How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life • Hacker News Board

Re: How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life

#411

Post by spb » Thu, Feb 12, 2015, 7:58 PM UTC

jerf wrote: post #182

foehp wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is deceptive to characterize angry comments posted online as a "lynch mob".

Scale matters. And it has real-world effects... people get fired over this sort of thing, among other things. The only thing preventing the lynch mob from doing what things the physical lynch mobs used to do is simple, sheer lack of physical proximity, so A: I consider it a valid use of the term and B: It should not be viewed by any sane person as a normal and healthy social correction mechanism, it should be condemn…

Sometimes I wish I could give Reddit Gold for comments on Hacker News.

Re: How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life

#412

Post by sillysaurus3 » Thu, Feb 12, 2015, 7:59 PM UTC

logfromblammo wrote: post #400

sillysaurus3 wrote: post #322

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The reason you'll get banned for such behavior, and the whole reason why such behavior is against the rules, is because personal attacks are counterproductive to logical discussions. When HN degenerates into a group of people who go around calling other groups of people losers, that does not bode well.

It was, I admit, somewhat of an obscure joke. I realized, after my first sentence, that I couldn't be certain that it was true. So I added a sentinel value. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_in_Cairo Don't despair. Being called a loser does not make you one.

Ah, I see. Sorry about that.

Re: How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life

#413

Post by fit2rule » Thu, Feb 12, 2015, 7:59 PM UTC

spb wrote: post #394

fit2rule wrote: post #250

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, in Europe the tradition of mobbing is a serious problem, and its definitely something that occurs on a regular basis in the real world, and not just on the Internet. In Germany, people have been fired for instigating the mob - not necessarily for saying things that offend others, but rather for rabble-rousing and trying to get the pitchfork brigade riled up. I think Europe has a keener sense of the history of t…

> People form a kind of super-being in a mob, a near God-like entity, which can perform powerful acts - go to the moon, solve humanitarian crises, and so on. I'd hardly call NASA or UNICEF a mob .

Maybe mob is one end of the spectrum, and "organized space-exploration organization" is the other end.

Re: How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life

#414

Post by npizzolato » Thu, Feb 12, 2015, 7:59 PM UTC

marcusgarvey wrote: post #112

theorique wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

She was being ironic - making fun of herself by pretending to be a ditzy, entitled white girl who though that she could never get AIDS. Unfortunately, in her absence, people took her literally and assumed she was serious.

She has plenty of reason to now explain it as being ironic, but we'll never know if that was her original intent, will we? Her other tweets from the same period strike me immature and mean-spirited.

Since, we'll never know the context, better call her a racist, publicly shame her. and get her fired!

Re: How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life

#415

Post by waylandsmithers » Thu, Feb 12, 2015, 8:02 PM UTC

Kenji wrote: post #132

Stuff like that is analogous to threatening or killing cartoonists who mock Muhammad (that is, insanely extreme reactions to relatively innocuous actions). We just happen to agree with these cartoons, therefore we take the side of the cartoonists. The mindset described in this article (social justice bullying) is as much a hinderance to free speech as islamic extremism. But we are blind to it.

Are you sure about 'relatively innocuous'? My impression was that any depiction was extraordinarily offensive to most Muslims, not just extremists. I don't think the cartoonists deserved to die, but I thought their intentions were to inflame in one way or another.

Re: How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life

#416

Post by bentcorner » Thu, Feb 12, 2015, 8:02 PM UTC

gearoidoc wrote: post #275

andybak wrote: post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fair? Do you really think so? If so you terrify me. I've done plenty of really f*cking stupid things in my time. I'm very thankful most of them were offline or pre-internet.

You're terrified by the idea that someone should be fired for gross unprofessionalism? To repeat: she did not deserve ANY bullying or harassment whatsoever. Did you experience consequences of the stupid actions you've taken?

I've posted something online that almost got me fired. No racists remarks, no hate, it was just some techincal info I shouldn't have shared.

The power that a few sentences can have is sometimes terrifying.

Re: How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life

#417

Post by joesmo » Thu, Feb 12, 2015, 8:04 PM UTC

mootothemax wrote: post #12

As dislikable as the tweet's content is, it's truly frightening how quickly an incredibly large pitchforks-and-torches mob can come to life via the internet.

I think it's a hilarious joke.

Re: How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life

#418

Post by CamperBob2 » Thu, Feb 12, 2015, 8:05 PM UTC

latestrevision wrote: post #358

coldpie wrote: post #327

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At what point does a set of reproducing cells become an "offspring"? It's a hard question to answer and there's no bright line. I understand the opposition's argument, and I don't feel nearly as much animosity towards them. There is no legitimate argument against gay marriage.

I'm gay (& partnered, fwiw), and I'd have to agree that there certainly aren't any good arguments against gay marriage; at least, not any arguments we'd accept in a wealthy, industrialized, western society at the beginning of this millennium, but do keep in mind that the great, great majority of the world does not agree with that assessment. So, what makes an argument legitimate? In order for one to suggest that ther…

In order for one to suggest that there is no legitimate argument against gay marriage, you'd have to rationalize what it is that we in the west know better than those living in less-wealthy, less-industrialized societies outside our corner of the globe.

Most of those other societies incorporate substantial religious influence in their legislative and/or judicial processes. It doesn't require "rationalization" to demonstrate that this is harmful to human progress.

Re: How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life

#419

Post by mkhalil » Thu, Feb 12, 2015, 8:07 PM UTC

I don't wish to comment on how sensitive people get. The masses have spoken, and there is nothing she could of done except face that fact and deal with it responsibly.

I do have a problem with one getting fired over a joke - debatable how "funny" it is - on a personal Twitter account. Would a tenured professor be fired over it? Nah....

Re: How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life

#420

Post by npizzolato » Thu, Feb 12, 2015, 8:07 PM UTC

jim_greco wrote: post #105

1) It's an offensive tweet. Whether you intend something to be offensive or not doesn't make it any less offensive. 2) It's very easy to pass off casual racism as a joke or a misunderstanding of the medium after it blows up in your face.

Everything is offensive to someone. In fact, the sentiment in these comments that a single bad joke on twitter should blow up publicly and cost someone their job I find disgusting. The trick is to not invoke mob justice every time you're offended by any little thing.