Alan Ashton kept a low profile during his days as part of the triumvirate running WordPerfect. But he dug into his deep pockets to help decide a highly charged vote in California on November 4.
Web sites launch all the time, but they also shut their doors. We highlight 15 that bit the dust this year.
Let the debate begin: Was the iPhone more important than iTunes? Was anything bigger than Google finding a great business model? CNET offers its list of the 10 most important stories of the '00s.
Charles Cooper has covered technology and business for more than 25 years. A graduate of Queens College and Columbia University, Cooper received the Excellence in Journalism award from the Northern California branch of the Society for Professional Journalists for column writing.
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However, as both co-founders spent THEIR OWN MONEY on their own cause's sides, I see little news value of this on a tech site. Now, seeing how Apple as a company spent money on one side, that's news. That is a company making a statement, taking a position, possibly alienating some of their user-base.
Since WordPerfect is now (and has been for several years) outside the control of either co-founder, it's not at all fair to Corel, the current owner of the program, to drag the WP name into this. Unless Corel, maker of CorelDraw, WordPerfect, Painter and other applications makes a contribution as a company or takes a stand as a company, WordPerfect has little to do with either Bruce Bastian or Dr. Ashton any more. WordPerfect is part of Corel. Dr. Ashton and Mr. Bastian are not.
But, I?ll speak out on BLACKLISTS. That was American fascism in the 50?s, full of intimidation and hate. It was wrong then and wrong NOW!
So, without taking sides, I?ll just stand up and say, ?I?M Spartacus!? -- Join me if you have any civility and honor.
Well, I guess when that person is an "executive editor" who can argue that his views aren't headlines?
CNET SHOULD report on technology, there are plenty of other venues for people to discuss PROP 8but since you brought it up in this article:
CNET's affiliation with CBS will keep them form doing this which will basically mean that CNET is just another liberal news source.
Liberal news sources will not slam black or hispanic people who voted overwhelmingly for PROP 8.
Liberal news sources will not show homosexuals manhandling and destroying the property of a little old lady leaving her church who homosexuals see as a symbol of hatred and oppression against them, thank God for Bill O'riley.
Had I known that there was such a heated battle going on in California I would have sent money to support PROP 8 also, although I don't have a million.
Should you feel the need to support or oppose PROP 8 send your money to the appropriate side. We still live in a democratic society.
HOMOsexuality IS your choice, you were not BORN THAT WAY. GOD does not make mistakes!
Marriage is a word used to describe a union between a man and a woman. It belonged to the church before it belonged to the state. Since I'm on the soap box here talking to liberals, quit, stop talking out both sides of your liberal mouths. YOUR judges INVENTED separation of church and state, since I find no where that this is stated in the Constitution of the United States. You can't argue both ways and have any of the rest of us have any respect for you at all. If marriage is an institution of CHURCHES then CHURCHES (who are separated from the state) should be the ones to decide what marriage is or is not. The majority of people voted against Prop 8, you lost, get over it. If you had won and conservative traditional Americans had started acting the way you have been acting since the election then you would have it plastered all over the news media about the violet people who don't understand that you won don't understand the democratic process, LIBERAL news media bias is alive and well. But now that you lost you act as if it was your God given right search out and destroy peoples churches, lives, and reputations not only verbally but physically and the news media shows that people were just holding peaceful loud protests against being on the losing end of the Prop 8 vote, LIBERAL news media bias is alive and well.
If you want the same tax breaks and rights as the rest of us then STOP making BAD DECISIONS.
MURDERERS made BAD DECISIONS and we put them in jail, they don't get to vote and don't make enough money to care about whether or not they get better tax breaks or their SIGNIFICANT OTHER (God help me for having used that term) gets their children or inherits their property!
God loves all homosexuals (PEOPLE) BUT HE DOES NOT LOVE THE SIN (ACT) of HOMOSEXUALITY!
Will the author of this column PLEASE STEP OUT OF THE CLOSET!?!?
CNET SHOULD report on technology, there are plenty of other venues for people to discuss PROP 8but since you brought it up in this article:
CNET's affiliation with CBS will keep them form doing this which will basically mean that CNET is just another liberal news source.
Liberal news sources will not slam black or hispanic people who voted overwhelmingly for PROP 8.
Liberal news sources will not show homosexuals manhandling and destroying the property of a little old lady leaving her church who homosexuals see as a symbol of hatred and oppression against them, thank God for Bill O'riley.
Had I known that there was such a heated battle going on in California I would have sent money to support PROP 8 also, although I don't have a million.
Should you feel the need to support or oppose PROP 8 send your money to the appropriate side. We still live in a democratic society.
HOMOsexuality IS your choice, you were not BORN THAT WAY. GOD does not make mistakes!
Marriage is a word used to describe a union between a man and a woman. It belonged to the church before it belonged to the state. Since I'm on the soap box here talking to liberals, quit, stop talking out both sides of your liberal mouths. YOUR judges INVENTED separation of church and state, since I find no where that this is stated in the Constitution of the United States. You can't argue both ways and have any of the rest of us have any respect for you at all. If marriage is an institution of CHURCHES then CHURCHES (who are separated from the state) should be the ones to decide what marriage is or is not. The majority of people voted against Prop 8, you lost, get over it. If you had won and conservative traditional Americans had started acting the way you have been acting since the election then you would have it plastered all over the news media about the violet people who don't understand that you won don't understand the democratic process, LIBERAL news media bias is alive and well. But now that you lost you act as if it was your God given right search out and destroy peoples churches, lives, and reputations not only verbally but physically and the news media shows that people were just holding peaceful loud protests against being on the losing end of the Prop 8 vote, LIBERAL news media bias is alive and well.
If you want the same tax breaks and rights as the rest of us then STOP making BAD DECISIONS.
MURDERERS made BAD DECISIONS and we put them in jail, they don't get to vote and don't make enough money to care about whether or not they get better tax breaks or their SIGNIFICANT OTHER (God help me for having used that term) gets their children or inherits their property!
God loves all homosexuals (PEOPLE) BUT HE DOES NOT LOVE THE SIN (ACT) of HOMOSEXUALITY!
Will the author of this column PLEASE STEP OUT OF THE CLOSET!?!?
In most states (including California) a person who is incarcerated for murder can still get married - even to someone who is NOT incarcerated! Yet, two gays and/or lesbians who have done nothing to harm mankind doesn't have the same civil right as a criminal. How does that make sense, really?
Also, I find it interesting that heterosexual family advocates choose to boycott tech companies for their support of gay rights. Microsoft was boycotted last year for giving equal benefits to their gay employees as straight ones. Apple came under fire this year for donating to the fight to keep gay marriage legal in California. Good luck boycotting BOTH of those huge companies, guys. I can't imagine you'll be too successful.
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black....!!!!!
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.
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Gay the new Black? Good sound bite, but in my opinion, insulting to the black human rights movement.
this proposition is against people own rights to chose what they wish to do and is not about forcing everyone to be gay - gays are born that way (and that is medical fact!)and have the same rights as everyone.
this proposition would not be accepted if it covered another group born that way such as if banned blondes from marrying. Anyone who voted for this or donated money should realise they are being bigoted and discriminatory against a group of people born that way who only wish to be allowed to love each other and be free from legal persecution just as the rest of the world.
These amendments WILL be defeated as soon as a court decides whether marriage is a religious union or a state sponsored benefit package for two people who live together. If it is a religious union, through separation of church and state, it must be excised from all government documents. If it is a state sponsor benefit package, it must get granted to ALL.
Oh, for all those talking about how much of a sin homosexuality is, I think I remember it said best in the Bible "cast not the first stone..." When you can prove you don't sin first, only then do you have a right to call someone else a sinner.
I think Ashton used his money on a personal item. Doesn't say he used company funds. Last time I checked, a person has the right to spend their money on anything they want, without fear of being labeled a cook or a nut or subversive or....the list goes on. I for one would never point out that you just spent that extra $5 this week on junk food to add more pounds to your already obese frame. That's your choice - who am I to say anything about your choice. So why you gotta go attack someone for their personal interests. If you don't believe in a thing, voice your opinion and let it be heard. But don't attack someone because they dont' believe like you do. State your case and let the facts speak for themselves. People will make up their minds, don't do it for them and don't judge them for their decisions.
[The campaign issued an urgent appeal, and in a matter of days, it raised more than $5 million, ******including a $1 million donation from Alan C. Ashton, the grandson of a former president of the Mormon Church.***** The money allowed the drive to intensify a sharp-elbowed advertising campaign, and support for the measure was catapulted ahead; it ultimately won with 52 percent of the vote.]
Leave the man alone for crying out loud.
What does Mr. Ashton's being Mormon have to do with computing and technology?
Why is it important that you identify Ashton as being a Mormon?
6,100,000+ voted for Proposition 8, but you feel compelled to identify one contributor? On a technology website? Why, so wackos can send him anthrax in the mail?
Is this a call to action against Mr. Ashton? Against the Mormon church? What about all the Catholics and Evangelicals who donated? Any one you care to "out" or are you just preserving your venom for Mormons in the technology field? Do you expect that your comments will help Mormons obtain equal treatment under the law when applying for jobs?
Discrimination in any form is repugnant and religious discrimination is about as bad as it gets. You, my friend, have made it clear that Mormons are not welcome in California because of their beliefs. In this case, you disagree with Mormons on their stand in protecting the traditional definition of marriage. You have your right to say what you want to say, but put it on your blog as a personal opinion. Trying to make this a "technology" issue is as transparent as glass.
Your real motivation is to bring harm to Mr. Ashton and the Mormon Church for exercising their rights to support a moral cause. Do you also want to "out" your parents who probably feel the same way? Or your preacher, or your neighbors who voted in support of traditional marriage? Or are you simply saving your venom for the obvious targets?
Proposition 8 carried the day and it is now the law of the land. It got to that point because of voters who were more concerned with tinkering with a 25,000 year social institution than appeasing 2% of the population. Like it or not, traditional marriage is the foundation of society. A man and a woman who raise children is where society starts and where it may fail. Should we tinker with that base, we are playing with the fundamental structure of society -- something most people are unwilling to do.
Now go apologize to Mr. Ashton for your bigotry.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2008/11/70-of-african-a.html
- by doobz94 November 16, 2008 9:33 AM PST
- You people are idiots. Gay marriage isn't about just being able to get married. It's not about "forcing homosexuality on to children". It's about love. We're not forcing homosexuality onto anyone. We just want to be treated as equals. We want to start a family. We want to show our love. And if you ignorant a$$ holes say that some magical man in the sky says we are possessed by Satan or God hates us or it's a choice or we're faking it or whatever you believe, you're un-American if this influences your political views. In our government there is supposed to be a separation of Church and State. Religion can not influence our government. And if you say that in makes marriage less valuable for heterosexual couples, well that's bull sh*t. And man marrying a man does not affect you. And if you say gays raising a child is unhealthy, then single couples should not be able to raise a child or adopt a child under law. Gays can be just as good, loving parents as any heterosexual. H8TE is un-American.
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