4 ms·

That "He learned to love RPi while using it to build surveillance tools" doesn't go over well with a good chunk of a technical audience as the "origin story" is

by detaro 4y ago

That "He learned to love RPi while using it to build surveillance tools" doesn't go over well with a good chunk of a technical audience as the "origin story" is really not surprising? The first few responses were criticizing just that - and then they blew it up by being pissy about that and blocking people saying that. (There also seems to be some UK-specific hangups around misbehavior of surveillance cops, but my general impression is that most people who think they are handling this incredibly badly don't really mind that they hired the guy, but rather how they presented it and especially the follow-up responses to mild criticism. Even just ignoring them would've been loads better than what they did)

mytailorisrich 4y ago
> doesn't go over well with a good chunk of a technical audience That's not true. You're generalising based on a minority of noisy idiots who should be ignored. Blocking them to increase the SNR is eminently sensible.
- detaro 4y ago
  I'm sure that's why surveillance is such a popular topic on HN too then? Because a few noisy idiots conspire to give posts hundreds of upvotes to hide the fact that normal people love cop surveillance tools? And again, this is at least as much about how they choose to respond by now than about the people who dislike the original post.
  - mytailorisrich 4y ago
    I am hoping that people can make the difference between large scale blanket state surveillance and police investigating organised crime...
    - detaro 4y ago
      Sure there is, not like there isn't misconduct and thus negative associations with the latter too though. But regardless if you label the group that thinks so "a chunk of people" or "some noisy idiots", them turning up is still different from them conspiring to dog-pile you, which RPi are now claiming. And belittling them instead of ignoring them breaks your "we're a nice and open community brand" image you've been trying to sell even for many of those that are not in the group, and as I said I think it's primarily the consequence of that what they are seeing now. One would think that's Social Media management 101 by now... (So if you blew that up over just a "some noisy idiots" you've mishandled it even worse?)
      - mytailorisrich 4y ago
        Being nice and open does not imply having to take abuse with a smile, does it? And I am calling a cat a cat with my previous choice of words. Again, there is nothing wrong with their new hire or the way he was introduced. As I already wrote, there is nothing wrong or underhand about surveillance in organised crime investigations. So from there it was abuse by a noisy minority. 'Abuse' is the appropriate word because it's effectively accusing that person and asking for his sacking. Have a nice evening! Edit: And yes, without those idiots (they are the problem) we would not be having this conversation, which would have been so much better but I think it's important to speak up in support of Raspberry Pi and their team.
        detaro 4y ago
        From what I've seen, this was the "abuse" that really kicked it off (as in, their response to it was what was spread widely as "lol wtf are they doing"): "Folks I'm not exactly a police supporter but this is a terrible way to intro Tony. You've basically written this guy specialises in surveillance and now he works with our computers, yay!" Sorry, that's not abuse. If they'd not responded negatively and with blocks to stuff that milquetoast we'd probably not be having this conversation now.
        yellowapple 4y ago
        > Being nice and open does not imply having to take abuse with a smile, does it? That cuts both ways: the various members of the community who are victims of police surveillance (let alone other abuses) are under no obligation to take with a smile an overt manifestation of that abuse. > As I already wrote, there is nothing wrong or underhand about surveillance in organised crime investigations. What makes you so confident that the entirety of the new hire's surveillance work was against organized criminals?
        mytailorisrich 4y ago
        I didn't know that Raspberry Pi was popular among organised crime... because that's the 'police surveillance' we're talking about. I am very disappointed by HN members on this one... really unsavoury.

by detaro 4y ago

mytailorisrich 4y ago

> doesn't go over well with a good chunk of a technical audience That's not true. You're generalising based on a minority of noisy idiots who should be ignored. Blocking them to increase the SNR is eminently sensible.

detaro 4y ago
I'm sure that's why surveillance is such a popular topic on HN too then? Because a few noisy idiots conspire to give posts hundreds of upvotes to hide the fact that normal people love cop surveillance tools? And again, this is at least as much about how they choose to respond by now than about the people who dislike the original post.
- mytailorisrich 4y ago
  I am hoping that people can make the difference between large scale blanket state surveillance and police investigating organised crime...
  - detaro 4y ago
    Sure there is, not like there isn't misconduct and thus negative associations with the latter too though. But regardless if you label the group that thinks so "a chunk of people" or "some noisy idiots", them turning up is still different from them conspiring to dog-pile you, which RPi are now claiming. And belittling them instead of ignoring them breaks your "we're a nice and open community brand" image you've been trying to sell even for many of those that are not in the group, and as I said I think it's primarily the consequence of that what they are seeing now. One would think that's Social Media management 101 by now... (So if you blew that up over just a "some noisy idiots" you've mishandled it even worse?)
    - mytailorisrich 4y ago
      Being nice and open does not imply having to take abuse with a smile, does it? And I am calling a cat a cat with my previous choice of words. Again, there is nothing wrong with their new hire or the way he was introduced. As I already wrote, there is nothing wrong or underhand about surveillance in organised crime investigations. So from there it was abuse by a noisy minority. 'Abuse' is the appropriate word because it's effectively accusing that person and asking for his sacking. Have a nice evening! Edit: And yes, without those idiots (they are the problem) we would not be having this conversation, which would have been so much better but I think it's important to speak up in support of Raspberry Pi and their team.
      - detaro 4y ago
        From what I've seen, this was the "abuse" that really kicked it off (as in, their response to it was what was spread widely as "lol wtf are they doing"): "Folks I'm not exactly a police supporter but this is a terrible way to intro Tony. You've basically written this guy specialises in surveillance and now he works with our computers, yay!" Sorry, that's not abuse. If they'd not responded negatively and with blocks to stuff that milquetoast we'd probably not be having this conversation now.
      - yellowapple 4y ago
        > Being nice and open does not imply having to take abuse with a smile, does it? That cuts both ways: the various members of the community who are victims of police surveillance (let alone other abuses) are under no obligation to take with a smile an overt manifestation of that abuse. > As I already wrote, there is nothing wrong or underhand about surveillance in organised crime investigations. What makes you so confident that the entirety of the new hire's surveillance work was against organized criminals?
        mytailorisrich 4y ago
        I didn't know that Raspberry Pi was popular among organised crime... because that's the 'police surveillance' we're talking about. I am very disappointed by HN members on this one... really unsavoury.