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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

#261

Post by keepper »

CM30 wrote: post #257
keepper wrote: post #74

A racist billionaire[1], funding another racist millionaire[2], supporting another racist billionaire[3] But everyone seems to be ok with this, because of pseudo libertarianism? Libertarianism: "All the parts of government that benefit rich folks are legit/necessary/essential. All the parts that benefit poor folks are illegitimate/aggression/tyranny." Oh man... what is going on!?! [1] https://alumni.stanford.edu/get/…

If you're attacking the people involved for their social and political views, you may as well ask what the views are of the people involved in Gawker as well. http://nypost.com/2016/03/09/gawker-editors-line-a-sex-tape-... And there are way more examples out there. Like Sam Biddle and his bullying comments, or various disturbing anti male comments by Jezebel, or various comments about wishing horrible things on their…

It isn't an "attack". Look, I'm not trying to change minds, I'm hoping people step back for a second, and see this for what it is. Just another thin skinned person with way too much financial power getting his way.

Pointing out the attack on Gawker is wrong, does not mean I condone Gawkers' behavior. That's pretty much the definition of seeing the world in the shades of gray/color it actually is.

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

#263

Post by misnome »

dsabanin wrote: post #133
GrumpyYoungMan wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"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…

A lot of questionable things are becoming illegal to publish lately. For example, it's illegal to film what's happening inside a slaughterhouse[1]. Some people are getting into trouble for filming cops[2]. I'm not saying Gawker shouldn't be punished, but legality doesn't imply morality and free press in theory could be helping to review and change the immoral laws. The chilling effect from Gawker bankruptcy will be t…

> I'm not saying Gawker shouldn't be punished, but legality doesn't imply morality and free press in theory could be helping to review and change the immoral laws. The chilling effect from Gawker bankruptcy will be that, among other things, every publisher will know not to mess with the status quo.

Isn't the alternative that every journalistic publication is above the law? If it were/is a free speech issue, then presumably it will be overturned on appeal?

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

#264

Post by throw10010110 »

slg wrote: post #256
smt88 wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What if a conservative politician lobbies for adultery being illegal, and then a sex tape emerges of him cheating on his wife? That's important journalism. What if the CEO of a company intimidates an employee into having sex with him and secretly films it, and that gets released? That's also important journalism. There are lots of other ways sex tapes could be newsworthy: a famous person makes racist comments in it (…

There is a difference between reporting on the existence of a sex tape and publishing said tape. None of the examples you gave require the tape to be published.

None of their examples are even valid. In Hogan's case, this was a consensual act. The fetish is called wifesharing, and the wife testified that it was consensual among all parties.

The number of people who are calling this cheating, immoral, etc is sort of terrifying. This is equivalent to a gay couple being caught a century ago, and everyone arguing that it's in the public's interest to know. It's not. It's consensual and harms no one.

The sole argument that could be leveled against this is that the husband secretly recorded the act. This isn't good, but "Husband secretly records consensual act" is none of our business.

By the way, if someone would vouch my comment (the same way you'd flag a comment, but click "vouch" instead of "flag"), I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

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

#265

Post by BryantD »

lujim wrote: post #242
BryantD wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

False equivalency. They bullied Thiel, and made him unhappy. I don't see any evidence that his ability to do business has been affected. Thiel has now made it impossible for Gawker to continue as a company. The effect of the bullying is vastly different.

Who said it has anything to due with equivalency? Go try to bully your boss, or a cop, or a 6'9" meat head. You're free to try, but you might not like the result. Part of life if using your brain to determine what you are free to do vs what makes sense to do.

"don't do things that people who are more powerful than you will dislike."

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

#266

Post by FussyZeus »

smt88 wrote: post #240
FussyZeus wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thoughts of a politician running for office ARE in the public interest because that person is campaigning to be elected to be a decision maker in the country. Video of people having sex may be something the public is interested in, but it is not in the public interest. It's none of the public's business and the public should find more interesting things to be interested in.

Hogan has considered running for office multiple times, including saying he wants to be Trump's running mate[1]. Why should we distinguish between a powerful, famous businessman and actor and a politician? Anyone powerful and famous should be a public figure on the same footing. 1. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/aug/29/hulk-hogan-i...

And how does video of Hogan nailing someone let you know how he would perform as a public official?

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

#267

Post by x0x0 »

nailer wrote: post #215
x0x0 wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's how the first amendment works for public figures. And it's not as if gawker doesn't regularly break important news -- viz the crack mayor, Chris Lee / republicans cruising for strange, etc.

Nobody was trying to stop Gawker from breaking important news, or any other kind of news. That's a false narrative driven by journalists who want to be able to do anything without oversight. The issue wasn't that Gawker published that Hogan wasn't having an affair. Again: the story wasn't the issue. The story didn't go to trial. The jury was not deciding whether Gawker had a right to publish the story. The issue was…

You're disingenuous -- you merely have to read comments in this very thread to see dozens of people who want to prevent Gawker from breaking news.

The sex tape was apparently legal as under first amendment law as understood by lawyers at the time gawker published it.

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

#268

Post by karmacondon »

wrsh07 wrote: post #241
rs999gti wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Especially given Thiel's motive that "they outed me" - come on, Thiel's sexuality was probably the worst kept secret in the Valley. When you pose shirtless on a gay cruise, I think it's fairly safe the rest of the world didn't need Valleywag to tell them of your homosexuality. Does all that evidence matter? Shouldn't it be up to Theil when and where he outs himself instead of blog like Valleywag doing it for him?

Two things. Both Gawker and Thiel are in the wrong here. 1) It feels obviously wrong to me to have someone publicly outed like that. [like you say, the evidence doesn't matter] 2) It feels sketchy for a wronged person to retaliate by having a nontrivial player in written media shut down.

Thiel was well within his legal rights. "Both sides are wrong" is a common cop out. False equivalency isn't helping

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

#269

Post by hsod »

smt88 wrote: post #221
cjahsh wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah yes, society should recognize the positive impacts of investigative journalism. I can hardly see a between the Pentagon Papers and a sex tape!

What if a conservative politician lobbies for adultery being illegal, and then a sex tape emerges of him cheating on his wife? That's important journalism. What if the CEO of a company intimidates an employee into having sex with him and secretly films it, and that gets released? That's also important journalism. There are lots of other ways sex tapes could be newsworthy: a famous person makes racist comments in it (…

> a famous person makes racist comments in it (the Hogan tape!)

This seems to be Denton's major defense of the newsworthiness of the tape (although even he argues it half-heartedly).

I don't buy it. The racist comments on one part of the tape don't make the actual sex part newsworthy. They posted a heavily edited version of the tape, which meant they included the sex intentionally. Seems obvious the purpose of those segments was simple voyeurism, which is an invasion of privacy.

The "but he's a racist" defense strikes me as a cynical attempt to latch onto the current mainstream social-justice train, when really this has nothing to do with racism.

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

#270

Post by zecho »

kebolio wrote: post #229

>kotaku Hopefully Gawker's demise will wipe out Kotaku forever as well. Whatever your views on the GamerGate movement (I certainly don't like what it has turned into thanks to /pol/), the corruption and collusion of Kotaku "journalists" is disgusting and unacceptable.

oh yeah for sure man
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