I don't mean to make fun of the state's conservation department, because earthquakes -- even small ones -- aren't too terribly funny. But I thought it was interesting, and illustrative, that when the DCNR made public a Columbia University report on Dillsburg earthquakes, it did so with a 500-word disclaimer.
It indicates how skittish government agencies can be even when dealing with what is a public record. They want to make sure that if the ground opens up and someone's house falls in, that person doesn't come back and say, 'According to the report you posted online, you said that wouldn't happen, so now you owe me the cost of my house.'
That scenario seems a little silly. Common sense makes you wonder who would sue a public agency for posting a public document online; and common sense makes you wonder who wouldn't understand that it's an individual's responsibility what he or she does with the information.
But there are lots of lawsuits out there. So it's hard to blame DCNR for uttering, in lilting legal language, "The user shall save the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania harmless and indemnify it from any suits, claims, or actions arising out of the use of or any defect in these Open-File Reports or accompanying documentation."
By the way, our story on the report is here. And just for kicks, here's the "tagcloud" of most frequently used words in the disclaimer:
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