(REPORTING LIVE...)
~5:55pm~ EST
HE'S BACK!!!!!:
What this is - is a total and complete disrespect for the medium of blogging. It is the actions of the self-superior "big media" journalists (be they on our side even) steam rolling over the pajamaboys and pajamagirls and not caring one ounce about the end result.
In the picture above what you are looking at is none other than John Fund returning to the scene of the crime and this time swiping the computer of Robert Cox of The National Debate.
As this picture was taken by blog-sleuth Wes Roth, Bob and I were in the food court 100 yards away grabbing our lunch so that we could return to an afternoon of blogging.
Wes snapped the shot and made a bee-line to find us.
1. Because it was Bob's computer and Fund again had no permission to access the laptop.
2. Because as "chatty-cathy" as Fund had been earlier in the morning to us bloggers, he obviously had not seen an ounce of the swarm coverage - which is growing but was still considerably all over the blogosphere, and he had not learned his lesson yet.
After Fund had made his "laptop snatch" this morning some of the bloggers had kidded around that perhaps it had been unfair to draw attention to Fund's use of someone's laptop without their permission. Doverspa at RedState even said that he wasn't bothered by Fund using the machine, even though it was rude and he had been inconvenienced.
My comment at the time was this. "It's not about the laptop. It's about us - the medium - bloggers".
Sean Hannity last week attempted to credit his web-site as a "high traffic blog", and then he promptly went on to trounce the Freepers in the process. Today within a period of 3 hours, John Fund thrice referred to his column as a blog - while making small talk with the credentialed bloggers - and then went on to violate their personal laptops to do whatever the jolly well he pleased on them.
After Roth showed me the still shot above on his digital camera I made a beeline back to the blogger's corner and he was still there.
The consensus among us bloggers is that he was doing this for his own convenience so that he would not have to stand in line on Internet row to access a TownHall.com computer that had been set up for CPAC attendees to do just what Fund wished to do.
And for clarification - here's what the signs above each of the areas looked like:
Internet Alley sponsored by TownHall.com
(Wes Roth, Terrorism Unveiled, Matt Margolis in Blogger's Corner)
Blogger's Corner stuck way back in the rear of the exhibit hall.
Cox did not return with me immediately as he was assisiting a very nice supporter of Condi Rice in the food court on the basic steps of how to set up a blog for her efforts.
When he did - he too realized what Fund was doing AGAIN!
("The National Debate's" Robert Cox wanting his computer back)
And that my friend is where the story truly begins to get interesting.
Cox in a very coy voice asks Fund, "will you be long?"
Fund: "Nope I just need a minute more..." (he had already been on about 20 at this point...)
Cox: "I believe they had some software installed on these machines - so be careful - they may be recording your every keystroke."
Fund: (A dumb-founded look upon his face, a medium size gulp in his throat) "Um...ok...well that should be fine. I just wouldn't want anyone to read my e-mail..."
In the length of time that he persisted on Cox's machine I was able to snap the photos you see in this story and e-mail them one by one from my phone to myself.
Not long after that - Fund departs, no "thank you"s, no "I'm sorry for using your private computer, etc.".
It was at this time that Cox returned to his machine where he realized that when Fund had arrived Cox's browser had been opened to the front page of The National Debate which included on that front page Bob's continuing contributions to the funny Fund episode.
As Cox began closing the browsers that Fund had left open on the laptop, a small window opened alerting Cox, or whoever else might have seen it - that they were still logged in - to the Dow Jones servers as an admin user for the Wall Street Journal.
In addition to that Fund had left his access to Outlook Mail opened with his full lists of e-mail waiting and ready to be read. To Cox and the rest of the blogger's credit - none was accessed. We can reveal though that one of the e-mail subject lines read "Smokin' Hot Dancer".
Cox issued a quite helpful e-mail that we all hope John reads so that he doesn't allow future hackers to mess with the beloved Wall Street Journal or Dow Jones servers.
John,
Good to see you at CPAC. Recall that you were using my laptop while I
grabbed lunch.
I hit the BACK button to get back to where I was when you sat down and
found your Outlook Inbox was displayed. You also left my computer logged into the WSJ mail server; anyone could have come by and sent e-mails from your account and possibly used your remote connection to access the Dow Jones servers.
You might want to be more careful when you jump on someone's PC.
--
Robert Cox
Managing Editor
http://www.TheNationalDebate.com
http://www.OlbermannWatch.comMember
Media Bloggers Association
http://www.mediabloggers.org
I know that this entire escapade is ridiculous. But the fact that it was perpetrated against the bloggers twice over a matter of hours and as he could have well learned his lesson from the first swarm written on the matter - it really served to reinforce my point.
Bloggers have a right to make a statement about the arrogance of the big media with which we are treated. Whether they be for us or against us from an idealogical standpoint is really beside the point.
One blogger went especially light on Fund - for both offenses. The rest of us saw it for what it was - an invasion of a personal space that is more dear to the heart of a blogger - than the inside of a purse is to the woman who owns it (something I would think that blogger who went light on Fund would understand).
If you come onto my laptop without my permission it is in essence the same as breaking into my home or office. And on that note you best be careful because in Texas, where I grew up, we shoot people who break and enter - and ask questions later...
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