4 ms·

"Congrats" - All that makes me feel personally is that the people who pushed for this are extremists as well. I don't know if that's a good move by Mozilla as

by zobzu 13y ago

"Congrats" - All that makes me feel personally is that the people who pushed for this are extremists as well. I don't know if that's a good move by Mozilla as well, although my guess is that it's a personal move from Eich who couldn't handle the pressure and the death threats (which, to be honest, I understand - even if some will say a CEO is supposed to be stronger than that).

opendais 13y ago
Eh, I think everyone has a pain tolerance and he definitely met his. Personally, I would have preferred he said his mind had changed over the intervening years and that he had made a mistake. Then stayed CEO, of course. I think the real reason he left is the fact he had enough ethical integrity to realize his brand damaged Mozilla's brand. That, and his beliefs were unchanged so he could not offer a genuine retraction.
mathattack 13y ago
A leader stepping down due to death threats is a terrible thing for an organization.
- Borogove 13y ago
  Were there actually threats? I just googled "Brendan Eich threat" and didn't see anything relevant.
  - sp332 13y ago
    Yeah, Mozilla employees have also been threatened. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7525657 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7525657
    - arjie 13y ago
      Death threats are terrible, frankly, but I've received death threats on the Internet for saying things about a video game. I hope he reports these incidents to the police because they are serious and the people involved should learn that threatening people with death is not something we allow in a civilized society. Perhaps I should have done the same. It has become far too acceptable to threaten people with death. Also, your link does not say that Mr. Eich received death threats, though other Mozilla employees do report receiving such threats.
toyg 13y ago
> the people who pushed for this are extremists as well. Suffragettes were extremists. Worker-rights supporters were extremists. Gandhi was an extremist. M. L. King Jr. was an extremist. Sans-culottes were extremists. In the history of civilisation, there are winners and there are losers, and when the revelation of who is who eventually comes, it can be a bit ugly to watch.
- badubu 13y ago
  co-opting a word is not a right
- rjknight 13y ago
  This is true. I've always liked the distinction made here: http://stumblingandmumbling.typepad.com/stumbling_and_mumbling/2007/11/the-government-.html http://stumblingandmumbling.typepad.com/stumbling_and_mumbli... between extremism and fanaticism. Extremists are those with views beyond the mainstream, and fanatics are those with views that, mainstream or otherwise, are so strongly held that they cannot accept disagreement.
isleyaardvark 13y ago
What death threats?

by zobzu 13y ago

opendais 13y ago

Eh, I think everyone has a pain tolerance and he definitely met his. Personally, I would have preferred he said his mind had changed over the intervening years and that he had made a mistake. Then stayed CEO, of course. I think the real reason he left is the fact he had enough ethical integrity to realize his brand damaged Mozilla's brand. That, and his beliefs were unchanged so he could not offer a genuine retraction.

mathattack 13y ago

A leader stepping down due to death threats is a terrible thing for an organization.

Borogove 13y ago
Were there actually threats? I just googled "Brendan Eich threat" and didn't see anything relevant.
- sp332 13y ago
  Yeah, Mozilla employees have also been threatened. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7525657 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7525657
  - arjie 13y ago
    Death threats are terrible, frankly, but I've received death threats on the Internet for saying things about a video game. I hope he reports these incidents to the police because they are serious and the people involved should learn that threatening people with death is not something we allow in a civilized society. Perhaps I should have done the same. It has become far too acceptable to threaten people with death. Also, your link does not say that Mr. Eich received death threats, though other Mozilla employees do report receiving such threats.

toyg 13y ago

> the people who pushed for this are extremists as well. Suffragettes were extremists. Worker-rights supporters were extremists. Gandhi was an extremist. M. L. King Jr. was an extremist. Sans-culottes were extremists. In the history of civilisation, there are winners and there are losers, and when the revelation of who is who eventually comes, it can be a bit ugly to watch.

badubu 13y ago
co-opting a word is not a right
rjknight 13y ago
This is true. I've always liked the distinction made here: http://stumblingandmumbling.typepad.com/stumbling_and_mumbling/2007/11/the-government-.html http://stumblingandmumbling.typepad.com/stumbling_and_mumbli... between extremism and fanaticism. Extremists are those with views beyond the mainstream, and fanatics are those with views that, mainstream or otherwise, are so strongly held that they cannot accept disagreement.

isleyaardvark 13y ago

What death threats?