80@pop.mindspring.com >
References <Your message of "Fri, 20 Jul 2001 04:15:01 EDT." <p05100303b77d97ec8bf2@[10.0.1.30] > <3.0.5.32.20010720074740.008fda80@pop.mindspring.com >
Reply-To Law & Policy of Computer Communications <CYBERIA-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM>
Sender Law & Policy of Computer Communications <CYBERIA-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM> 
Stephen Carlson writes:

>3.  a. To portray favorably: a photograph that flatters its subject.
>     b. To show off becomingly or advantageously.
>
>For meaning 3, Webster's Revised Unabridged glosses the denotation
>a bit differently: "To portray too favorably; to give a too favorable
>idea of; as, his portrait flatters him."
>
>I have no doubt that Godwin meant "flatters" as in definition
>3a or 3b; however, when his comment was followed by remarks
>that the article as it appeared was poorly sourced, it is no
>surprise that readers would see meaning 1 of false or insincere
>praise lurking under the surface.

Stephen's analysis illustrates the hazards of analyzing a single word
out of context.

The actual sentence I wrote was this:

'The very fact of the profile is
flattering, of course, and Seth is given ample opportunity to express
his views, but otherwise the piece is a little thin.'

Had Stephen thought to include the meanings of "the very fact" and
"of course" in his analysis, not to mention the meaning of the
sentence as a whole, he might have realized the latent ambiguity he
posits does not occur..

This illustrates, by the way, why lawyers should read entire cases
rather than headnotes or excerpts. It helps prevent them from making
the sort of interpretive error that Stephen Carlson makes here.

There is only sensible meaning of "flattering" in the context I used it.


--Mike

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Mike Godwin can be reached by phone at 202-637-9800
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Re: Seth Finkelstein / N.Y Times, (continued)