Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by navigator01 3166 days ago
The potential for anonymous slander is too high for a real system like this to be justified. Whispers turn to rumors which turn to falsehoods. Someone interpreted as being "creepy" in texts by one woman shouldn't have his life ruined by an anonymous post on a spreadsheet.
2 comments
f_allwein 3166 days ago
Agree, but this is also a serious and (apparently) widespread issue which moreover sounds like a combination of technical and social measures could help to address it. So it seems like a good idea to have a discussion about it.
link
navigator01 3166 days ago
Traditional procedures that balance due process and expedient justice are the solution here. Anyone who faces abuse needs to speak up to either HR in a corporate setting or the police, if appropriate.
link
smt88 3165 days ago
Currently, there is a problem. People don't believe victims, and it can be fatal to one's career to come forward.

What you're describing:

> shouldn't have his life ruined by an anonymous post

...hasn't happened so far. So you're trying to defeat a solution to a real problem by bringing up a not-yet-real problem that may never be real.

It's like saying, "Well, we don't want to put seatbelts in cars because they may trap someone in the car after it's crashed." Yes, that might be true, but there's a much bigger problem of lots and lots and lots of people being killed by not having seatbelts at all.

link