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An upcoming story about Coinbase

blog.coinbase.com

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Re: An upcoming story about Coinbase

#271

Post by bradlys »

csense wrote: post #66
ApolloFortyNine wrote: post #10

It's really really hard to prove your not racist. If anyone has any clue as how to do so, please share. They could have waited until the story was published I guess to share this statement, but publishing it preemptively makes sense too I believe (it's an always open entity that is incredibly easy to switch away from). But truly, when you get accused of racism, what can you even do?

That's the beauty of it. Denying the charge or defending yourself simply digs you deeper into the hole. What you're supposed to do is admit you're a racist, fall down on your knees, abjectly beg forgiveness of your accusers, and list all the new things you'll be doing to stop being racist. Then your accusers have the power to forgive you. But you really, truly have to go all the way in submitting to their demands. An…

> I know I'm not a racist -- I interact with people of all races. I don't let race enter into my interactions. I sleep well at night, because I know I'm not a racist.

I’m pretty sure many racists think the same things... You don’t need to be in the KKK to be racist. You don’t need to be saying the n-word to be racist. There are a lot of more “subtle” things you could be doing that /are definitely/ racist.

Btw, the fact you don’t let race enter your interactions probably means you’re not accounting for what people experience as part of their race. So, you’re probably racist for not considering their position.

Re: An upcoming story about Coinbase

#272

Post by treis »

JeremyNT wrote: post #261
galaxyLogic wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes isn't this a rather common strategy, "Be pro-active, not reactive". When the actual story comes out it is not such a big news any more, because it is not news any more. First impressions often last, so now the first impressions is that the story is fake. So even if their response does amplify the story, it might amplify a good story rather than a bad one. So go even so far as to say "all publicity is good publici…

I get that this strategy can work, but are there really that many people who will be swayed by a pr statement from coinbase? I'm primed to assume their version is filled with lies and spin, and I'm waiting for the piece in the NYT to cut through the corporate pr bullshit.

Personally, I don't have a lot of confidence in the objectivity of the NYT around race and related social issues. Not to the extent of "lies and spin" but not exactly accurate reporting either. The truth is likely going lie somewhere between the NYT and Coinbase versions.

Re: An upcoming story about Coinbase

#273

Post by nwsm »

adtac wrote: post #15
lefrenchy wrote: post #8

Streisand effect. Now I want to read the article when it comes out.

Not really. They're just trying to own the narrative with this post here. Streissand effect only applies when someone tries to cover up an already-published piece of fact.

What is their narrative then? They aren’t addressing anything.. just saying that they are doing well and will continue to do well.

Re: An upcoming story about Coinbase

#274

Post by prezjordan »

deleteme34444 wrote: post #244
rrrrrrrrrrrryan wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Making nice little statements like this: > The point is, if you want to face reality rather than live in a comfortable fantasy, you have to confront the possibility that the racists are right about one thing: It's possible that some races really do have less intelligence than others. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24889113

It is very rude of you to completely neglect the reasonable discussion surrounding that cherry-picked quote and present it in this way that implies they are "racist" -- this is exactly the sort of behavior that needs to stop.

There is no amount of context that makes a statement like "the racists are right about one thing: It's possible that some races really do have less intelligence than others" redeemable.

Re: An upcoming story about Coinbase

#276

Post by RestlessMind »

drewbug01 wrote: post #221
rrdharan wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These aren’t exactly what you are asking about but some recent examples of what I consider to be disingenuous and manipulative: 1. The New York Times published a scathing critique of Google’s 4000 word privacy policy, neglecting anywhere to mention that their own privacy policy was 25% longer and sketchier. 2. The entire handling of the Caliphate podcast and subsequent backpedaling and retroactive reframing. 3. Simil…

I thank you for your reply - I phrased my question the way I did because I was curious if anyone had more than just anecdotes, but I do still find the anecdotes interesting on their own. I suppose - absent more consistent evidence (they do a lot of reporting after all) - it’s not entirely convincing to me. A lot of other outlets made the same mistakes (especially stuff about the Iraq War, since you mentioned it - but…

> ... quickly leaves you with no real sources of news left

Or, you can start taking different sources with appropriate grains of salt accounting for their biases. If I see an NYT piece critical of Conservatives / Republicans / Corporations, I am going to assume some bias in reporting. Similarly, if I see a piece commenting on an event related to Democrats / Racial Justice / Immigration / Public spending, I am going to check a few right wing sources for their take on the same issue.

Re: An upcoming story about Coinbase

#277

Post by RestlessMind »

"There is no such thing as bad publicity", eh? You can count on NYT to publish any story at the intersection of Silicon Valley and Racial Justice, so a story about Coinbase itself won't be a big deal since public will forget it in 5 minutes. But by proactively publishing this blog post, Coinbase seems to be extending the news cycle around this.

Re: An upcoming story about Coinbase

#278

Post by IfOnlyYouKnew »

jules-jules wrote: post #249
QuinnyPig wrote: post #44

I’m skeptical. I’ve worked with the NYT on a few stories; they’re incredibly thorough, and don’t publish unsubstantiated trash.

Like the case for the war with Iraq?

If your best criticism is something that is old enough to finish college right around now, and ignores that the Times ran plenty of opposition to that war, maybe they aren’t as bad as you make them out to be?

Re: An upcoming story about Coinbase

#279

Post by rrrrrrrrrrrryan »

deleteme34444 wrote: post #244
rrrrrrrrrrrryan wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Making nice little statements like this: > The point is, if you want to face reality rather than live in a comfortable fantasy, you have to confront the possibility that the racists are right about one thing: It's possible that some races really do have less intelligence than others. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24889113

It is very rude of you to completely neglect the reasonable discussion surrounding that cherry-picked quote and present it in this way that implies they are "racist" -- this is exactly the sort of behavior that needs to stop.

I'm not implying he's a racist, I'm implying he's a bit dense. Someone was wondering why he's getting called a racist, and I took a shot at providing an answer.

You just can't go around making statements about race and intelligence, however delicate and nuanced, and not expect people to raise an eyebrow. Do you think he'd make that same statement in a room full of black people?

In case it isn't obvious, not-racist people with a smidgeon of social awareness don't even engage in those sorts of discussions on the first place, because they understand that nothing productive can come of them.

They're his words, and I linked to the full thread to provide context. If you find "this behavior" "very rude," I think many others here would disagree with you.

Re: An upcoming story about Coinbase

#280

Post by IfOnlyYouKnew »

drewbug01 wrote: post #27

Well, the whole press release / internal email smells of a company desperately trying to spin what they expect to be a very, very bad article. But this line jumped out at me twice: > To be specific: Although the story will likely allege that a number of Black employees and contractors referenced in the story filed complaints with the company, only three of these people filed complaints during their time at Coinbase.…

The meaning of „don’t be political at work“ was always „let us be racists in peace“.
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