Al Gore, Artist.

October 8, 2000 12:05 PM

Al Gore, Artist. Slate's listed a set of drawings done by Al Gore for a New Yorker profile. If you haven't read the article yet, Slate wants you to analyze each drawing and figure out what Al's trying to get accross. Post your ideas to The Fray; the most creative ones will be hilighted.
posted by tomorama (14 comments total)

I can't believe that Slate ripped off the title "The Fray" to use for their comments section. Did Mircosoft buyout Derek and I just missed the press release?

Boo on you Slate.
posted by Brilliantcrank at 1:17 PM on October 8, 2000

I didn't mention that fact because I wasn't sure who came first, so I really couldn't make an argument. Is this a Powazek/Gates lawsuit in the making? :D
posted by tomorama at 1:23 PM on October 8, 2000

Right, because fray is such a unique word. Just like cube.
posted by highindustrial at 1:37 PM on October 8, 2000

Okay, so I cheated, and went straight to the piece describing Gore's scribbling. And you know what? My respect for the man has shot up. Definitely worth a look: though if anything, it makes me more annoyed that Gore-as-debater comes across as such an infomercial drone.
posted by holgate at 1:53 PM on October 8, 2000

Sure, nobody owns the words "The Fray" but anyone who knows even a little bit about the web would be familiar with Derek's site. And would therefore be smart enough NOT to use those words as a name for some section of their site. Slate is just a clueless pile of phlegm.
posted by Zeldman at 1:57 PM on October 8, 2000

I used to go to Derek's Fray in the past, so I was aware of it. But I think it's a bit extreme to state that anyone "who knows even a little bit about the web would be familiar" that site. What other sites should one be fully aware of before they get pegged as clueless?


p.s. how about having the next Bush/Gore debate be a game of Pictionary?
posted by gluechunk at 2:40 PM on October 8, 2000

Right on, 'chunk. Claiming that "anyone who knows even a little bit about the web would be familiar with Derek's site" is profound overstatement, to say the least. It bespeaks insularity.
posted by highindustrial at 2:56 PM on October 8, 2000

I've never heard of it and I think I know more than just "a little bit about the web." Fray isn't exactly a unique word and I'd love to see how fast this fantasy case would get shot out of court under a trademark lawsuit.
posted by skallas at 5:21 PM on October 8, 2000

pardon my error.
posted by Zeldman at 12:07 AM on October 9, 2000

Microsoft registered Slate.com on February 21, 1995, while Powazek Productions registered fray.com on July 18, 1996. While this does not mean that Slate had named its bulletin board "The Fray" on that date, or Powazek Productions copied it off of Slate a year and a half later, I believe that both entities borrowed the word FRAY from the popular phrase: "joining the fray."

Anyhow, if anything should happen, I believe the Powazek lawyers are more than capable of duking it out with the Microsoft lawyers.
posted by tamim at 12:16 AM on October 9, 2000

Slate has been using the name The Fray for years, though I'm pretty sure it was launched after Derek's site. Slate's use of the term has always been aggravating, but I figured it was a coincidence.

The site itself is great, though. Slate has been covering this presidential election better than any other site on the Web, in my opinion.
posted by rcade at 12:19 AM on October 9, 2000

For some reason, this fray talk reminded me of when Disney sued Williams Electronics in mid-'82. Disney charged them with copyright and patent infringement for using the word "tron" in Robotron. At the time, some people feared it meant that Mickey Mouse ears would soon be appearing on electrons.


posted by gluechunk at 1:09 AM on October 9, 2000

i believe the topic was al gore's artwork, and i apologize for contributing to the massive topic drift.
posted by Zeldman at 1:24 AM on October 9, 2000

As much as I hate to disrupt a fun-filled paranoia-fest with the facts....

It is true, Slate launched before Fray. But Slate launched with just articles, no discussion area. I launched fray.com in 1996 before they unveiled their discussion area, called "the fray." Both of these things happened so close together, I feel comfortable assuming that no "inspiration" took place. We both simply liked the idea of saying "join the fray."

In this case, there is no bad guy. No lawyers have been called. All the kids are playing nicely. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Now, then. About Al's artwork....
posted by fraying at 1:26 PM on October 9, 2000