Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Brendan Eich Steps Down as Mozilla CEO

blog.mozilla.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

601–610 of 1001 posts

Re: Brendan Eich Steps Down as Mozilla CEO

#601

Post by rodgerd »

MrZongle2 wrote: post #75
phillmv wrote: post #14

From the recode recap - http://recode.net/2014/04/03/mozilla-co-founder-brendan-eich... >“It’s clear that Brendan cannot lead Mozilla in this setting,” said Baker, who added that she would not and could not speak for Eich. “The ability to lead — particularly for the CEO — is fundamental to the role and that is not possible here.” The most damning aspect of this was their a) inability to predict this would be an issue…

"All he had to do was lie" This speaks volumes.

In the world where you live, where CEOs never tell lies, what colour is the sky?

Re: Brendan Eich Steps Down as Mozilla CEO

#603

Post by parfe »

spikels wrote: post #337

Also in 2008 "I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I am not in favor of gay marriage." - Barack Obama

Barack Obama's full quote:

"I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I am not in favor of gay marriage. But when you start playing around with constitutions, just to prohibit somebody who cares about another person, it just seems to me that's not what America's about. Usually, our constitutions expand liberties, they don't contract them."

Candidate Obama opposed prop 8 in 2008 and strongly supported civil unions.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1598407/did-barack-obama-an...

Re: Brendan Eich Steps Down as Mozilla CEO

#604

Post by booruguru »

phillmv wrote: post #14

From the recode recap - http://recode.net/2014/04/03/mozilla-co-founder-brendan-eich... >“It’s clear that Brendan cannot lead Mozilla in this setting,” said Baker, who added that she would not and could not speak for Eich. “The ability to lead — particularly for the CEO — is fundamental to the role and that is not possible here.” The most damning aspect of this was their a) inability to predict this would be an issue…

>All he had to do was lie and say "I understand how my activities can be seen as divisive and wrong and inconsistent with my commitment to upholding the diverse values underpinning the Mozilla community and I apologize for my behaviour at the time. I will do everything in my power to make up for it and I hope the community can judge me based me on my record from this point onwards".

I think liberals have a hard time understanding that "bad people" people truly believe the things they say and do. If someone feels that their beliefs are justified they generally don't care if it upsets people. It seems like all you wanted from his guy was an insincere apology...or worse rhetorical nonsensical featuring all the right pleasant-sounding keywords.

Frankly, I prefer it when bigots speak freely and openly-- that way the rest of us can understand what we're up against.

Re: Brendan Eich Steps Down as Mozilla CEO

#605

Post by watwut »

zorpner wrote: post #439
HillRat wrote: post #318

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's two sides to that -- the first is that, yes, he absolutely has the right to hold any opinion he wants to, no matter how noxious I or others may find them. To paraphrase Hall on Voltaire, I'll defend to the death their right to be assholes. (Full disclosure: pro- gay marriage, anti-Prop 8, not a CA resident, so doesn't really affect me.) On the other hand, there's no absolute right to be a public-facing CEO, a…

This is a terrific comment, and I couldn't agree more -- regardless of Eich's personal views and how they made people feel, the fact that he and Mozilla didn't have statements, interviews, and a PR plan in place for something so obvious is reason enough that he shouldn't be CEO. End of story.

He was CEO for two weeks. If Mozila would have statements, interviews, and a PR plan prepared, they would have to be done before he became CEO.

Re: Brendan Eich Steps Down as Mozilla CEO

#606

Post by parfe »

gum_ina_package wrote: post #88

I honestly feel like Brendan is the victim here. He might have religious or moral views on gay marriage that some of us don't agree with, but being forced to step down as CEO because of those views... well that's something I don't think any of his critics should be proud of.

What about the 18,000 couples he funded a campaign against? He just gets a pass for working to dissolve their families?

Re: Brendan Eich Steps Down as Mozilla CEO

#607

Post by vesinisa »

filmgirlcw wrote: post #534
nostrademons wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This line of reasoning is very troubling to me, because 20 years ago it was pretty much unacceptable in the U.S. to hold the opinion that gays were entitled to full legal rights, let alone the ability to marry. That changed only because some very courageous people stuck their neck out, weathered all the flack and negative personal repercussions towards themselves, and gradually made the point of "Why not?" I fully su…

I had a longer response, but I'll try to condense it down. I understand what you're saying, and as a supporter of free speech (which includes unpopular speech), I generally agree with your point. Still, I can't quite see the parallels between the two scenarios. This isn't a situation where he's sticking his neck out and weathering flack of negative personal repercussions to achieve a point, at least, not yet. If Bren…

Indeed, Brendan has actually gone to extreme lengths to not use his right to freedom of speech. Just look at all this "I prefer not to talk about my beliefs"[1][2]. With the CNET piece, the reporter was very kind, open and professional with him. He handed Eich the forum to come out with his views on a silver plate lined with silk. But Brendan chose not to use it, instead going for the "my private opinions as CEO are irrelevant". Well clearly, they aren't.

It's not about freedom of speech, but actually holding you accountable for what you say, which is a great thing.

[1] http://www.cnet.com/news/mozilla-ceo-gay-marriage-firestorm-...

[2] http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/apr/01/mozilla-ce...

Re: Brendan Eich Steps Down as Mozilla CEO

#608

Post by thrownaway2424 »

waterlesscloud wrote: post #570
sp332 wrote: post #493

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Old people only know gay people as Elton John and Freddie Mercury. Younger people know normal people as gay, so it's no wonder.

Do young people really believe this?

Yes. You should have seen my mother when she figured out that Liberace was gay. As if Liberace wasn't the gayest person ever.

Re: Brendan Eich Steps Down as Mozilla CEO

#609

Post by adrianlmm »

openjck wrote: post #520
broflosup wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm kind of conflicted. On one hand, there's Chrome, but it's used by Google to help US government spy on you. On another hand, there's Mozilla. Both good browsers but are being developed by pretty evil people.

Mozilla employee here. Please remember that Mozilla is not one person. Mozilla is a global community of people, staff and volunteers, working to protect and care for the web in a way that no other group of people can. We are not perfect, but we are generally good people, and we are trying our hardest to do good, selfless work. Be angry about Brendan, but please do not let your anger cross over to the project itself.…

No, if the Mozilla staff can't grow a pair and stand by one of his employees then I don't want to have any relationship with them.

Re: Brendan Eich Steps Down as Mozilla CEO

#610

Post by danudey »

Beliavsky wrote: post #15

From the article: "We have employees with a wide diversity of views. Our culture of openness extends to encouraging staff and community to share their beliefs and opinions in public." Clearly people with socially conservative views are not welcome at Mozilla.

People with socially-conservative views are one thing. People who've donated significant cash sums to remove rights from a small percentage of the population for no practical reason is not a 'socially-conservative view', it's a discriminatory action.
Post reply on HN