There is a nice little debate going on over at the J-Walk Blog (one of the finer blogs on the interwebs, in my opinion) over Scott Adams and whether he is a class act or an asshole.
On the class act side, you have Scott Adams’ letter to Purna Duggirala, the creator of Pointy Haired Dilbert (now called Chandoo.org). Below is the letter Mr. Adams sent Mr Duggirala:
Hi Chandoo,
I’ve been following your success for some time via my Google Alerts (it sends me all Internet references to Dilbert). When you were small I was ignoring your use of Dilbert and “pointy-haired” in your name, but now I think we have to have this discussion.
Obviously there’s a trademark issue with any commercial use of the name Dilbert, as it is an obvious trade on the goodwill I created in the trademark. And even the pointy-haired part seems a bit unfair.
I have to have this sort of conversation to prevent “dilbert” from slipping into the public domain. I’m sure you understand.
So with that in mind, can you suggest a solution? I like what you’re doing, and wouldn’t want to impede your momentum, but a name change is due.
Scott Adams
Nice, right? Let’s talk, figure this out. No need to get lawyers involved. Class act.
Then on the asshole side you have his pro-Intelligent Design posts on the Dilbert Blog such as this one:
I take the practical approach – that something is intelligent if it unambiguously performs tasks that require intelligence. Writing Moby Dick required intelligence. The Big Bang wrote Moby Dick. Therefore, the Big Bang is intelligent, and you and I are created by that same intelligence. Therefore, we are created by an intelligent entity. I don’t see how an atheist can think otherwise.
Now, I find Dilbert to be a pretty funny comic strip and I commend his handling of the trademark issue but I do not condone his belief of Intelligent Design. Do they cancel each other out? Does being blind to the science behind evolution mean I can’t enjoy your work or thing you are a decent person? I am undecided at this point.
(via J-Walk Blog, Chandoo.org, Pharyngula)
