Vox Media is cutting pay and furloughing 9% of employees • Hacker News Board

Re: Vox Media is cutting pay and furloughing 9% of employees

#21

Post by buboard » Fri, Apr 17, 2020, 8:42 PM UTC

foob4r wrote: post #12

Traster wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

First tweet: Vox saying face masks aren't the best way to avoid Coronavirus. Actually basically the mainstream view in the US at the time, and still arguable. Note how right now the states aren't mandating masks, they're mandating social isolation. Second tweet: Vox factually reporting the tech industry is eschewing handshakes. Tweet author editorialises that Vox is telling them not to. Third Tweet: Vox factually rep…

Almost makes you wonder if balajis has a personal gripe with vox or recode or Ezra or Kara. Balaji is a crypto bro and epitome of technocrats who thinks just because they are (rich|famous|networked), they are experts on everything. Fact of the matter is, Balaji doesn't know any more about Covid than what is reported. He's using hindsight bias to claim that media reported was false.

Whatever. Thanks to him i knew about Coronavirus and warned everyone back in February.

You re making the exact same remarks that tech hating journos did

If you re claiming the journos knew something he didnt, then it means they criminally misreported it

Re: Vox Media is cutting pay and furloughing 9% of employees

#22

Post by moodytunes » Fri, Apr 17, 2020, 8:47 PM UTC

kaesar14 wrote: post #15

NateEag wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some jobs should not be done. That implies there are times we should root for people to lose their jobs. This may not be one of them. I just felt it was worth pointing out that this is a noble-sounding but poor idea.

Semantically agreed, is there anything wrong with hoping lobbyists for oil companies and weapons manufacturers lose their jobs, for example? :)

Not really, except it comes off as you hope the people currently employed as lobbyists and weapons manufactures lose their jobs. Once they get canned, someone else could take their place. Sounds like the disagreement is with the position itself, not the person who happens to be holding the job

Re: Vox Media is cutting pay and furloughing 9% of employees

#23

Post by nerdponx » Fri, Apr 17, 2020, 8:52 PM UTC

NateEag wrote: post #11

camgunz wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Come on man, let's avoid hoping for people to lose their jobs.

Some jobs should not be done. That implies there are times we should root for people to lose their jobs. This may not be one of them. I just felt it was worth pointing out that this is a noble-sounding but poor idea.

That implies there are times we should root for people to lose their jobs.

We should root for people to lose specific jobs by way of those jobs disappearing.

We should not root for people to lose their access to a baseline level of income, or otherwise a basic living standard.

The fundamental problem with modern society is that jobs are prerequisite for acceptable living standards, including access to healthcare, education, housing, food, and social interaction.

In most cases, minimum living standards depend on a minimum income, which is usually obtained by way of a job.

Other times income alone is not the only prerequisite. In the case of healthcare (in the USA), you need a job through a formal employer in order to make healthcare affordable, i.e. without a formal job you need a much higher income in order to obtain healthcare at an acceptable standard.

In my opinion, diminishing or eliminating the dependence of "living standards" on "job" is essential to a high-functioning society. Even if the dependence is only broken temporarily as part of a "social safety net". The USA has a social safety net, but it's frequently insufficient to maintain morally acceptable living standards.

Re: Vox Media is cutting pay and furloughing 9% of employees

#24

Post by bovermyer » Fri, Apr 17, 2020, 9:01 PM UTC

vanattab wrote: post #2

I wish they would axe the entire staff! I can't stand their style of "explanatory journalism".

Just because you don't like their style doesn't mean they shouldn't exist.

That'd be like me saying you should be fired from whatever job you have for posting this comment. It makes no sense, doesn't help the dialogue, and comes off as unnecessarily antagonistic.

Re: Vox Media is cutting pay and furloughing 9% of employees

#25

Post by iateanapple » Fri, Apr 17, 2020, 9:03 PM UTC

Traster wrote: post #6

AlchemistCamp wrote: post #5

The context is interesting: https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1248317812260499456 https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1248317824394653697 https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1248317820800086016 https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1248318363538837504 The same company that considerably increased the damage the virus did in their country is now in financial difficulty as a result. They mocked people for avoiding handshake…

First tweet: Vox saying face masks aren't the best way to avoid Coronavirus. Actually basically the mainstream view in the US at the time, and still arguable. Note how right now the states aren't mandating masks, they're mandating social isolation. Second tweet: Vox factually reporting the tech industry is eschewing handshakes. Tweet author editorialises that Vox is telling them not to. Third Tweet: Vox factually rep…

> Vox saying face masks aren't the best way to avoid Coronavirus. Actually basically the mainstream view in the US at the time

It was the mainstream view in the US because the media built the narrative that masks wouldn’t help...

Re: Vox Media is cutting pay and furloughing 9% of employees

#26

Post by dang » Fri, Apr 17, 2020, 9:07 PM UTC

foob4r wrote: post #12

Traster wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

First tweet: Vox saying face masks aren't the best way to avoid Coronavirus. Actually basically the mainstream view in the US at the time, and still arguable. Note how right now the states aren't mandating masks, they're mandating social isolation. Second tweet: Vox factually reporting the tech industry is eschewing handshakes. Tweet author editorialises that Vox is telling them not to. Third Tweet: Vox factually rep…

Almost makes you wonder if balajis has a personal gripe with vox or recode or Ezra or Kara. Balaji is a crypto bro and epitome of technocrats who thinks just because they are (rich|famous|networked), they are experts on everything. Fact of the matter is, Balaji doesn't know any more about Covid than what is reported. He's using hindsight bias to claim that media reported was false.

Please keep personal attacks off HN, regardless of whom you're attacking. Maybe you don't owe crypto bros better, but you owe this community better if you're posting here. Your comment would be fine with just the last two sentences.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Re: Vox Media is cutting pay and furloughing 9% of employees

#27

Post by AlchemistCamp » Fri, Apr 17, 2020, 9:09 PM UTC

Traster wrote: post #6

AlchemistCamp wrote: post #5

The context is interesting: https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1248317812260499456 https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1248317824394653697 https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1248317820800086016 https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1248318363538837504 The same company that considerably increased the damage the virus did in their country is now in financial difficulty as a result. They mocked people for avoiding handshake…

First tweet: Vox saying face masks aren't the best way to avoid Coronavirus. Actually basically the mainstream view in the US at the time, and still arguable. Note how right now the states aren't mandating masks, they're mandating social isolation. Second tweet: Vox factually reporting the tech industry is eschewing handshakes. Tweet author editorialises that Vox is telling them not to. Third Tweet: Vox factually rep…

It's fine if you disagree, but it would be constructive if you can at least disagree with what was actually written instead of your interpretation of it.

Also, please keep in mind that "that tweeter", as you call him, taught bioinformatics at Stanford, has published papers in the field of clinical/microbial genomics and founded a biotech startup that sold for 375M. He's considerably more informed about the topic than any of the reporters sparring with him. https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1228752554022068226

And yes, he does have an axe to grind with Vox: https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1228447944287932416

As someone watching the whole thing unfold for months, from far away in Taiwan, I think he's completely right on this one.

Re: Vox Media is cutting pay and furloughing 9% of employees

#28

Post by iateanapple » Fri, Apr 17, 2020, 9:18 PM UTC

Traster wrote: post #6

AlchemistCamp wrote: post #5

The context is interesting: https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1248317812260499456 https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1248317824394653697 https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1248317820800086016 https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1248318363538837504 The same company that considerably increased the damage the virus did in their country is now in financial difficulty as a result. They mocked people for avoiding handshake…

First tweet: Vox saying face masks aren't the best way to avoid Coronavirus. Actually basically the mainstream view in the US at the time, and still arguable. Note how right now the states aren't mandating masks, they're mandating social isolation. Second tweet: Vox factually reporting the tech industry is eschewing handshakes. Tweet author editorialises that Vox is telling them not to. Third Tweet: Vox factually rep…

> Vox factually reporting the tech industry is eschewing handshakes. Tweet author editorialises that Vox is telling them not to.

When you describe techies as terrified in the context of handshakes you make them sound terrified of handshakes which makes them look irrational to the average person.

When you immediately follow that up with “experts” saying everything is fine you cement the view in the readers mind that tech people are acting irrationally.

Re: Vox Media is cutting pay and furloughing 9% of employees

#29

Post by rajup » Fri, Apr 17, 2020, 9:27 PM UTC

Traster wrote: post #6

AlchemistCamp wrote: post #5

The context is interesting: https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1248317812260499456 https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1248317824394653697 https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1248317820800086016 https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1248318363538837504 The same company that considerably increased the damage the virus did in their country is now in financial difficulty as a result. They mocked people for avoiding handshake…

First tweet: Vox saying face masks aren't the best way to avoid Coronavirus. Actually basically the mainstream view in the US at the time, and still arguable. Note how right now the states aren't mandating masks, they're mandating social isolation. Second tweet: Vox factually reporting the tech industry is eschewing handshakes. Tweet author editorialises that Vox is telling them not to. Third Tweet: Vox factually rep…

> First tweet: Vox saying face masks aren't the best way to avoid Coronavirus. Actually basically the mainstream view in the US at the time,

Well, it was definitely mainstream after Vox reported on it.

Re: Vox Media is cutting pay and furloughing 9% of employees

#30

Post by iateanapple » Fri, Apr 17, 2020, 9:39 PM UTC

bovermyer wrote: post #24

vanattab wrote: post #2

I wish they would axe the entire staff! I can't stand their style of "explanatory journalism".

Just because you don't like their style doesn't mean they shouldn't exist. That'd be like me saying you should be fired from whatever job you have for posting this comment. It makes no sense, doesn't help the dialogue, and comes off as unnecessarily antagonistic.

> That'd be like me saying you should be fired from whatever job you have for posting this comment.

No it isn’t. It is like saying the parent poster should be kicked off hn because of the content/bias in their hn posts.