The professor of the #distractinglysexy fame loses his job

[LaCroix]

Frankly it is not even the fact people might get fired it is the very public and arbitrary manner they are pilloried that makes it horrifying.

that seems like a complaint about modern technology more than anything.

[Valmy]

it's inconsistent to disallow some offensive jokes but not others.

If somebody says something inappropriate and they are removed from their position with fairness and discretion with apologies to those in attendance that is ok.

But I strongly disagree that it is ok to publicly destroy somebody's reputation for life at this arbitrary and unjust standard. Now this guys name is mud forever. That does not strike me as fairness or justice.

[The Minsky Moment]

I hesitate to raise Shockley because his case is more malign and its not a fair comparison.  But it does get to what I see is misguided about Martinis' point.  For the first 50 years or so of his life, Shockley contributions were truly gargantuan.  For the last 10 years of his life, he was a nasty racist boob.  His sad twilight years don't undo the significance of his contributions, by the same token, the great benefit he brought to the human race doesn't give him a pass for his later advocacy.

[Valmy]

Frankly it is not even the fact people might get fired it is the very public and arbitrary manner they are pilloried that makes it horrifying.

that seems like a complaint about modern technology more than anything.

Yes perhaps modern technology is the end of privacy and beginning of a reign of terror, oppression, and paranoia. Are you ok with that?

[LaCroix]

Yes perhaps modern technology is the end of privacy and beginning of a reign of terror, oppression, and paranoia. Are you ok with that?

i'm not ok with reigns of terror, oppression, and paranoia, no. i am, however, ok with something that's always happened continue to happen. technology has just made it easier for info to travel.

[merithyn]

So...yes unless if fulfills some arbitrary distinction. That arbitrary distinction being what? How much outrage it generates?

Well I disagree. This seems more likely to create an atmosphere of oppression and terror to me. Well it already has. Color me terrorized.

It seems though that this was not some comment on a social media site though. The hashtag and vagueness of Marty's explanation made me think that it was. If he said it under that context, at a conference of some kind, well that is different.

I certainly don't think it would be an "arbitrary distinction", no. I think that when someone is in a job that represents a company - or in a job that requires that everyone in their care feel safe and respected - what they say on social media should not do harm to either of those things.

For instance:

"The blacks are the ones causing the problems and this 'racial tension. I guess that's what happens when you flunk out of school and have no education... I'm almost to the point of wanting them all segregated on one side of town so they can hurt each other and leave the innocent people alone."

From a teacher who is responsible for teaching black kids should probably not keep her job after posting something like that on Facebook. Why? Because she's now created a hostile environment for every child of color in her classroom, and made for a very uncomfortable situation for everyone of those children's parents. They won't believe that she will care for their children the same way that she cares for the white children. Not only that, but she's put the school that she works for in a very precarious situation. Parents of black kids will, if they're smart, request that she not teach their children, which will put an undue burden on the other teachers. 

On the other hand:

"He did nothing wrong. He was afraid for his life. I commend him for his actions."

Should not have cost a Principal of a high school that is 99% minority this job. He was supporting a police officer, and not degrading his students at all.

So yes, there are times when I feel that it is warranted, and times when I do not.

[Martinus]

Given that this guy is a Nobel Prize winner he is probably more valuable to humanity than anyone on this board. I hate that we live in a world where this is not obvious.

Yasser Arafat also won a Nobel.

Ok cut out Nobel Peace Prize of this statement.

[DGuller]

Yes perhaps modern technology is the end of privacy and beginning of a reign of terror, oppression, and paranoia. Are you ok with that?

i'm not ok with reigns of terror, oppression, and paranoia, no. i am, however, ok with something that's always happened continue to happen. technology has just made it easier for info to travel.

This is like the argument that modern surveillance system is nothing new, you could always go to a public library to look up public records.  Total bullshit, in other words.  The nature of technology changes some things to the point that they become something else entirely.  Internet makes it much easier to organize a viral lynch mob, and have it gather critical mass before something else catches the fancy of would-be mob members.  It's yet another example that sometimes total freedom results in oppression.

[Martinus]

I hesitate to raise Shockley because his case is more malign and its not a fair comparison.  But it does get to what I see is misguided about Martinis' point.  For the first 50 years or so of his life, Shockley contributions were truly gargantuan.  For the last 10 years of his life, he was a nasty racist boob.  His sad twilight years don't undo the significance of his contributions, by the same token, the great benefit he brought to the human race doesn't give him a pass for his later advocacy.

Well, that's another point. I support the right of old people to be cranky, socially inept and out-of-touch ogres, especially if they have some great achievements and contributions behind their belts. It's like when Billy Crystal was recently pilloried for saying he would like to see fewer men kissing each other on tv. Sure, that was somewhat homophobic and perhaps not very smart, but he is an old guy so has every right to be out of touch. And he is Billy Crystal. Cut him some slack.

[Martinus]

I think the problem is that the media have created this "holistic" approach where we are expecting people to be flawless (of course every group defines "flawless" in a different way) in each aspect of their life or personality no matter how relevant it is for their public or social function - and anyone who stumbles one way or another is immediately pilloried.

It started with politicians where it was arguably justified, at least when it showed hypocrisy (a "family values" politician having a mistress for example). But then it spread to all public figures and now, with everybody being a de facto public figure thanks to twitter and Facebook, it applies to everyone.

[Martinus]

From a teacher who is responsible for teaching black kids should probably not keep her job after posting something like that on Facebook. Why? Because she's now created a hostile environment for every child of color in her classroom, and made for a very uncomfortable situation for everyone of those children's parents. They won't believe that she will care for their children the same way that she cares for the white children. Not only that, but she's put the school that she works for in a very precarious situation. Parents of black kids will, if they're smart, request that she not teach their children, which will put an undue burden on the other teachers. 

I guess it depends on the level at which she teaches. At lower levels (grad school, possibly middle school), a teacher is more about empathy and guidance than about simply passing on knowledge - so that would be right. But if she was an academic teacher or a high school teacher, I don't see how her being racist (unless she is expressing her racist views in class) affects her ability to teach her subject (unless, I guess she is teaching racial studies).

[Legbiter]

Is this an appropriate reaction to his remarks?

Of course. Feelings were hurt.

[Tamas]

Well this is more than feelings.

If you are a young girl with aspirations to become a scientist, then hear one of the scientist with the most prestigious awards saying that you should stay the fuck away because you can only do harm, what would you think? It is in the interest of science as a whole to very publicly and obviously state that the larger scientific community severly disagree with him. Cutting his allowance for a pretend job is exactly the way to do it.

"Haha, he is such a jerk, silly fellow" would not have been enough.

[The Brain]

I still think the comet shirt was a worse offence. That was worse than Himmler.

[Legbiter]

Cutting his allowance for a pretend job is exactly the way to do it.
"Haha, he is such a jerk, silly fellow" would not have been enough.

Crimethink must be punished.