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>the whole Gawker vs. Hulk Hogan trial thing, which was one of the biggest attacks on freedom of the press in recent history What a disingenuous load of nonsen

>the whole Gawker vs. Hulk Hogan trial thing, which was one of the biggest attacks on freedom of the press in recent history What a disingenuous load of nonsense. If you film people having sex with their permission, then you are a pornographer and subject to certain restrictions as to how you may publish your works. If you film people having sex WITHOUT their permission or knowledge and post the videos online then you are a criminal and, in a just world, a benefactor would come to the aid of your victims and finance whatever legal proceedings necessary to drive your operation out of business. Crying "freedom of the press" to defend sex criminals is absolutely reprehensible, as was Gawker's behavior both in this case and its repeated outing of homosexuals.

speedplane 9y ago
If Thiel sued over Gawker's outing of Thiel being gay, that would be okay. If Hogan sued and won on his own, that would also be okay. What's not okay is using one's own immense wealth to fund litigation against a media outlet you do not like over issues unrelated to the reason you dislike them. There's no question this tips the balance of power.
- whatyoucantsay 9y ago
  It is a separate problem that legal fees in the US are so exorbitant as to render even millionaires helpless in confrontations with abusive corporations. By all means, there should have been no need for a wealthy benefactor in the first pace. Unfortunately, there was. Mr. Thiel may have acted due to an alignment of selfish motivations, but he provided a public service, nonetheless. Both sides were adequately funded and the victim won on the merits of the case. Surely you're not suggesting it preferable that Gawker's sex crime go largely unpunished due to their victims being unable to afford a legal team of equal calibre?
  - speedplane 9y ago
    > It is a separate problem that legal fees in the US are so exorbitant Not at all, the cost of obtaining justice is the central issue here. If obtaining justice lies only with those with immense wealth, they can selectively choose to apply or not apply it, which is inherently unjust.
    - whatyoucantsay 9y ago
      >the cost of obtaining justice is the central issue here Agreed.
    - dguaraglia 9y ago
      This is exactly it.
- berberous 9y ago
  Regarding "tips the balance of power", Gawker's whole M.O. was to publish appaling shit when they knew their lawyers were better funded than their victims.
dguaraglia 9y ago
Please notice that Gawker did not film Bollea having sex, so you are conflating two completely separate things.

speedplane 9y ago

If Thiel sued over Gawker's outing of Thiel being gay, that would be okay. If Hogan sued and won on his own, that would also be okay. What's not okay is using one's own immense wealth to fund litigation against a media outlet you do not like over issues unrelated to the reason you dislike them. There's no question this tips the balance of power.

whatyoucantsay 9y ago
It is a separate problem that legal fees in the US are so exorbitant as to render even millionaires helpless in confrontations with abusive corporations. By all means, there should have been no need for a wealthy benefactor in the first pace. Unfortunately, there was. Mr. Thiel may have acted due to an alignment of selfish motivations, but he provided a public service, nonetheless. Both sides were adequately funded and the victim won on the merits of the case. Surely you're not suggesting it preferable that Gawker's sex crime go largely unpunished due to their victims being unable to afford a legal team of equal calibre?
- speedplane 9y ago
  > It is a separate problem that legal fees in the US are so exorbitant Not at all, the cost of obtaining justice is the central issue here. If obtaining justice lies only with those with immense wealth, they can selectively choose to apply or not apply it, which is inherently unjust.
  - whatyoucantsay 9y ago
    >the cost of obtaining justice is the central issue here Agreed.
  - dguaraglia 9y ago
    This is exactly it.
berberous 9y ago
Regarding "tips the balance of power", Gawker's whole M.O. was to publish appaling shit when they knew their lawyers were better funded than their victims.

dguaraglia 9y ago

Please notice that Gawker did not film Bollea having sex, so you are conflating two completely separate things.