An upcoming story about Coinbase • Hacker News Board

Re: An upcoming story about Coinbase

#121

Post by theanarcrist » Thu, Nov 26, 2020, 5:12 AM UTC

ntsplnkv2 wrote: post #25

avolcano wrote: post #17

This is an odd thing to see widely published. I'm at a company that had a rather detailed negative article written about us, and we were warned about it internally shortly before it was published, after the reporter had contacted us with details and questions. However, we didn't go public with a reaction until after it was out, since it seemed rather pointless to respond to something that hadn't been published yet, e…

> It is odd to me that they would preemptively go loud on this "This is gonna be really bad, so we need to get out in front of it." That's what it sounds like to me.

I suspect part of the motivation is to scoop the reporter's own story as a passive aggressive reprisal. It also serves to reduce the chance of future reporters on negative topics to talk directly to Coinbase since they've already showed they're willing to break stories before they publish.

Re: An upcoming story about Coinbase

#122

Post by muglug » Thu, Nov 26, 2020, 5:12 AM UTC

doublekill wrote: post #79

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?

What I learned from diversity training is that you need to accept the fact that society is systematically racist, and as a white person you benefit from this. So all whites are profiting from racism already. They have to come to terms with this, acknowledge the role that their ancestors played in furthering or creating racial inequality, and do everything in their privileged power to right this wrong: hire more black…

> society is systematically racist, and as a white person you benefit from this. So all whites are profiting from racism already

American society, certainly. Some white Europeans are a bit miffed at being lumped in with America’s problems. Europe has race/diversity problems of its own, but not on the same scale as the US’s.

Re: An upcoming story about Coinbase

#123

Post by predictmktegirl » Thu, Nov 26, 2020, 5:13 AM UTC

ttesttom wrote: post #109

predictmktegirl wrote: post #56

[edit: Not going to risk retaliation for my family, not sure why I bothered]

Didn't he state support for BLM publicly on Twitter though? https://twitter.com/brian_armstrong/status/12686223771826216...

Yes, after employees walked out.

Re: An upcoming story about Coinbase

#124

Post by ttesttom » Thu, Nov 26, 2020, 5:14 AM UTC

predictmktegirl wrote: post #123

ttesttom wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Didn't he state support for BLM publicly on Twitter though? https://twitter.com/brian_armstrong/status/12686223771826216...

Yes, after employees walked out.

Ah, good to know context, thanks!

Re: An upcoming story about Coinbase

#125

Post by peteretep » Thu, Nov 26, 2020, 5:14 AM UTC

TerminalWarrior wrote: post #90

peteretep wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> when you get accused of racism, what can you even do? Make sure nobody has any examples of you being racist

What about in the day and age where "silence is violence"? Apparently just trying to not get involved is enough to make a whole company raciest?

Announcing a policy where you’re saying “we’re above politics and we’ll pay you to leave if you’re not” is quite definitely not an example of “trying to not get involved”

Re: An upcoming story about Coinbase

#126

Post by burnthrow » Thu, Nov 26, 2020, 5:14 AM UTC

Well now I'm definitely not going to miss this story.

Re: An upcoming story about Coinbase

#127

Post by TerminalWarrior » Thu, Nov 26, 2020, 5:15 AM UTC

predictmktegirl wrote: post #115

travisoneill1 wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> employees who walked out, "forcing" his hand > No one was asking for a political statement Pick one

They walked out because he wouldn't say, in private, that black people's lives mattered. It was simply outrageous to see that in this age. Do you really think it is political to say that a human's life is important, in private?

Its non-sense to ask someone to say the lives of any race "matter". It might be a great catch phrase for a movement but what an absolutely stupid thing to demand a person state. Unless a person is actively KILLING people based on their race, to ask them to state that their lives matter is, again, just stupid.

I want you to say the lives of Japanese people matter. Say it, why won't you say it? You must hate Japanese people apparently...

Re: An upcoming story about Coinbase

#128

Post by nullc » Thu, Nov 26, 2020, 5:15 AM UTC

muglug wrote: post #87

jimmygrapes wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems to me that Coinbase is well aware of NYT's recent decline from paper of record to race-baiting propaganda, and knows that instead of being factual about numbers NYT will use weasel words to make it seem like Coinbase's entire company is run by "far right extremist racists" or whatever similar language. Of course, only time and the publication of the NYT article will tell, but given their recent track record…

> NYT's recent decline from paper of record to race-baiting propaganda Good newspapers must always speak truth to power. In a country where white people hold virtually all of it, sometimes that means speaking truth to white power. You’re sort of telling on yourself if you find that offensive.

The thing about speaking truth to power is that there are two components to the statement. It isn't met only by attacking a group perceived to be affiliated with "power"-- it also has to involve the truth.

Re: An upcoming story about Coinbase

#129

Post by predictmktegirl » Thu, Nov 26, 2020, 5:16 AM UTC

TerminalWarrior wrote: post #116

predictmktegirl wrote: post #56

[edit: Not going to risk retaliation for my family, not sure why I bothered]

So not promoting people because they are black is now enough to get called raciest? I guess that's exactly how Kamala Harris has made it to where she is.

We didn't accuse anyone of being racist. Just sharing our disappointment. When that disappointment is so widespread that the NYT is writing an article on your company, it's more than a coincidence, no?

Re: An upcoming story about Coinbase

#130

Post by disown » Thu, Nov 26, 2020, 5:17 AM UTC

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.…

> underscore the fundamental truths of whatever the NYT

I wouldn't ever use the words truth and NYT - especially when it comes to cultural topics. And also geopolitical topics. Or anything of national significance. Or war. You get the idea.

> Otherwise... why bother dignifying it with such a response?

Why is the NYT writing a hit piece on coinbase? For what reason and what ends? When it comes to propaganda, it always helps to get out in front of the "story". I'm guessing that's what coinbase is doing.

I have my own ideas, like everyone else. It's highly likely that both the NYTimes and coinbase are lying or exaggerating or twisting the truth. Certainly neither side is offering any "fundamental truth".