Some people have access to knowledge through their own work, or the work of others within their social sphere. Not every contract is negotiated in an airtight container. But when someone possesses such inside information, and if there are only a handful who do, the circle of people who could have leaked information is incredibly small. And the risk of being found out (either professionally among colleagues, or socially among close friends) far outweighs the gratification of anonymous strangers on a rather obsessive message board.
In other words, ACL was taking a risk saying anything, and should be met with gratitude for sharing, not jeers and pressure to tell all.
Words don't deserve that kind of malarkey. They're innocent, neutral, precise, standing for this, describing that, meaning the other, so if you look after them you can build bridges across incomprehension and chaos. But when they get their corners knocked off, they're no good anymore…I don't think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.
