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Jon Ronson: How a Tweet Can Ruin Your Life

esquire.co.uk

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Re: Jon Ronson: How a Tweet Can Ruin Your Life

#101

Post by andy_ppp »

I think the feeling of entitlement to be never offended isn't a right (mainly because anything can offend some people). Adria is seriously comparing the situation caused by people making silly jokes to feeling as if she's going to be murdered? Er?

I feel very bad for Hank in this and also don't think that she should be hounded by 4chan et al. I will also avoid using SendGrid - her company in my life. Who is Hank's previous employer? I intend to boycott that completely spineless company too (name and shame!).

Also I really fucking dislike the pop psychology about her Dad in the article. No. I believe your past is not your future and you are responsible for your choices.

Finally, it's ironic that Adria implies she thinks hank deserves what he got. If Adria were being judged by her own standards about public discourse...

Re: Jon Ronson: How a Tweet Can Ruin Your Life

#102

Post by eloisant »

near wrote: post #44

The world is replete with examples of why you should never use your real name with your online identity in any way (although in this case, the guy's employer found out over a photograph; which is even more troubling.) If there's anyone worse than Adria in this story, it's both Hank's and Adria's former employers. You don't destroy a person's life over a comment or a blackmail threat. But as they say, if corporations…

There are differences between Hank in Adria.

* Hank did a private joke while Adria took the issue to the public (tweeted to her 10,000 followers) * Hank was a developer while Adria was a developer evangelist, so she officially represents the company publicly. It's important to note that a lof of her Twitter followers probably followed her because of her position at Sendgrid.

Which is why I can understand Sendgrid's decision, but less Hank's employer's decision. Not based on the blackmail, but because it became hard for such a dividing personality to assume a position that involves public communication with a developer community that may or may not agree with everything you think.

Re: Jon Ronson: How a Tweet Can Ruin Your Life

#103

Post by celticninja »

throwawayaway wrote: post #77
celticninja wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

no you dont, in Europe there is a lot of legal aid and support available to bring these to employment tribunals. you dont have to be rich to get justice over here (but as with everywhere it does help).

well free legal aid is worth what you pay for it in mine and other's experience. hopefully you won't have to rely on it someday. being rich certainly does help.

i disagree, free legal aid is very good, it just depends on your experience. i assume you are in the US and free legal aid there is the public defender where they are underfunded, overworked and probably not motivated by the system. In the UK where legal aid has been a part of the system for so long there is little difference between the quality of advice and representation. Some of the top firms for employment rights do both private and legal aid funded work and the same people work on both. Yes there are corporate law employment lawyers who dont do legal aid but I would bet dollars to donuts that most of them cut their teeth doing legal aid funed work and it is that work that gave them the experience and knowledge to move onto private paying work.

Re: Jon Ronson: How a Tweet Can Ruin Your Life

#104

Post by fsniper »

zvrba wrote: post #45

So she overhears a private conversation between friends [none of the talk was directed to or being about anybody in particular], tweets a "summary" without context, adds a photo of the people involved, all in order to publicly shame them, while they did nothing wrong. No sympathy for her.

Also, her own words are showing signs of insecurity in her side which leads to near destruction of two peoples lives. (her own included).

Also, both companies' responses to these events are overreactions.

Re: Jon Ronson: How a Tweet Can Ruin Your Life

#106

Post by amalag »

eloisant wrote: post #102
near wrote: post #44

The world is replete with examples of why you should never use your real name with your online identity in any way (although in this case, the guy's employer found out over a photograph; which is even more troubling.) If there's anyone worse than Adria in this story, it's both Hank's and Adria's former employers. You don't destroy a person's life over a comment or a blackmail threat. But as they say, if corporations…

There are differences between Hank in Adria. * Hank did a private joke while Adria took the issue to the public (tweeted to her 10,000 followers) * Hank was a developer while Adria was a developer evangelist, so she officially represents the company publicly. It's important to note that a lof of her Twitter followers probably followed her because of her position at Sendgrid. Which is why I can understand Sendgrid's d…

As a developer evangelist you would think she could have handled it better.

Re: Jon Ronson: How a Tweet Can Ruin Your Life

#107

Post by DanBC »

I love Jon Ronson's work. He manages to make people appear human. Here, though, Adria comes across really poorly. She blames "Hank" for the (totally unacceptable) abuse she receives, even when she's told that he was not in anyway responsible for it.

If you get the chance to see his documentaries or listen to his radio shows you should - they're good.

Re: Jon Ronson: How a Tweet Can Ruin Your Life

#108

Post by aragot »

Jem wrote: post #10

I remember when this incident happened. I can't remember what my reaction was at the time (probably a combination of "let's not alienate women in tech further" and "sexual jokes are OK in the right context, and a conf is propably not it") but reading this excerpt - particularly reading about Adria's continued anger(?) at Hank - really shocked me.

There's only one way to reach peace: By not attacking the other party and by giving up past debts, altogether at a country level.

Example: The current way we deal with respect for women in IT is to raise those problems, get people fired, give women the promotion preference, and shame reluctant minds. If those actions leave scars in the sentiments of males, we won't be any closer to peace, confidence and safety between the two genders.

After WWII, the German people started to learn French and the French people started to learn German, among a lot of similar things. We need to find what will lead us to work together and acknowledge each other's qualities, more than attacking each other on legal grounds.

Re: Jon Ronson: How a Tweet Can Ruin Your Life

#110

Post by Jem »

adwn wrote: post #91
Jem wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Totally agree with your first 3 sentences, can't agree with the last. Finding the courage to stand up and directly address someone who is making you feel uncomfortable - especially if you're a minority in a certain environment - takes a lot of courage and absolute certainty that you're not going to get a mouthful of abuse back. (I think talking directly to the conf organisers/staff would have been the preferred route…

> Finding the courage to stand up and directly address someone who is making you feel uncomfortable [...] She didn't. Instead of directly addressing them and giving them a chance to explain and apologize, she instead proceeded to put them in a public pillory. That's the opposite of courageous, it's malicious, sneaky, and underhanded.

I know what she did. I didn't say I agreed with her approach (quite the opposite, in fact).
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