Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by bungle 1232 days ago
What point? That we should not call convicted extortionist a hacker? I sure agree with you, but we (outsiders) should not call unconvictected (regardless of their previous history) people a hacker or extorsionist either.
1 comments

> we (outsiders) should not call unconvictected…people a hacker or extorsionist

Beyond reasonable doubt to take someone’s freedom. Not to privately judge them.

If he ends up not guilty, your not-so-private judgement is a defamation.
In the US, defamation requires either knowledge of falsehood or reckless disregard for the truth. It's not reckless disregard for the truth to say someone who's been arrested for a crime did that crime, even if it may be premature.