I Am Deleting the Blog • Hacker News Board

Re: I Am Deleting the Blog

#131

Post by baddox » Tue, Jun 23, 2020, 7:59 AM UTC

bonchicbongenre wrote: post #6

Somewhat related — does anyone know an easier way to cancel one's NYT subscription than going through the rigmarole of waiting for/talking with multiple "customer service" reps? After NYT's all-too-credulous parroting of Barr's mischaracherization of the Mueller report I tried to cancel mine, but spent over an hour on the phone with no progress, and gave it up. I should have persisted — I don't want to give them my m…

I had to (or it seemed like I had to) go through a web chat queue and beg multiple times to cancel my crosswords subscription (which was the only NYT subscription I’ve ever had, and there’s nothing wrong with the crossroads product, I just wasn’t able to dedicate enough time to it).

Scummy business practices like that make it very difficult for me to recommend any of that company’s products to anyone, even though I’m sure the people actually making the products have little or no influence on the people who control the transaction mechanics.

Re: I Am Deleting the Blog

#132

Post by Smaug123 » Tue, Jun 23, 2020, 7:59 AM UTC

tomp wrote: post #97

Has anyone considered this is fake? After Steve Hsu was cancelled a few days ago due to the Twitter mob wilfully misinterpreting his words, I reqd a comment somewhere saying “Scott Alexander is next” (which could make sense, as he’s posted “wrong” opinions on his blog before). Maybe the NYT story is just a cover, or maybe the article wouldn’t be that “positive”...

I don't believe Scott would lie like that in that situation. Sure, it's a judgement call on his character; but I really do not think this is a likely thing we'd see from him if your scenario were the case.

Re: I Am Deleting the Blog

#133

Post by oh_sigh » Tue, Jun 23, 2020, 8:00 AM UTC

What exactly does naming him fully add to the article? Is there any journalistic reason to do it? The only way I could see it possibly being relevant is if Scott is a heavyweight in his field or is famous or well known for some other non blogging reason. But that doesn't appear to be the case if he lives with 10 roommates and is fearful of being fired from his job.

Re: I Am Deleting the Blog

#134

Post by saltedonion » Tue, Jun 23, 2020, 8:02 AM UTC

Can someone tell this person that this site is probably still on way back machine? And he or she should request it to be removed.

Re: I Am Deleting the Blog

#135

Post by stjohnswarts » Tue, Jun 23, 2020, 8:03 AM UTC

rachelshu wrote: post #89

maxwelljoslyn wrote: post #21

I clicked on this expecting it to be Scott Alexander blogging about somebody else getting doxxed. I flipped like a boat when I realized what I was reading. Holy shit! I was just in SSC's Open Thread a few hours ago opening comment permalinks in tabs to respond to them. That NYT writer should be fired. I hope Scott recovers soon. SSC is my favorite place on the Web.

I don't think, given Scott's recent defense of Steve Hsu, that he'd really want people fired for doing ill-advised things, even if they could be reasonably construed as dangerous, unless harm was demonstrated. It's still disappointing that the journalist is making this choice.

I think it's just in general dangerous and disruptive for the entire world to know who you are online. They will find you and threaten you and everyone you love. Sure only 1% of them are actually dangerous but it only takes one bullet or knife in the back from a psychotic person to end everything. Or just someone doing some crazy made up nonsense like pizzagate. The loonies are out there.

Re: I Am Deleting the Blog

#136

Post by beshrkayali » Tue, Jun 23, 2020, 8:04 AM UTC

This is exactly why people are losing faith in journalists and the media in general. NYT has been going downhill for a while now so this is not surprising. It's not the doxxing itself, but it's the hypocrisy. I'm willing to bet that the same person would not hesitate to call out anyone else of a differing opinion (especially politically) on how wrong doxxing is.

Re: I Am Deleting the Blog

#137

Post by xyzzyz » Tue, Jun 23, 2020, 8:04 AM UTC

qq11ww22ee33 wrote: post #92

Smaug123 wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is Scott's real name even relevant to the article? He has good reason not to want it published, and his real name is of no interest to most readers given that his entire public online presence is in the name "Scott Alexander". Knowing that Lewis Carroll was really called Charles Dodgson may be a piece of trivia that makes you win a pub quiz one day, and it may be of niche interest to someone who reads one of his…

If I was a writer I would not suddenly start using internet psuedonyms just because it sounds like a real person's name, much in the same manner putting down Groyper1488 in my article is ridiculous.

Scott Alexander is actually his real first and middle name. All he’s asking is for them to not use his real last name. Apparently, that’s beyond them, they simply must do it regardless of the cost to him and of how little relevance it has.

Re: I Am Deleting the Blog

#138

Post by stevenjohns » Tue, Jun 23, 2020, 8:04 AM UTC

zoul wrote: post #106

Uhrheber wrote: post #75

I stopped trusting reporters about 35 years ago, when I personally witnessed an occurrence, where a reporter was at the scene, and later read what he had written about it in the newspaper. It had practically nothing to do with what really happened, but was written in a way that most of their readers would most likely expect and endorse. I was still very young then, but it opened my eyes, and from then on, I mostly st…

That was bad journalism. Would you also stop trusting all doctors after meeting a bad one?

* What if every hospital had an overt political stance and forced doctors to make diagnoses based on those politics?

* What if the hospitals had a financial incentive to sensationalise public health?

* What if independent doctors only got into medicine in the first place to make decisions based on their own partisan politics?

Unfortunately all US media, and most international media, is equally bad and built on bad intentions for varying levels of nefarious purposes.

Re: I Am Deleting the Blog

#139

Post by buboard » Tue, Jun 23, 2020, 8:06 AM UTC

brnt wrote: post #126

Uhrheber wrote: post #75

I stopped trusting reporters about 35 years ago, when I personally witnessed an occurrence, where a reporter was at the scene, and later read what he had written about it in the newspaper. It had practically nothing to do with what really happened, but was written in a way that most of their readers would most likely expect and endorse. I was still very young then, but it opened my eyes, and from then on, I mostly st…

Disengaging based on an N=1 is not the type of individual action that improves our society. Our society is built on individual (and collective) attempts to improve, and you putting your money towards journalists you found to be doing a good job is the way we leave the world better than we found it. I hope you'll consider this, because our society cannot function without quality investigative reporting. I of course ag…

Most of the reported news is N=1 events. If the news reported averages instead, it wouldn't sell

Re: I Am Deleting the Blog

#140

Post by stjohnswarts » Tue, Jun 23, 2020, 8:06 AM UTC

ipsum2 wrote: post #38

Findeton wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He could also name the NYT reporter.

Why would he stoop that low?

It may prevent the same reporter from destroying someone else's life. There are consequences to hurting another human being's life and privacy.