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Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

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Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#101

Post by jshevek »

ambulancechaser wrote: post #48
nostromo wrote: post #18

Gawker may have been terrible, but we should all be a bit concerned at the precedent this sets. It's sort of like defending the free speech of terrible groups like the KKK. We do it because we treasure free speech, not because we support the KKK. I generally have positive feelings about Thiel, but his actions here make me very uneasy. I worry that the aristocracy will now use this method to try and close down unfavor…

I don't believe that this case set any new precedent.

I think they may have meant 'precedent' in some colloquially sense of the word, not the legal definition. Maybe "Successful action which encourages others to attempt the same" or something like that.

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#102

Post by Fenntrek »

nostromo wrote: post #18

Gawker may have been terrible, but we should all be a bit concerned at the precedent this sets. It's sort of like defending the free speech of terrible groups like the KKK. We do it because we treasure free speech, not because we support the KKK. I generally have positive feelings about Thiel, but his actions here make me very uneasy. I worry that the aristocracy will now use this method to try and close down unfavor…

Why?

It went to Court and went through the due process, that process hasn't prior to this case and it wont after this case and the constitution remains the same.

If you publish, you deal with the repercussions, whether positive or negative.

The only thing I dislike is that it takes a billionaire to help a millionaire financially to give the case a fair chance while the less wealthy are powerless and without aid to even start a similar battle.

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#103

Post by cloakandswagger »

danso wrote: post #65

Sad in a way. AFAIK, Gawker is not only one of the few independent online media companies (VICE/Vox/BuzzFeed/BusinessInsider are heavily funded/owned by massive media conglomerates), it was one of the few media companies period making a healthy profit: http://www.politico.com/media/story/2016/06/gawkers-pre-hoga... > The company’s revenue had grown from about $5.3 million in 2006 to $43.8 million in 2014. It was cons…

I find it kind of perverse to champion a company based solely on their profitability. Gawker was a profitable media company because they were one of the the only ones debased enough to resort to muckraking for their tasteless, voyeuristic audiences.

Good riddance, I say.

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#104

Post by guelo »

GrumpyYoungMan wrote: post #68
nostromo wrote: post #18

Gawker may have been terrible, but we should all be a bit concerned at the precedent this sets. It's sort of like defending the free speech of terrible groups like the KKK. We do it because we treasure free speech, not because we support the KKK. I generally have positive feelings about Thiel, but his actions here make me very uneasy. I worry that the aristocracy will now use this method to try and close down unfavor…

"Precedent this sets"? I think "Don't publish a illegally made video of people in a private moment or ignore court orders to take down the video." to be a rather positive precedent, don't you? That's the sort of chilling effect on media we should all be applauding. Thief merely funded a court battle that had merit (in this case, quite a lot of merit) that Bollea probably could have won on his own. I fail to see what…

The real precedent is obviously "don't piss of billionaires because they have many ways they can crush you".

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#105

Post by rm_-rf_slash »

ryanlol wrote: post #49
rm_-rf_slash wrote: post #13

Gossip rags come and go. As long as there are celebrities there will be celebrity tabloids. Privately funding a lawsuit for someone else so you can settle a grudge is ethically dubious, at best. The American system of allowing juries instead of judges to set reward amounts only ultimately benefits overpaid lawyers, and society as a whole is worse off from the damages of frivolous lawsuits. That's all I think there re…

>Privately funding a lawsuit for someone else so you can settle a grudge is ethically dubious, at best. Do you feel that revenge in general is ethically dubious or just the lawsuit part?

The justice system in any democracy should be a level playing field in the eyes of the law, not a pay-to-play free for all.

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#106

Post by acheron »

axlee wrote: post #38
cm2187 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you suggesting the Hogan suit was groundless?

I think the damage was not worth putting tens (hundreds?) of people out of a job, most of them who had nothing to do with the Hogan fiasco but are still being punished for it, putting their livelihood in jeopardy for the emotional comfort of a billionaire. The people responsible for the piece should have been personally held responsible.

Is this the Clerks "contractors on the Death Star" argument? [1]

They knew who they were working for. Lie down with dogs, etc.

[1] http://www.whysanity.net/monos/clerks5.html

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#107

Post by [deleted] »

cm2187 wrote: post #23
nostromo wrote: post #18

Gawker may have been terrible, but we should all be a bit concerned at the precedent this sets. It's sort of like defending the free speech of terrible groups like the KKK. We do it because we treasure free speech, not because we support the KKK. I generally have positive feelings about Thiel, but his actions here make me very uneasy. I worry that the aristocracy will now use this method to try and close down unfavor…

Are you suggesting the Hogan suit was groundless?

[deleted]

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#108

Post by smt88 »

partiallypro wrote: post #92
nostromo wrote: post #18

Gawker may have been terrible, but we should all be a bit concerned at the precedent this sets. It's sort of like defending the free speech of terrible groups like the KKK. We do it because we treasure free speech, not because we support the KKK. I generally have positive feelings about Thiel, but his actions here make me very uneasy. I worry that the aristocracy will now use this method to try and close down unfavor…

I'm a free speech absolutist, but what precedent does this set that's new? The person that leaked the "Fappening" items is also being prosecuted, why should a media publication like Gawker not be held accountable? No one really seemed to have -big- issue with this until Thiel was in the picture.

> No one really seemed to have -big- issue with this until Thiel was in the picture

That's because, with Thiel's involvement, the case became about something else: a personal vendetta. Regardless of the outcome, many of us are dismayed that Thiel was able to weaponize the justice system using huge amounts of money.

> why should a media publication like Gawker not be held accountable?

The tape of Hogan had racist comments on it, which are arguably in the public interest (since Hogan is a business(man) and consumers should be able to know about his character). It was stupid and possibly illegal of them to include the sex part of the tape, but was it worth $100M? Did that part of the tape harm Hogan at all?

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#109

Post by lujim »

nostromo wrote: post #18

Gawker may have been terrible, but we should all be a bit concerned at the precedent this sets. It's sort of like defending the free speech of terrible groups like the KKK. We do it because we treasure free speech, not because we support the KKK. I generally have positive feelings about Thiel, but his actions here make me very uneasy. I worry that the aristocracy will now use this method to try and close down unfavor…

Gawker can say or publish whatever they want and the Feds won't come throw them behind bars, but free speech doesn't make someone immune to ALL repercussions. You are free to go tell your boss whatever you want, but it might impact you financially. You are also free to spread rumors about whoever you want but you might get dragged into civil court and fined if you unjustly harm that person.
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