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anyone who is an employee of a corporation, knows that every email they write/send on a corporate mail server, absolutely can come into public purview Is this

anyone who is an employee of a corporation, knows that every email they write/send on a corporate mail server, absolutely can come into public purview Is this coming from the HN crowd that registers domains with contact information anonymity enabled, loves to incorporate in Delaware and complains about privacy and NSA spy programs? Could you please turn your emails public so we can review them in case you might be doing something wrong? No? Thought so. It's for the courts to decide if Sony is doing something wrong. Wikileaks is a nice idea and I've supported them for a while, but they can't help but shoot themselves in the foot with dubious behavior like this.

ghshephard 12y ago
One key difference, of course, is that the NSA is spying on everyone, and has all the powers of a government agency, and its many billions of dollars. What both of them are doing is distasteful. To some degree, though, I compare this behavior to that guy who walks up to people with a video camera, a couple feet away, and just points it at them. They become very uncomfortable, and upset, and yell at him. What he's doing with this "performance art" - as annoying as it is, is making people realize that they are already under constant surveillance. Anybody who previously didn't understand why privacy is so important to individuals, making them claim, "Oh, I have nothing to hide." - certainly is probably aware now how important it is to them after the Sony Dump. And, while not defending WikiLeaks (much), can we at least agree that there is a difference between dumping people's personal emails/photos (which is 100% unjustifiable) and exposing corporate machinations of Sony?
pjc50 12y ago
Corporate != private. Companies are subject to a large number of restrictions in a tradeoff for limited liability. People acting on behalf of the company are substantially shielded from personal liability for their actions - but the business must be subject to scrutiny. Private individuals don't have to file audited accounts, for one thing, just a tax return.
- gtirloni 12y ago
  Perhaps part of the reason that people are so OK with mass publication of private emails not specifically tied to anything is because they have lost faith in the laws and the institutions tasked with maintaining them. That I can relate to, but I don't think it justifies what WikiLeaks is doing.
fnordfnordfnord 12y ago
>Could you please turn your emails public so we can review them in case you might be doing something wrong? No? Thought so. Personally, I wouldn't have a problem making my work emails public.
- rhino369 12y ago
  You should write them with that in mind, not because someone might steal them, but because they mind end up in part of a lawsuit. "Electronic discovery" is a huge process where lawyers will read all the email in a company that hit certain search terms. It's a fucking boring job, but more than a guys are messaging their mistresses from their work account.

ghshephard 12y ago

One key difference, of course, is that the NSA is spying on everyone, and has all the powers of a government agency, and its many billions of dollars. What both of them are doing is distasteful. To some degree, though, I compare this behavior to that guy who walks up to people with a video camera, a couple feet away, and just points it at them. They become very uncomfortable, and upset, and yell at him. What he's doing with this "performance art" - as annoying as it is, is making people realize that they are already under constant surveillance. Anybody who previously didn't understand why privacy is so important to individuals, making them claim, "Oh, I have nothing to hide." - certainly is probably aware now how important it is to them after the Sony Dump. And, while not defending WikiLeaks (much), can we at least agree that there is a difference between dumping people's personal emails/photos (which is 100% unjustifiable) and exposing corporate machinations of Sony?

pjc50 12y ago

Corporate != private. Companies are subject to a large number of restrictions in a tradeoff for limited liability. People acting on behalf of the company are substantially shielded from personal liability for their actions - but the business must be subject to scrutiny. Private individuals don't have to file audited accounts, for one thing, just a tax return.

gtirloni 12y ago
Perhaps part of the reason that people are so OK with mass publication of private emails not specifically tied to anything is because they have lost faith in the laws and the institutions tasked with maintaining them. That I can relate to, but I don't think it justifies what WikiLeaks is doing.

fnordfnordfnord 12y ago

>Could you please turn your emails public so we can review them in case you might be doing something wrong? No? Thought so. Personally, I wouldn't have a problem making my work emails public.

rhino369 12y ago
You should write them with that in mind, not because someone might steal them, but because they mind end up in part of a lawsuit. "Electronic discovery" is a huge process where lawyers will read all the email in a company that hit certain search terms. It's a fucking boring job, but more than a guys are messaging their mistresses from their work account.