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I'll never forget how, when MIT removed Walter Lewin's widely loved lectures after undisclosed accusations, people on HN were agreeing with that decision becaus

I'll never forget how, when MIT removed Walter Lewin's widely loved lectures after undisclosed accusations, people on HN were agreeing with that decision because "hitting a physicist right in his legacy" is apparently the best way to teach him.

krapp 7y ago
Sorry, I'm not made of straw, your attempt to expose what you believe to be my hypocrisy and secret book-burning agenda has failed.
eesmith 7y ago
Well, that was ignorant of those HN readers. It's not like Lewin couldn't host his own lectures. Like on his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiEHVhv0SBMpP75JbzJShqw https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiEHVhv0SBMpP75JbzJShqw , where you can watch them right now. When you write "undisclosed accusations", you mean that in addition to the disclosed ones, right? https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/01/23/complainant-unprecedented-walter-lewin-sexual-harassment-case-comes-forward https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/01/23/complainant-u... describes Faïza Harbi's accusations. > It would take almost a year before Harbi, with the help of MIT’s investigators, said she came to understand that Lewin’s interest in her was not motivated by empathy, and that their first conversations included inappropriate language. Shortly after contacting her, Harbi said, Lewin quickly moved their friendship into uncomfortable territory, and she was pushed to participate in online sexual role-playing and send naked pictures and videos of herself. After about 10 months, Harbi said, she resumed self-mutilating after seven years of not doing so.
- cousin_it 7y ago
  You're right on the second point, I misremembered. On the first point, I agree with Scott Aaronson's position in this post and comments: https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=2091 https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=2091
  - eesmith 7y ago
    Scott Aaronson makes several points, and says the more important is: > I wish to register that I disagree in the strongest possible terms with MIT’s decision to remove Prof. Lewin’s lectures from OpenCourseWare—thereby forcing the tens of thousands of students around the world who were watching these legendary lectures to hunt for ripped copies on BitTorrent. Since those lectures are online, from multiple sources, I don't think that objection has much weight. Indeed, comment #3 points out one source (other comments point out other sources), and Scott Aaronson in comment #5 says it would be acceptable for MIT to host them on YouTube. > If MIT no longer wants the videos hosted “in its name,” they could upload them to YouTube right now. They could even add a disclaimer at the beginning like, “These lectures by Walter Lewin are being provided for educational purposes. Lewin is speaking as an individual, and is no longer endorsed by MIT.” I see little difference between MIT hosting them and Lewin hosting them on YouTube, and a cursory reading of Scott Aaronson's other comments suggests that Aaronson is okay so long as the videos are available, and there is a discussion forum. From comment #92: > So maybe finding a separate entity to host the lectures and discussion boards really is the best solution, and I hope that happens soon.
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]

krapp 7y ago

Sorry, I'm not made of straw, your attempt to expose what you believe to be my hypocrisy and secret book-burning agenda has failed.

eesmith 7y ago

Well, that was ignorant of those HN readers. It's not like Lewin couldn't host his own lectures. Like on his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiEHVhv0SBMpP75JbzJShqw https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiEHVhv0SBMpP75JbzJShqw , where you can watch them right now. When you write "undisclosed accusations", you mean that in addition to the disclosed ones, right? https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/01/23/complainant-unprecedented-walter-lewin-sexual-harassment-case-comes-forward https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/01/23/complainant-u... describes Faïza Harbi's accusations. > It would take almost a year before Harbi, with the help of MIT’s investigators, said she came to understand that Lewin’s interest in her was not motivated by empathy, and that their first conversations included inappropriate language. Shortly after contacting her, Harbi said, Lewin quickly moved their friendship into uncomfortable territory, and she was pushed to participate in online sexual role-playing and send naked pictures and videos of herself. After about 10 months, Harbi said, she resumed self-mutilating after seven years of not doing so.

cousin_it 7y ago
You're right on the second point, I misremembered. On the first point, I agree with Scott Aaronson's position in this post and comments: https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=2091 https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=2091
- eesmith 7y ago
  Scott Aaronson makes several points, and says the more important is: > I wish to register that I disagree in the strongest possible terms with MIT’s decision to remove Prof. Lewin’s lectures from OpenCourseWare—thereby forcing the tens of thousands of students around the world who were watching these legendary lectures to hunt for ripped copies on BitTorrent. Since those lectures are online, from multiple sources, I don't think that objection has much weight. Indeed, comment #3 points out one source (other comments point out other sources), and Scott Aaronson in comment #5 says it would be acceptable for MIT to host them on YouTube. > If MIT no longer wants the videos hosted “in its name,” they could upload them to YouTube right now. They could even add a disclaimer at the beginning like, “These lectures by Walter Lewin are being provided for educational purposes. Lewin is speaking as an individual, and is no longer endorsed by MIT.” I see little difference between MIT hosting them and Lewin hosting them on YouTube, and a cursory reading of Scott Aaronson's other comments suggests that Aaronson is okay so long as the videos are available, and there is a discussion forum. From comment #92: > So maybe finding a separate entity to host the lectures and discussion boards really is the best solution, and I hope that happens soon.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]