4 ms·

Something tells me that this won't work out the way he expected.

by pstuart 14y ago

warmwaffles 14y ago
Honestly, the best thing he could have done is stay silent. Now he's shined a negative light towards IBM
- wheaties 14y ago
  No, he's not speaking for IBM. The internet will recognize he's speaking for his wife. IBM might pull him aside and tell him he's not helping things if they have any common sense.
  - warmwaffles 14y ago
    I recognize he is defending his wife, but this still is bad PR for IBM either way you cut it. If he was caught for DWI, do you think it wouldn't reflect poorly on IBM?
- purephase 14y ago
  How so? I don't see this as reflective of his employer. Looks like a guy trying to defend his wife. I imagine his personal life is in a bit of disarray at the moment. I'm not defending anyone here and I believe there was prosecutorial overreach in this case, but I disagreed with the family's use of their son's obituary to make a political statement. He was obviously a troubled man if he believed suicide was his only option. He needed assistance (and reading through his posts, it seems obvious in retrospect) and I think a better statement would have pushed for improved mental health awareness and assistance in the US.
  - toyg 14y ago
    > How so? I don't see this as reflective of his employer. Easy: they hired a "Social Business Development" executive who doesn't understand social media in the first place (i.e. when an internet mob is out, you ain't gonna stop it with one puny twitter account). Also, we now know that they hired the husband of a well-connected US Attorney prosecutor with political ambitions. Of course they did it because of his qualifications, nobody is saying otherwise, but y'know, people talk and stuff.
gavinlynch 14y ago
You're right, it's a tragic situation where a bright young man extinguished his own flame. Emotions are so raw that no matter what he says right now, it will not be well received. Even if what he is saying is accurate. But frankly, I'm disappointed the coverage has stopped being about suicide prevention. Nobody should ever take their own life, and if you are feeling like life is not worth living please immediately call 1-800-273-8255. Thanks. p.s.: I'd appreciate responses for downvotes, as I know this isn't popular, but would enjoy a real discussion.
- _delirium 14y ago
  > Nobody should ever take their own life I guess I personally disagree with this, at least for my own personal utility function. I would prefer suicide over a lengthy prison term, and I think that's the rational choice, at least with the inhumane conditions in American prisons. And you have to make that decision before sentencing, unfortunately, because courts often order suicide watches around the time of sentencing, precisely because many people share that preference. I agree with you in cases where you have an option of continuing to live as a free man, however. In those cases seeming dead ends are usually irrational, borne of depressive pessimism. And treatment can make the situation improve and make it clear that there are ways out. But a lengthy prison term is an actual dead end, and treatment can't produce ways out of it. When someone kills themselves to avoid torture, it's the fault of the torturer.
  - gavinlynch 14y ago
    I think this is a dangerous thought and I'm sorry you feel that way.
    - deleted 14y ago
      [deleted]
    - tejaswiy 14y ago
      It's a tradeoff. 6 months? Probably manageable. 30 years? No, thank you.
  - 14y ago
BrokenPipe 14y ago
Yep. And it seems he doesn't get the point. He claims everyone is on the 35 years federal prison maximum sentence train and that he sees no mention of the 6 months plea offer. Besides the fact that if you are not guilty (I'm not american) I would simply not plea guilty I think that the persecutor scare tactics is enough to be asking for her resignation as it is the very definition of bullying which too often heads people into suicide, by leaving them a worst alternative (i.e. costing family and friends lots of money). Offer or no offer. Bullying: Use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants. Basically going to federal prison 6 months, ruining you financially and having a criminal record for breaking some TOS/EULA for freeing _state_funded_ research which should have been free in first place is the fabulous offer ? How about thank you but no thank you ? If he is guilty, i.e. trespassing, I would say the sentence should maybe be something like a month worth of social works. Or just see the context and give him a medal, he has done more _social_ work than most people already.

Something tells me that this won't work out the way he expected.

by pstuart 14y ago

Something tells me that this won't work out the way he expected.

warmwaffles 14y ago

Honestly, the best thing he could have done is stay silent. Now he's shined a negative light towards IBM

wheaties 14y ago
No, he's not speaking for IBM. The internet will recognize he's speaking for his wife. IBM might pull him aside and tell him he's not helping things if they have any common sense.
- warmwaffles 14y ago
  I recognize he is defending his wife, but this still is bad PR for IBM either way you cut it. If he was caught for DWI, do you think it wouldn't reflect poorly on IBM?
purephase 14y ago
How so? I don't see this as reflective of his employer. Looks like a guy trying to defend his wife. I imagine his personal life is in a bit of disarray at the moment. I'm not defending anyone here and I believe there was prosecutorial overreach in this case, but I disagreed with the family's use of their son's obituary to make a political statement. He was obviously a troubled man if he believed suicide was his only option. He needed assistance (and reading through his posts, it seems obvious in retrospect) and I think a better statement would have pushed for improved mental health awareness and assistance in the US.
- toyg 14y ago
  > How so? I don't see this as reflective of his employer. Easy: they hired a "Social Business Development" executive who doesn't understand social media in the first place (i.e. when an internet mob is out, you ain't gonna stop it with one puny twitter account). Also, we now know that they hired the husband of a well-connected US Attorney prosecutor with political ambitions. Of course they did it because of his qualifications, nobody is saying otherwise, but y'know, people talk and stuff.

gavinlynch 14y ago

You're right, it's a tragic situation where a bright young man extinguished his own flame. Emotions are so raw that no matter what he says right now, it will not be well received. Even if what he is saying is accurate. But frankly, I'm disappointed the coverage has stopped being about suicide prevention. Nobody should ever take their own life, and if you are feeling like life is not worth living please immediately call 1-800-273-8255. Thanks. p.s.: I'd appreciate responses for downvotes, as I know this isn't popular, but would enjoy a real discussion.

_delirium 14y ago
> Nobody should ever take their own life I guess I personally disagree with this, at least for my own personal utility function. I would prefer suicide over a lengthy prison term, and I think that's the rational choice, at least with the inhumane conditions in American prisons. And you have to make that decision before sentencing, unfortunately, because courts often order suicide watches around the time of sentencing, precisely because many people share that preference. I agree with you in cases where you have an option of continuing to live as a free man, however. In those cases seeming dead ends are usually irrational, borne of depressive pessimism. And treatment can make the situation improve and make it clear that there are ways out. But a lengthy prison term is an actual dead end, and treatment can't produce ways out of it. When someone kills themselves to avoid torture, it's the fault of the torturer.
- gavinlynch 14y ago
  I think this is a dangerous thought and I'm sorry you feel that way.
  - deleted 14y ago
    [deleted]
  - tejaswiy 14y ago
    It's a tradeoff. 6 months? Probably manageable. 30 years? No, thank you.
- 14y ago

BrokenPipe 14y ago

Yep. And it seems he doesn't get the point. He claims everyone is on the 35 years federal prison maximum sentence train and that he sees no mention of the 6 months plea offer. Besides the fact that if you are not guilty (I'm not american) I would simply not plea guilty I think that the persecutor scare tactics is enough to be asking for her resignation as it is the very definition of bullying which too often heads people into suicide, by leaving them a worst alternative (i.e. costing family and friends lots of money). Offer or no offer. Bullying: Use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants. Basically going to federal prison 6 months, ruining you financially and having a criminal record for breaking some TOS/EULA for freeing _state_funded_ research which should have been free in first place is the fabulous offer ? How about thank you but no thank you ? If he is guilty, i.e. trespassing, I would say the sentence should maybe be something like a month worth of social works. Or just see the context and give him a medal, he has done more _social_ work than most people already.