La Presse on the eco-sceptics' web war

Montreal's La Presse has published an article on the global warming skeptics' on-line war on science. (Google translation here.)

I get mentioned:

Certains vont jusqu'à accuser les éco-sceptiques d'utiliser de fausses identités dans les blogues afin de donner des voix multiples à leur opinion, en s'approuvant eux-mêmes.

Le blogueur australien Tim Lambert dit ainsi avoir découvert sur son site deux commentateurs qui n'étaient qu'une seule et même personne, le blogueur torontois Stephen McIntyre, cadre de l'industrie minière à la retraite. Les responsables du site environnementaliste RealClimate.org ont reçu de nombreux commentaires sceptiques provenant de la même adresse Internet -celle du Sénat américain.

My attempt at a translation:

The eco-skeptics also use false identities on blogs, providing multiple voices to their opinion by supporting themselves.

Australian blogger Tim Lambert discovered on his site two commentators who were one and the same, the Toronto blogger Stephen McIntyre, retired mining industry executive. The people in charge of RealClimate.org received many skeptical comments from the same Internet address -- that of the United States Senate.

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Tim's translation is a good one - much better than the google version :)

The article begins with some of the experience Hugh Mcguire's had. Those interested in the original exchanges can check his blog (http://dosemagazine.com/)

By Stephen Murphy (not verified) on 20 Feb 2007 #permalink

"RealClimate.org received many skeptical comments from the same Internet address -- that of the United States Senate."

Yep. That would be our tax dollars at work.

It's really quite an ingenious system that we have here in America.

We pay taxes so our Senators and other representatives can pull the wool over our eyes.

I knew that would happen when I mentioned Deltoid and RealClimate. Nicolas telephone interviewed me a couple of months ago and I guess I talked myself right out of the article!

Oh well, if blogging doesn't bring me fame, there's always the fortune...

Umm, Coby ...

In other news, Roger Pielke Jr. has been sockpuppeting his wiki site....

"The eco-skeptics also use false identities on blogs, providing multiple voices to their opinion by supporting themselves."

Perhaps they would be better termed "Echo-skeptics".

"RealClimate.org received many skeptical comments from the same Internet address -- that of the United States Senate."

James Inhofe spending too much time at the computer?

Does anyone know who JohnA is? I have been targeted by him a few times and it is never a pleasant experience.

JohnA and John Andrews have both commented from the same IP address on my blog. I guess that may be his real name. I also think you can be fairly certain that in the larger scheme of things he really is just a nobody.

Never knew you were a francophile, Tim. So you can actually speak French?

Are you sure it's not the Austrian Blogeur they're talking about, Tim Lambert?

I once took a French class, because I liked the Tintin books. I flunked :(

By Laser Potato (not verified) on 21 Feb 2007 #permalink

jc, I did a couple of years of French in high school, but it was more of a translation from the Google translation into English.

The original French looks to me to be making more qualified statements, in typical journalistic fashion: "Some go as far as accusing eco-skeptics of using false identities on blogs..." and "the Australian blogger Tim Lambert says he has found two commentators..."