IRT Members, In this post of 10/18/2024, Michael Palage wrote and provided a link to a newspaper article in my hometown newspaper saying: “While Owen referred to the New York Times article as a hack, I actually would encourage all IRT members to read it, see https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/09/business/iceland-online-disinformation-id... ” The New York Times is regarded as a first-rate newspaper, one that breaks news, tracks down leads, and does original reporting and news stories. The NYT employs journalists around the world, but does not hire “hacks.” This stands in sharp contrast to most online and print “news” outlets that are a pastiche of “news” gleaned from and citing to other “news” sources of varying and uncertain repute, including “fake news,” etc. Because access is subscription based, on the morning of 10/9/2024, when it appeared on my desktop as “front page news,” I took the initiative to copy the text into a Word doc and save it as a pdf *with internal links intact* to share for information with the RySG that day. I added a note at the bottom adding the subscriber data: NYT currenthas circulation is 10.5 million, of which 10.2 are digital only. (Their goal is at least 15 million by the end of 2027.) (See attached) I now share it with the PPSAI IRT in my individual capacity, and not in any representational one. (Photos were redacted, but included original NYT-credited pictures of the building at Kalkofnsvegur 2, Reykjavik; the manager of the basement museum outside that building; an overhead shot of the city center; and one of the leader of Iceland’s Media Commission.) On another of Michael's points, I attach a screen capture which today shows the domain record for palage.com, clearly identifying Michael D. Palage as registrant, which information had been masked without his prior knowledge or instructions as he reported. (See attached) On a personal note, I believe this highlights the need for domain records to unequivocally distinguish as to whether a registration is either under the “Proxy” or the “Privacy” paradigm. Furthermore, the choice between either disclosure of registrant name or privacy or proxy should be left to registrants based on clear definitions and free choice. Best regards, John McCabe .whoswho
