Computer consultants with an Ebola FAQ?!?!?

[Greg Sheppard]

In article <3pfuk8$40fk at news.doit.wisc.edu>,
Stephan Spencer <sspencer at rhino.bocklabs.wisc.edu> wrote:
>Re: "The Ebola FAQ" (http://ichiban.objarts.com/ebola/ebolaFAQ.html)
>    and "The Ebola Page" (http://ichiban.objarts.com/ebola/ebola.html)
>
>Fellow scientists,
>
>I am deeply disturbed by David Ornstein's (davido at apocalypse.org) misuse of
>the Net and of a natural disaster such as the Ebola outbreak in Zaire 
>to increase his Internet visibility and thus increase business
>for his company. His opportunism is not at all appropriate
>in this situation, and I believe he has gone too far, now that
>he has appointed himself as the Ebola FAQ maintainer. 

 Give it a rest dude.  David's web page has had in excess of 49000
accesses since May 10.  He was the first to see a need for a
central pointer for Ebola info, and the first to step up and fill
that need.

>I proposed in a
>previous posting to bionet.virology for professional virologists to 
>contribute to and moderate an Ebola FAQ with a virology institution 
>maintaining the FAQ, and I still strongly believe that this is
>the way it should be done.

 While you were "proposing", David was doing.

> Imagine what could happen if millions of
>Net users come to depend on Mr. Ornstein for accurate information on
>the virus, but, having no background in virology, he makes a mistake that
>provokes mass hysteria! I propose that we do not contribute to
>his FAQ, but instead maintain our own. Furthermore, I propose that
>we do not contribute to his Web pages. 
>
 Yes, it might be better if you could see past your nose in the
air to find a solution for this epidemic before its too late.
We mere mortals are kinda depending on you for answers.  Scary huh?

>Is it just me, or are others out there upset about Mr. Ornstein's
>(a person with absolutely no training in virology) very
>inappropriate and downright inexcusable representations of being
>the *definitive* resource for Ebola on the Net? 

 Only a few academic snobs I'm sure.  The rest of us just want to
know what's going on.