Johann Hari apologises for lifting quotes

Johann Hari’s apology has just been published on the Independent website. Even though his actions aren’t defensible, it’s hard not to feel for someone who is trying their best to write in the clearest and most factual way. It is always something I think about when I need to cover a topic and find quotes to support it. How far do you go in order to enhance and support an article? Is the matter of putting a quote in the past tense so important that someone should be suspended from their job?

Obviously, editing Wikipedia entries to add unfavourable comments isn’t the smartest move if you’re a well-known journalist – and I would argue that it’s a much bigger issue than re-publishing quotes. But was that the real reason for the furore, or was it down to the subsequent Twitter campaign and #interviewswithhari hashtag?

Rookie revolution

I first became interested in writing when I was a teenager. I used to buy (no – devour) fanzines – home made, photocopied magazines about people’s lives and the things they loved. I had the internet at home from the age of 16, but it didn’t compare to a good zine back then, and maybe it wouldn’t now. Or would it?

If I was 17 now, I’m sure I wouldn’t order as many fanzines as I did before the internet was so widespread. But I bet I’d love Rookie very much indeed. It’s a new website for teens that covers all the best things in life: buying your first guitar, dealing with difficult friends, customising your clothes, wearing your cool customised clothes to school, surviving school once you actually get there. Dip into the September Songs post and you’ll find reviews of Bratmobile, Pavement and the ‘Freaks and Geeks’ soundtrack. (OK, now I don’t feel so old after all! Thanks, Rookie!)

Rookie is beautifully written by a team of teens, twenty- and thirty-somethings with great taste and buckets of talent. Even if you’re well beyond their target age group, have a look. (And if you need another writer, Rookie, you know where I am).

Unfriendly robots

We like to think we’re pretty friendly at Red Robot, which is more than can be said for these surly robots.

Researchers at Cornell University put two chat bot programs side by side and filmed the results of the exchange. The programs have been ‘trained’ to chat to humans during 15 years of interaction with bored web surfers.

It seems that robots trained by humans end up being just as stubborn and pernickety as their teachers.