Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction • Hacker News Board

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#71

Post by hasenj » Fri, Jun 10, 2016, 5:24 PM UTC

draker wrote: post #52

badloginagain wrote: post #32

Cant read because of paywall, but I have been following along with this "dramady." I wonder what form of invasive media will fill the void in Gawkers wake. If anyone thinks this is the end of Gawkers distasteful form of journalism they are very wrong. Gawker worked. It was nasty, but it worked. Companies will form and fill the gap; but they'll be more resilient because they'll remember how Gawker fell.

Search the title, click the result. If the referer is a search engine it won't paywall you.

In chrome, just put a question mark before the url, it will take you to google with the url as the first result.

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#72

Post by smt88 » Fri, Jun 10, 2016, 5:24 PM UTC

whack wrote: post #54

Libel and slander have no place in a functioning democracy. By building an entire business model around such practices, Gawker is not only spreading disinformation, it is also crowding out more reputable news sources that could have better helped inform the public. The only criticism I can give in this entire tale, is that it shouldn't take a billionaire to sue and win judgement against slanderous publishers. Such re…

> Libel and slander have no place in a functioning democracy

One man's libel/slander is another man's investigate journalism ("muckraking" in the US). In this particular case, Gawker wasn't guilty of either libel or slander because they didn't publish anything about Hogan that was false.

> it shouldn't take a billionaire to sue and win judgement against slanderous publishers

It's actually much harder to win a libel/slander suit as a public figure. See: http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/libel-defamation

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#73

Post by cloakandswagger » Fri, Jun 10, 2016, 5:24 PM UTC

nostromo wrote: post #18

Gawker may have been terrible, but we should all be a bit concerned at the precedent this sets. It's sort of like defending the free speech of terrible groups like the KKK. We do it because we treasure free speech, not because we support the KKK. I generally have positive feelings about Thiel, but his actions here make me very uneasy. I worry that the aristocracy will now use this method to try and close down unfavor…

I only wish people were as ardently Constitutionalist when it came to other amendments (e.g., the one after free speech).

I for one am overjoyed with this news and have no concern whatsoever that it will be the death knell of legitimate journalism. Voyeuristic muck like Gawker makes society ugly.

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#74

Post by keepper » Fri, Jun 10, 2016, 5:24 PM UTC

A racist billionaire[1], funding another racist millionaire[2], supporting another racist billionaire[3]

But everyone seems to be ok with this, because of pseudo libertarianism?

Libertarianism: "All the parts of government that benefit rich folks are legit/necessary/essential. All the parts that benefit poor folks are illegitimate/aggression/tyranny."

Oh man... what is going on!?!

[1]https://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?artic...

[2]http://nypost.com/2015/07/24/why-is-wwe-frantically-scrubbin...

[3]http://www.salon.com/2016/06/09/donald_trumps_response_to_re...

[3a]http://www.wired.com/2016/05/investor-peter-thiel-will-calif...

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#75

Post by bra-ket » Fri, Jun 10, 2016, 5:24 PM UTC

mhurron wrote: post #45

cm2187 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you suggesting the Hogan suit was groundless?

The issue I have with it is that money from an external source that had nothing to do with the suit was funnelled in to use it as a weapon. Thiel had an issue with Gawker, Thiel should have taken it to Gawker.

It's called 'maintenance' and it was made illegal under common law of England 500 years ago

http://overlawyered.com/2016/05/champerty-maintenance-explai...

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#76

Post by lujim » Fri, Jun 10, 2016, 5:24 PM UTC

mevile wrote: post #53

I don't like Gawker, but I like the idea of a billionaire being able to bankrupt news sites that he doesn't like even less.

Well Gawker isn't exactly the Wall Street Journal and they didn't get the bankruptcy treatment for having a differing political opinion or some different viewpoint. They were bullying people and now they are getting bullied.

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#77

Post by adamnemecek » Fri, Jun 10, 2016, 5:24 PM UTC

Negative1 wrote: post #66

adamnemecek wrote: post #2

And nothing of value was lost.

A billionaire used his money and influence to destroy an organization because he doesn't agree with what they say. I can think of at least one thing of value that was lost.

> he doesn't agree with what they say

That wording seems a bit too kind to Gawker.

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#78

Post by jshevek » Fri, Jun 10, 2016, 5:24 PM UTC

hartator wrote: post #40

princeb wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

what precedent? that if you say something, you stand by the consequences, financial and all? that people take responsibility for what they say is not a new development. new journals are free to start up and take the place of gawker. nothing here stops them from doing so.

Free speech is the opposite of that.

I think you may be over-simplifying.

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#79

Post by splouk » Fri, Jun 10, 2016, 5:24 PM UTC

baldfat wrote: post #5

Messed up lawsuit and I actually don't know what to think. 1) Gawker was garbage dwelling story makers. I am glad they aren't going to do stories anymore. 2) Who will it be the next time something happens like this will it be a actual journalist and good content producer that gets sued to death? Scared for journalist???? Also would be nice to see LifeHacker survive this.

This wouldn't happen to a good journalist because a good journalist wouldn't publish a stolen sex tape.

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#80

Post by pmarreck » Fri, Jun 10, 2016, 5:25 PM UTC

I'm torn between everyone having their privacy and ripping the band-aid off by exposing everyone's private life at once so we see how things really are instead of how we think them to be

For instance, I'd bet that many marriages are largely keeping up appearances while hiding some big secrets which would put the whole concept of "Western marriage" at risk (perhaps justifiably)