I shoulda oughta know'd better.

Not that I'm gonna wade into the mess anymore. There's no point arguing with
people when they refuse to read. One thing I'd point out to the
endless chatter of "but they're just doing what a human being can do" or
"it's on the web page, they're just picking it up".

Hey, just 'cause you can walk up and look through my window while I've got
the blinds open doesn't make it ok to do so. Same thing if you're listening
over the fence to me and my friends 'cause we're out drinking beer and
bbq'ing on the back porch. The fact that you can do something does not imply
that you're ethically in the right to do something.

This idea that business rules are different than personal rules may ultimately
be satisfying to someone who believes that they must get ahead at all costs,
but it definitely doesn't make a person who acts that way or believes this is
the way to act in business a trustworthy partner.

And there are few things in life more troublesome than an untrustworthy
business partner.

That probably applies to a lot of things in life, but as a writer, I can't
let that get in my way. It's too depressing to contemplate.

Though, I do have an idea floating around for a story.

And that would indeed make the mess of the data acquisition worth something,
at least to me. And that ain't nothing.

Let's face it, a good story, and the time to tell it, is the proverbial pearl
without price.

You dear reader, unfortunately, are going to have to wait a few days. I'm in
the middle of a different story, and it's just *that* close to finish. There's
a detective, and a body, and a killer, and the one is about to meet the other
at last...

(ETA: I don't mean that *you*, dear reader, misunderstood my poor scribblings. You are that most
delightful person, a reader of perspective and wisdom (and I'll stop with the flattery). What I mean
specifically is that I made the mistake of reading the first few kneejerk reactions/comments that
floated up where one of my posts got linked to in another forum. I know better, but sometimes, the
will is weak...)