Ask HN: Ex-Employer gossiping I “hacked” their platform – what to do?

Been there many times and I think, that it's a bit normal when leaving a company/a powerful position within. People blame always the leavers for their own mistakes or being in a crappy company. Then, the biggest challenge is to let go and accept that you cannot do anything. Of course you could 'fight back'. And tbh, I still don't know what's better.

Fighting back is a hassle, proving defamation is hard, getting lawyers is expensive, suing and the following process can take years. And the outcome? From an economic view, it's always a no, also the distraction from stuff that really matters, for what? Fighting is great, some like it a lot, but it costs so much energy. Moving on feels more sane. However, in the long run, there's always a bitter aftertaste, just an odd feeling that you lost a fight. This feeling will stay with yout for quite some time but it is often just in your head. Maybe the thing you are worrying about is not that big and not worth thinking one more sec about. You just don't know.

If there's a fool-proof way to fight + win something significant + in a short time frame, fight. Otherwise, get busy, get on new projects and once you are on a better position/in a new company you forgot them anyway.

So, asking us was a good first step to get a bit busy, get an achievement (getting on the front page) and out of racing thoughts. Now, keep on, write the next Ask HN about some tech, ask 10 peers for a coffee after new years eve, build a gaming pc, do whatever keeps you busy.

Edit: Not sure if you can trust the CEO but from what he wrote he sounds ok/friendly and he doesn't care (which is good, because if one of them would decide to sue you it would be him).

Think of it as complaining about your ex-partner, when you are on a first date with someone you've just met. No one says that your previous company (or ex) wasn't bad and that you are to blame. It's just that people are not interested in your past but more in the future they are going to have with you. If you have 1 hour, you better spend it on advertising yourself and your skills instead of bashing others. You can complain later after you get the job, the new team get to know you better and trust you (and your stories) more.

Why would you know the CEO's credentials? Even if you did I would start pointing that out very loudly. At least until any blamers backed back into their holes.

Hopefully. Tangential anecdote time here.

I was terminated from my long time employer over what they called "poor performance" that was my boss compiling an actual "dossier" on me - everything from LJ posts from my ex-wife to WHOIS info to claim/show I was moonlighting (one, my photography business), a blog from a friend thanking me for giving him advice on a startup. Basically a hit list - he'd gone off the deep end on a few things, not just me, divorcing his wife, father dying, endless arguments with business partner / co-owner of the company.

He was adamant about a little sit down/FU session with me where he'd show me this damning dossier of all my "misdeeds".

Thankfully the partner got a lawyer involved who told them, in essence, "WTF? No.".

Apropos of both the state we were in being "at-will", and my employment contract / handbook having no provisions about moonlighting etc., the LJ posts being 10+ years old, etc., he basically said "As soon as you start showing this stuff it becomes somewhat defensible - he says 'actually, no, blah blah blah'."

"Just say that today is your last day. Thank you."

My boss was vindictive though. He wanted to contest my filing Unemployment paperwork about my "poor performance". He also wanted to withhold my final paychecks pending "return of all equipment, etc.".

I literally saw in a frozen screen glitch in Zoom the lawyer's response to him on that second one, verbatim.

"No. Do not do that. You cannot do that.".

Thankfully, for me, the partner and lawyer were the voices of reason, or it could have been difficult.

In terms of looking for a new job, more gray - I never stated that I was still at that job, nor did I let any question about it go unanswered or unclear (no lies by omission), other than just not specifically saying "I was terminated from job X on day Y".

Okay, I didn't have in mind a situation when an applicant volunteers such information without any need for that.

In the setting you've described I agree with you.