4 ms·
The problem comes down to the definition of "harassment". I've encountered my fair share of people, some in positions of authority and/or should know better, wh
by drspacemonkey 9y ago
The problem comes down to the definition of "harassment". I've encountered my fair share of people, some in positions of authority and/or should know better, who honestly believe that disagreement or impolite comments constitute "harassment".
Frankly, I'm not at all comfortable with a global media outlet reserving the right to try to get people fired in private for internet comments.
- mavdi 9y agoHow about we start with racism? Some things are a grey area but some are downright harassment.
- MrZongle2 9y agoWhat about pornography? Some things are in a grey area but some are downright naughty. Same thing: the extremes are easy to label. The question is where do you draw the line between showing an ankle or face, and full-out copulation in 4K?
- MichaelGG 9y agoSeeing how the label "racism" is thrown around like crazy, I hardly find that to be a non-grey area.
- SomeStupidPoint 9y agoAre critical comments about Islam, as a religion, racism? How about pointed comments about Israel's settlements? Because I've heard people try to construe both as such.
- s73ver 9y agoMost people who claim they're making critical comments just aren't.
- drspacemonkey 9y agoA racist comment can be rude, disrespectful, mean, or ignorant without being harassment. Then there's the more complicated issue of the term "racism", which I think you'll concur does not have a universally-agreed-upon definition. By all means, delete such comments and ban the offending commenters (or even report them to the police if applicable), but reserving the right to try to get people fired is going too far. Internet vigilante justice is ugly and brutal, and I am not at all comfortable with the BBC getting involved in that game.
- zo1 9y agoYou make that sound so simple with "racism". Yet here we are, 2017, and we still have swathes of people that think it's A-OK to be racist towards white people (or sexist towards men). And it magically doesn't count as racism because something something "institutionalized" magic definitions. http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2017/04/17/Huffington-Post-SA-blog-calling-for-white-men-to-be-disenfranchised-a-%E2%80%98sad-day-for-journalism%E2%80%99%E2%80%9A-says-Media24-boss http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2017/04/17/Huffington-Post-... We can't even hold media, individual reporters or even public officials to account for posting false stories or false claims.