Empty Free Energy Claims Are the New Streaking.
We should institute a free-energy-claims-policy similar to Professional Baseball’s Crazy Fan Rule:
“You’ll never see one of these scenes on TV because there’s a rule that the broadcasters are not allowed to follow the drunk baseball fan onto the field. If they were to broadcast the drunk fan, the theory goes, that would just encourage more people to do it, meaning more delayed games, annoyed players, offended fans and busted streakers.”
Similarly, if someone claims to have a free energy device that will save all man kind, and promises to demo it in 3 weeks, i propose that blogs ignore ’em. unless they’re ready to demo, or give concrete information about their supposed technology, give them no press.
As the theory goes, we’re just encouraging these people make silly claims they can’t/don’t/won’t back up, meaning more wasted time and annoyed readers.
This is essentially the streaking of the new media: claim you have a free-energy device that will save the world, and you’ll demo it in a week or two.
Get your 0.15 seconds of fame.
That’s no different that jumping down to the baseball field in your undies and running around: you just piss everyone off, and wasting their time, to get a little attention.
haha
li - July 24th, 2008 at 8:55 pm