PalmPower's morality questioned
The following letter is in response to this news item which ran at the PalmPower News Center on July 10, 2000:

PK Entertainment has announced the creation of SinPalm.com, a new, free adult entertainment portal for Palm OS and Pocket PC users. The site initially served up erotic stories and now offers risque SinCards. Users can visit SinPalm.com on their desktop computers and add SinPalm to their AvantGo channels. The site can also be accessed with handheld browsers like ProxiWeb or using Pocket PC's Internet Explorer. Palm VII users can also download the SinPalm PQA Web Clipping Application.

I have been enjoying PalmPower for some time and must advise you that I was quite disappointed in your issue today (Monday, July 10). Your decision to post an article informing people of porn sites now available for handhelds shows a poor lack of discretion in what is considered newsworthy and advancement of the productive usefulness of handhelds.

Jim McConnell

Editor-in-Chief David Gewirtz responds
Actually, it wasn't an article. It was a news item. And, frankly, whatever your personal preferences, this is definitely news in this market. To be fair, the mission of our news team isn't "advancement of the productive usefulness of handhelds." Rather, their mission is to provide industry news and information about what's happening in this arena. Frankly, I find it fascinating that porn has found handhelds. Historically, one of the first popularizations of a mass medium has been via adult material (VCRs are one such example). We've just recently begun seeing a few adult-related handheld sites, which further indicates the mainstreaming of handheld devices such as the Palm organizer.

Besides, we've previously posted news about downloadable Bibles for Palm devices. It's only fair we give equal time to the loyal opposition.

Jim McConnell responds to the response
Loyal opposition??? Boy, now I know where you guys are coming from and where your allegiance lies. I will now freely share your response with others so they may know your position.

Jim McConnell

Editor-in-Chief David Gewirtz responds to the response's response
Really? I don't even know where I'm coming from, and as for allegiance, that's even more of a sticky wicket. But I'm sure glad you do. And you're welcome to share my well-considered response with whomever you'd like.

Before I close this most enlightened interchange, let me caution you: you don't know me and I don't know you. It's foolish for you to judge where I might be "coming from" or my "allegiance." Although I, like many in the media, do have some strong feelings about many political topics, I've gone to exceptional pains to not let those opinions influence or color our publications. Frankly, I personally didn't even know we ran that news piece until you pointed it out.

Now that I think about it, I guess I do know where my allegiance lies: with enlightened people who don't judge things they know nothing of. And I'm definitely coming from a place that doesn't condemn others for not believing what I believe.

If that means I'm destined for Hell, so be it. I have a share in a really nice houseboat on the Lake of Fire.

Product availability and resources For more information on Logbook, visit http://www.martoon.com/shareware/logbook.html. To read Michael Compeau's article on Documents to Go in the July 2000 issue of PalmPower, visit http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200007/docs2go001.html. For more information on InstallBuddy, visit http://www.backupbuddy.com/ib/prod_installbuddy_details.html. For more information on SinPalm.com, visit http://www.sinpalm.com/palmgateway.asp. Bulk reprints Bulk reprints of this article (in quantities of 100 or more) are available for a fee from Reprint Services, a ZATZ business partner. Contact them at reprints@zatz.com or by calling 1-800-217-7874.