4 ms·
>Does it even matter if it's faked if most of us could totally believe it's not? With the popularity of people crying "fake news" and the study recently hittin
by Nadya 10y ago
>Does it even matter if it's faked if most of us could totally believe it's not?
With the popularity of people crying "fake news" and the study recently hitting the front page of HN/Reddit that if you repeat a lie enough, people are more inclined to believe it [0], it bothers me to see a sentence like this. Yes, it matters a lot whether or not it is legitimate. "Fake news" never seems to matter to individuals if it supports their point of view.
Do you "totally believe it" because you've heard similar stories that are equally unverifiable or because you've had similar experiences? If it's because you've heard similar stories, how credible are those stories? Do you believe it because it has been repeated again and again? The last credible story along the "identity politics" line that I can remember offhand is "Donglegate" which I don't even take seriously, because it made a huge mess out of an immature joke that was overheard.
This whole "Even though it was a lie, I was trying to start a conversation!" is such a common tactic it's become a meme at this point and the fake victims "trying to start a conversation" are beginning to hurt the credibility of actual victims.
I pass no judgement on the credibility of the article - as I haven't read it. I came across this comment from /newcomments
[0] http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022537177800121 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022537177...
- cyberpunk 10y agoNo. I don't. I meant that in the context of the overall experiences in women in tech, not women at uber or anything more specific than that. Let me try to rephrase.. Would you be shocked that this sort of thing goes on? I would not. My only point was that the bigger problem is exactly THAT lack of surprise, and not the legitimacy of the post; and that's what we should be talking about. I don't trust anything about the post, even if it was intentionally labelled as fiction; I'd feel the same way.
- yummyfajitas 10y agoI would be shocked that a bunch of high-IQ, high-conscientiousness individuals would repeatedly engage in dangerous activities with a high probability of getting caught, and in such easily provable ways. Putting on my evil villain hat for a moment, if I want to harass women it won't be at my workplace. It won't be at my favorite bar in Pune where I get laid regularly. I'll take the bus to Mumbai, head to some bar in Andheri where no one knows my face, and do it there. That's just a sign of my rational self interest (and evil villain hat) combined with a demonstrated ability to rub two brain cells together and think a step or two ahead.
- foldr 10y ago>I would be shocked that a bunch of high-IQ, high-conscientiousness individuals would repeatedly engage in dangerous activities with a high probability of getting caught There's a long history of precisely such individuals doing precisely this sort of thing. And in any case, there is not a high probability of getting caught, for reasons that your comment illustrates. Women who make these claims are not believed.
- harryh 10y agoI understand your reasoning but I don't think it takes into account the motivations of those that harass. Harassment is about control. Taking the bus to Mumbai to harass some random woman you don't know and are unlikely to ever see again isn't as powerful as harassing/controlling women in your every day life.
- cyberpunk 10y agoI can't work it out either. I've had staff who I really liked and knew for years, who were TOTALLY normal be reported to me by other males on the team for harassing female staff.. He admitted his behaviour and he couldn't explain why he did it; was a pretty rough experience for everyone..