No more rock stars: how to stop abuse in tech communities

Post by dcposch » Wed, Jun 22, 2016, 8:29 AM UTC

dang wrote: post #126

dcposch wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just wanted to give some context. Here, I'll link directly to the thread you're talking about, so people can judge for themselves. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11726188

We detached this subthread from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11950730 and marked it off-topic. Edit: Since people objected and it seems like a bad idea to argue about this, I've put it back.

Post by throwllll » Wed, Jun 22, 2016, 9:34 AM UTC

prawn wrote: post #75

Saturnaut wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well I agree with that statement as well. However, it never hurts to take preventative measures in one's own life, instead of letting yourself get screwed over and then wondering why it happened and who to blame.

Victim blaming is pretty insensitive though, as is "letting yourself get screwed over". There was an infamous case in Australia where a cleric responded to gang-rape by members of his community by labelling young girls in skirts as being like raw meat attracting animals. The implication was "of course the animals will want to eat the meat". Yes, the reality is that if you never leave the house, live in a panic room,…

Post by throwllll » Wed, Jun 22, 2016, 10:27 AM UTC

prawn wrote: post #58

said wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Somewhere in between. For example: We recognize that false reports are very unlikely, but we also recognize there is currently an enormous social bonus awarded to victims of harassment, particularly female victims. Let's examine all the facts, and even if we can't gather enough evidence to take any action, we'll keep a record of this report for any future incidents.

What social bonus is awarded to victims enough to justify speaking out? I'd say any negatives greatly outweigh the attention they might receive. Countless victims never come forward for good reason. If any corporation used your suggestion as an official statement including the "but we also" segment, they'd be thrashed mercilessly in the media, and for good reason. Why not just start with: "All complaints will be inve…

Post by strangecasts » Wed, Jun 22, 2016, 4:07 PM UTC

tzs wrote: post #134

prawn wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Victim blaming is pretty insensitive though, as is "letting yourself get screwed over". There was an infamous case in Australia where a cleric responded to gang-rape by members of his community by labelling young girls in skirts as being like raw meat attracting animals. The implication was "of course the animals will want to eat the meat". Yes, the reality is that if you never leave the house, live in a panic room,…

> What are we ideally working towards? A world where everyone must avoid a defined level of risk (including certain level of dress!), or one where any of us can walk anywhere with an expectation that we won't be abused by another one of us? I'd like to think the latter. The latter...but we have to live in the world as it is, not the world that we hope to someday achieve. If I were to put on a top of the line Rolex wa…

Post by tptacek » Wed, Jun 22, 2016, 7:25 PM UTC

throwllll wrote: post #132

jondubois wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

'Flagged by users' - Interesting. Do some of these users happen to be friends with 'Jacob Appelbaum'? I understand, the whole system is rigged to praise rock stars and screw the plumbers.

I flag (using my non-throaway account) any article that only results in mob-and-pitchfork style discussion. Many comments in here are advocating that we should abandon the court and justice system (because its unfair to the victim, its too high requirements for conviction, ectra) in favor of just punishing the assumed guilty. I will keep flagging stories like this as long as that opinion still runs popular.