(Sam Sloan) wrote in
message ...
On 22 Dec 2003 09:29:57 -0800, (Nick) wrote:
"sandirhodes" wrote in
message news:gXrFb.14813$PK3.2455@okepread01...(to Sam Sloan):
"Sam Sloan" wrote
(snipped)
I still would like to know: Was Tisdall's quip, which I published
without attribution in the Gulf News, based on his actual knowledge of
the situation in England, or was it just a sarcastic remark or a joke?
Sam Sloan

Yet the last paragraph is a microcosm of your ineptitude. Are you
really naive enough to assume that such an outlandish statement is fact?
The average ten year old has better grasp of irony than this.
Are you so unprofessional as to not check out such a comment before
publishing it, given the inflammatory aspect and the fact that you
insinuated it to be true?

Evidently, Sam Sloan *is* 'so unprofessional'. Here's another example:

In the thread, "John Fernandez and Yermonlinsky, long lost brothers?"
(30 March 2003), Sam Sloan wrote (the spelling errors are his, not mine):
"There was an indicent (sic) years ago where the player who won the British
Chess Championship was not allowed to play on the British Team in the
Olympiad, so he sent his championship trophy back to the BCF in the mail.
I think the name of the player was Botterwell (sic). Do you remember that?
Do you think that the Botterwells of the world should be entitled to compete
in the World Chess Olympiad?"

For the record, IM George Botterill was not involved in any incident such
as that described by Sam Sloan. But Sam Sloan rushed to circulate that
allegation without even troubling to check the facts, including the correct
spelling of IM Botterill's name.

Yes, but this incident occur and the only difference was the name of
the player.

That's evidence of Sam Sloan's standards as a 'chess journalist'.

Welcome to the unique world of "Planet Sam".
Here might be a headline from the popular tabloid, "The Planet Sam Crimes":
"President Kennedy was Assassinated by Sam Sloan!!!"
(more revealing details inside after the section with photos of nude women)

Here might be a dialogue between Sam Sloan and the tabloid's editor:
SS: I'm going to sue you for libel! Even if I have been disbarred!
Ed: Why us?
SS: You published something that's not true about me! Shame on you!
Ed: But the 'incident (did) occur and the only difference was the name'.

I wrote "I think the name of the player was Botterwell."
I said, "I think". I did not say that I know.

Sam Sloan did not have to mention anyone's name at all.
(How many 'facts' could Sam Sloan 'know' without doing any 'thinking'?)

This is after all just a discussion group.

Sam Sloan could have *asked*: "Does anyone know this player's name?"

The correct name of the player was later provided by somebody else.
It might have been Dr. Fazekas but again I do not know.

Mr. Sloan, when you don't know something, please don't write as though you do
know it. And if that means that you hardly will be able to write at all as
a 'chess journalist', then please consider that fiction might be a more
promising field for your evident literary talents.

--Nick