Wow.... Is this going too far?

[normanchateau]

Normie, what's with the pathetic false analogies.

Academia is the one case where tenure exists to protect freedom of ideas. University professors are expected to publish as part of their jobs.

Try and come up with an example that isn't so weak next time.

The guy from Environment Canada is free to publish the book as a private citizen. His job does not have a requirement for publication. He can do whatever he wants on his own time.

So if an Ontario university professor, whose salary is funded by the provincial government and whose research grants come from the federal government, writes a book on his own time, he must pretend to be a private citizen and not let anyone know that he's a government employee? Imagine the outcry from Conservatives if a Liberal or NDP government muzzled university professors who promoted Conservative values in their free time.

In your pathetic response, you totally missed the point Shoopie. Of course university professors are expected to publish as part of their job. This is general knowledge. Read my post again. What I was referring to was their writing in their free time. Let me make this clearer for you. A university professor who is an environmental scientist, if he chooses to write a popular nonacademic novel in his free time, is not doing so as part of his job.

[shoop]

If he is doing it in his free time, then he shouldn't promote it as being associated with his employer.

In your pathetic response, you totally missed the point Shoopie. Of course university professors are expected to publish as part of their job. This is general knowledge. Read my post again. What I was referring to was their writing in their free time. Let me make this clearer for you. A university professor who is an environmental scientist, if he chooses to write a popular nonacademic novel in his free time, is not doing so as part of his job.

[normanchateau]

If he is doing it in his free time, then he shouldn't promote it as being associated with his employer.

In your pathetic response, you totally missed the point Shoopie. Of course university professors are expected to publish as part of their job. This is general knowledge. Read my post again. What I was referring to was their writing in their free time. Let me make this clearer for you. A university professor who is an environmental scientist, if he chooses to write a popular nonacademic novel in his free time, is not doing so as part of his job.

So a university professor must conceal that he is a university professor if he publishes a novel in his free time?

Otherwise, he can be accused of promoting his link with the university?

[shoop]

Never said conceal normie.

The promotional material for the scientists book clearly stated where he worked and tried to use that as a selling point.

Why don't you post on here giving information on your job and employer as part of your signature?

So a university professor must conceal that he is a university professor if he publishes a novel in his free time?

Otherwise, he can be accused of promoting his link with the university?

[normanchateau]

Never said conceal normie.

The promotional material for the scientists book clearly stated where he worked and tried to use that as a selling point.

So a university professor must conceal that he is a university professor if he publishes a novel in his free time?

Otherwise, he can be accused of promoting his link with the university?

University professors often point out in their promotional material for a book, and even on the book cover itself, their university affiliation even though the book is a novel written for profit in their free time. It is hard to imagine a US government, never mind a Canadian government, engaging in such censorship. Harper is setting a dangerous precedent. Is this scary? Apparently Conservatives don't think so. That's even scarier.

[BubberMiley]

It doesn't. But the author chose to promote the book *AS* a scientist employed by the Government of Canada. He is more than free to promote it as a private citizen.

You're implying he's promoting it on company time, not just providing "about-the-author" background info. It's no secret he works for the government, and people are still allowed to say what they do for a living, even if it isn't one of the five priorities.

[BubberMiley]

Why don't you post on here giving information on your job and employer as part of your signature?

What's your point?

[shoop]

That if you are arguing this scentist has the right to promote their ideas using their work title and employer, you should surely stand up for that same right. You aren't afraid your employer would take offence, are you?

What's your point?

[BubberMiley]

I don't have an employer, I am one. I don't worry about my employees identifying themselves as working for my company. I kind of expect it, in fact.

[shoop]

Regardless of what they say or believe? Without prior approval from you?

Sure is easy to be utterly principled online. Who would pay the legal bills if this unapproved giving of opinions came back to get you in some hotwater?

I don't have an employer, I am one. I don't worry about my employees identifying themselves as working for my company. I kind of expect it, in fact.

[BubberMiley]

I'm not responsible for my employees' opinions. If they misrepresented what they say as company policy and that isn't company policy, that's different. But that isn't the case here. He's stating personal opinions, and saying where he works. I don't see a problem with that.

[shoop]

Well, the very clear distinction you drew wouldn't necessarily have been drawn in this case by the public or the courts. I hope you don't end up with some big legal bills for not making that distinction.

Simply asking him not to identify where he works with the book wasn't outrageous.

I'm not responsible for my employees' opinions. If they misrepresented what they say as company policy and that isn't company policy, that's different. But that isn't the case here. He's stating personal opinions, and saying where he works.