4 ms·
Yeah, but unlike Mother Jones, most political bloggers don't have millions of dollars to wage a multi-year war. The general concern is that money provides one
by throwawayjava 9y ago
Yeah, but unlike Mother Jones, most political bloggers don't have millions of dollars to wage a multi-year war.
The general concern is that money provides one the ability to silence other people's speech.
- ikeboy 9y agoI agree this is an issue, but just because some people can't afford to defend themselves doesn't make what Thiel did wrong. You'll note Gawker was fully able to fund their defense. If Thiel had did this against a smaller site that gave up without having its day in court that would be a different matter.
- throwawayjava 9y agountog ended their up-thread comment with a pre-emptive answer to exactly this sentiment: >> Personally, I'm concerned that the individual factors of this case (i.e. Gawker being Gawker) will overshadow the principle at stake, which feels a lot more important than a gossip site. Thiel isn't on trial in this thread, but our justice system perhaps is.
- ikeboy 9y agoWhat principle are they defending?
- throwawayjava 9y agoFree speech. And, in particular, the chilling effect that's possible due to how our civil justice system is defined.
- ikeboy 9y agoI assume you don't mean the free speech of Thiel to fund any lawsuit he wants to?
- throwawayjava 9y agoNo, he's one of the few people whose free speech I'm not terribly concerned about. (Don't be confused: I think he should have the right to express his opinion, I just don't think that right is in any jeopardy). I mean the free speech of anyone who doesn't have $N million needed to fend off a civil suit. If cases like this and the MJ one become common-place, there's a very real risk of chilling effect. Incidentally, I think it's probably possible to allow Thiel the ability to sue Gawker into the ground without also having a system where genuinely legal free speech is reserved for people who can afford massive financial risk. So there's absolutely no reason for you to disagree with me just because you think Thiel in on the right side of the Gawker issue...
- ikeboy 9y agoI think that's important as well, but both the Gawker and MJ cases are entirely irrelevant because they both were able to defend themselves.
- throwawayjava 9y agoBy the same argument, patent trolls are NBD. Except, of course, we know for a fact that lots of people are extorted into paying BS fees because they can't afford to go to court.
- ikeboy 9y agoIf you tried to make the case that patent trolls are a big problem because they extort large fees from people, it would be appropriate to talk about cases where people settled and paid "BS fees". If you cite one case where the plaintiff won, and another where they lost in court, you aren't making that case very well because you haven't discussed any actual cases of the alleged harm.
- throwawayjava 9y agoSorry, in one thread you're suggesting anti-SLAPP laws and in another (this thread) you're apparently claiming that SLAPP doesn't happen. I'm confused.