CNN posts Reagan, Pope, other obits online

Most news organizations prepare the obituaries of newsmakers before they die, but CNN.com made the mistake of posting them online, according to The Smoking Gun. Even though they didn't link to them, a number of these obituaries were on the public servers and a clever Fark.com reader found them using Google (the site's new default search engine, ironically).

CNN.com took the pages down about 20 minutes after Fark linked to them, but TheSmokingGun.com saved screenshots of the obituaries of Vice President Dick Cheney, Ronald Reagan, Fidel Castro, Bob Hope, Pope John Paul II, and Nelson Mandela -- you can see them here.

Let this be a good reminder to all sites -- just because a Web page isn't linked to doesn't mean readers can't find it. Don't publish not-ready-for-primetime content on public servers, and when you have no choice, make sure it's password protected.

Hmm, it seems like we've said that before -- and we have! In fact, this is the second time Reagan has died online, poor chap. Dutch Prince Claus took an early online trip to the grave last year as well.

Apr 16, 2003 | E-MAIL | SAVE | PRINT | PERMALINK | DISCUSS(0)

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