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I would suggest trying to use a different term than "social lynching". It is a hyperbolic word that describes actions that are quite out of proportion with what
by telchar 9y ago
I would suggest trying to use a different term than "social lynching". It is a hyperbolic word that describes actions that are quite out of proportion with what might be called "actual lynching". Loss of a specific, typically rarified, job is far less consequential than death.
Using that term is going ensure that a large portion of the population disregards your argument out of disgust (at the co-opting of a historically powerful word for political points). Use it if you like, but you should expect that it will lose you debates if you do. There is probably a different term you could come up with that would be better received.
- dcow 9y agoI hear you. What would you suggest instead?
- telchar 9y agoThat's a fair question. After a bit of thought the best I could come up with are, depending on situation: driven to professional exile ridden out on a [digital] rail digital skimmington pilloried [digitally/professionally] tarred and feathered
- Cowsgomoo 9y agoHow about ritual defamation? (http://serendipity.li/cda/ritual_defamation.htm http://serendipity.li/cda/ritual_defamation.htm)
- TheCoelacanth 9y agoHow about simply "fired" or maybe for cases that go beyond being excluded from a single job "blacklisted". Those examples are all very hyperbolic, albeit less so than "lynched".
- wpietri 9y agoYeah, I think direct description of the actual events is the way to go. Especially when so often the actual event is something like, "felt uncomfortable after receiving public criticism".
- dcow 9y agoEnough with the snark. I am actually trying to listen to recommendations for better terms and you're deliberately not helping which is really making it hard for me to extend empathy here. (HN is generally a place for constructive intellectual commentary not petty frustrated juvenile crap.) I am not talking about people simply feeling uncomfortable. That should be abundantly clear by now. Or, we can chalk this one up to you misinterpreting the scope of events to which my initial comment refers...