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[Ninja Scooter]

I think hitting gawker is fine, but a billionaire seeking to control the press through lawsuits is a bit much for me to cheer about.

When a billionaire uses his wealth to control the press through lawsuits when the press has done nothing wrong, I'll complain. Gawker deserves what they got here. That strawman doesn't work when we are talking about a company that was alright with posting revenge porn and outing gay people. Siding with Gawker here because "Billionares controlling the media is bad!" is like making El Chapo a martyr for the need to decriminalize drugs.

 

[MegaManTrigger]

You sure you're okay with billionaires controlling the media? You really sure about that? We saw what almost happened with Mother Jones. A Las Vegas newspaper was heavily critical of Sheldon Aldelson, so he just bought the paper.

You're fine with this?

"Billionaires controlling the media" is a really strange way of saying "releasing material that didn't have the person's consent." I mean, who the fuck cares what Thiel's (or anyone for that matter) sexual orientation is. This isn't the old days where people were shocked that gays/lesbians/etc exist. It's 2016. I get that controlling the media is a bad thing, but considering how reckless and disrespectful Gawker was, it's extremely hard to sympathize with them.

 

[Mr. F]

I think hitting gawker is fine, but a billionaire seeking to control the press through lawsuits is a bit much for me to cheer about.

Gawker built an empire on predatory 'journalism' with no regard for moral or ethical fallout. The press hasn't lost anything, this is a tabloid rag that repeatedly outed people and dug their heels in.

It should be noted that Thiel is a piece of shit in his own right for other reasons, but it's hard to feel bad about this outcome.

 

[twinturbo2]

This is not the hill to die on for that cause.

Maybe it's because of the minute things about the case that upsets me... I just don't like the way this went down.

 

[Previous]

Daulerio explained that his assets boil down to 0.0059% of Gawker’s Cayman Islands-based sister company, 44.7% of RGFree, the parent company of Ratter, which is no longer operational and was never profitable, $1,505.78 in a checking a account, and a small amount of personal affects.

Dude must is hiding assets, or he saw the writing on the wall and blew all his money before the court had a chance to freeze his bank account.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Maybe it's because of the minute things about the case that upsets me... I just don't like the way this went down.

The things that seem to upset you are that because Theil and Hogan are men of questionable character, or because Hogan talked about his sex life on Howard Stern, or because Theil's sexuality was an "open secret" around Silicon Valley, that what Gawker did to them was okay. The fact that Theil and Hogan might be assholes has no bearing on whether or not it's okay, morally or legally, to do what Gawker did to them.

 

[LiquidSolid]

You sure you're okay with billionaires controlling the media? You really sure about that? We saw what almost happened with Mother Jones. A Las Vegas newspaper was heavily critical of Sheldon Aldelson, so he just bought the paper.

You're fine with this?

This is dumb.

So are you okay with media companies getting away with anything because the people they hurt can't afford the legal fees to take them to court?

You're fine with that?

 

[TheCochese]

Maybe it's because of the minute things about the case that upsets me... I just don't like the way this went down.

Like, ignoring a direct court order? Can't expect to win when you do that.

 

[zoku88]

You sure you're okay with billionaires controlling the media? You really sure about that? We saw what almost happened with Mother Jones. A Las Vegas newspaper was heavily critical of Sheldon Aldelson, so he just bought the paper.

You're fine with this?

Mother Jones would have been protected by anti SLAPP legislature. Gawker would not. Completely different.

 

[NobleGundam]

Goddamn

 

[JCizzle]

When a billionaire uses his wealth to control the press through lawsuits when the press has done nothing wrong, I'll complain. Gawker deserves what they got here. That strawman doesn't work when we are talking about a company that was alright with posting revenge porn and outing gay people. Siding with Gawker here because "Billionares controlling the media is bad!" is like making El Chapo a martyr for the need to decriminalize drugs.

Yeah, they've published shitty stuff and deserved to lose money for them. It's fine to get your due for shitty/dangerous reporting. However, singlehandedly running an organization (which has done good work in addition to their shit writing) into the ground is a bridge too far for me. This does a better job articulating my general feelings on it:

http://www.vox.com/2016/5/26/11784036/gawker-peter-thiel-dangerous

What's tough about defending Gawker here is, well, defending Gawker here. The press might have the freedom to forcibly out private citizens or post their personal sex tapes for no other reason than clicks, but that doesn't mean we should use that freedom. There's plenty the press can do that it shouldn't, and the more frequently and gleefully we cross that line, the likelier we are to eventually lose the ability to cross it.

The result of Thielism, looking a few years down the line, is likely to be an equilibrium that's bad for everyone: limits on third-party funding of lawsuits and a more fearful press corps that has to worry over not just the accuracy and newsworthiness of what's being written but the resources, litigiousness and vindictiveness of whom it is writing about.

 

[D4Danger]

The press might have the freedom to forcibly out private citizens or post their personal sex tapes for no other reason than clicks, but that doesn't mean we should use that freedom.

what

 

[Euphor!a]

what

Right...

I mean isn't the whole reason this happened is because they DON'T have that freedom? I feel like if this article does a good job at articulating your feelings, your feelings are wrong lol.

 

[Apoc87]

lol at the people calling him racist, like you haven't said something that would offend/embarrass someone in the past 15 years. he deserves to come back to wwe, no question about it.

 

[JCizzle]

Right...

I mean isn't the whole reason this happened is because they DON'T have that freedom? I feel like if this article does a good job at articulating your feelings, your feelings are wrong lol.

It still has to go through appeal and such, no?

 

[excelsiorlef]

lol at the people calling him racist, like you haven't said something that would offend/embarrass someone in the past 15 years. he deserves to come back to wwe, no question about it.

He doesn't "deserve" anything from the WWE

 

[Banana Aeon]

lol at the people calling him racist, like you haven't said something that would offend/embarrass someone in the past 15 years. he deserves to come back to wwe, no question about it.

Yeah, he deserves to go back to racist organization. They're perfect for each other.

Fuck Hogan, fuck Gawker, fuck WWE, fuck it all.

 

[pompidu]

When a billionaire uses his wealth to control the press through lawsuits when the press has done nothing wrong, I'll complain. Gawker deserves what they got here. That strawman doesn't work when we are talking about a company that was alright with posting revenge porn and outing gay people. Siding with Gawker here because "Billionares controlling the media is bad!" is like making El Chapo a martyr for the need to decriminalize drugs.

Your confusing media with news outlets.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

he deserves to come back to wwe, no question about it.

If after a few years they decide to let him back in, it's ok. But he doesn't deserve anything.

 

[Lebron]

lol at the people calling him racist, like you haven't said something that would offend/embarrass someone in the past 15 years. he deserves to come back to wwe, no question about it.

It's only a little racism guys, come on .

 

[TheSeks]

You sure you're okay with billionaires controlling the media? You really sure about that? We saw what almost happened with Mother Jones. A Las Vegas newspaper was heavily critical of Sheldon Aldelson, so he just bought the paper.

You're fine with this?

I don't think you'll find anyone that disagrees with what you're saying in some points. BUT: Gawker was a trash rag"mag" that outed people against their will and did shady shit for hits. I don't think you'll find anyone mourning a millionaire that was a victim of their said shady shit funding another victim of privacy invasion/shady shit to annihilate them from orbit.

If this means said millionaire will shut down Gawker and dismantle it, I don't think you'll find anyone mourning anything but the jobs of the people that were under the Gawker umbrella but not within Gawker themselves.

 

[Media]

Really?

Really?

You sure about siding with a billionaire with a grudge?

Seriously?

Against a 'news' site that outted gay people for lulz and kept a celeb leak sex tape, also apparently for lulz? Yeah.

 

[zoku88]

Yeah, they've published shitty stuff and deserved to lose money for them. It's fine to get your due for shitty/dangerous reporting. However, singlehandedly running an organization (which has done good work in addition to their shit writing) into the ground is a bridge too far for me. This does a better job articulating my general feelings on it:

http://www.vox.com/2016/5/26/11784036/gawker-peter-thiel-dangerous

Singlehandedly... plus a judge and jury and an actual victim (Holgan).

 

[Aselith]

Against a 'news' site that outted gay people for lulz and kept a celeb leak sex tape, also apparently for lulz? Yeah.

And kept up a video of a possible rape against the wishes of the victim

 

[alfredofroylan]

From Reddit:

 

[Aselith]

From Reddit:

That's gonna be some rough overdraft charges. Hope he has a pay day loan place nearby

 

[JCizzle]

Singlehandedly... plus a judge and jury and an actual victim (Holgan).

What they did to Thiel was wrong. However, if he wasn't a billionaire and was only a normal guy without crazy amounts of money, then it seems probable that this case never goes this far and Gawker is still in existence. If there's no precedent set by this and it ends with Gawker, fine, I won't shed any tears and I will have been wrong to worry.

 

[Night Angel]

What they did to Thiel was wrong. However, if he wasn't a billionaire and was only a normal guy without crazy amounts of money, then it seems probable that this case never goes this far and Gawker is still in existence. If there's no precedent set by this and it ends with Gawker, fine, I won't shed any tears and I will have been wrong to worry.

So we should let shitty tabloid news sites post damaging articles and videos against people's consent? Is the better outcome that this lawsuit never existed, or is there an arbitrary net worth at which it is ok to seek legal action against predatory news agencies?

 

[Cagey]

What they did to Thiel was wrong. However, if he wasn't a billionaire and was only a normal guy without crazy amounts of money, then it seems probable that this case never goes this far and Gawker is still in existence. If there's no precedent set by this and it ends with Gawker, fine, I won't shed any tears and I will have been wrong to worry.

1) A person of lesser means wouldn't have been able to avail themselves of the legal system against an organization that victimized them... and that's a good thing? That's the necessary flipside to your bolded statement.

2) The end result only occurred because Gawker lost in court. The billionaire's billions only allowed him to bankroll the attorneys hired to litigate the case, not the ability to purchase the verdict desired from the courthouse. He paid for higher quality men and women to put in more and better billable hours than otherwise available to the plaintiff.

Gawker was not without representation, and given the company's networth before this began, Gawker was able to afford more-than-adequate representation themselves.

 

[n0razi]

Jesus Christ, AJ fucked up but he's getting completely ruined here

Can't say I feel bad for the guy since he was so arrogant till the end.


What I am wondering is how a former Editor-in-Chief of a high profile site like Gawker only has a couple thousand dollars to his name, no car, no house, no other stocks (ie retirement accounts) and still has student debt at the age of 40? What has he been doing all this time and what was his salary?

 

[Erevador]

The folks at Gawker have gleefully wrecked the lives of others for their own greed and amusement. Now it's happening to them.

Are we supposed to feel sorry?

They're the dirtiest major news source of the modern era. They deserved to face consequences and pay a high price for their sins.

Hopefully it's a lesson for the rest of the vultures in the "new media."

 

[orthodoxy1095]

Really?

Really?

You sure about siding with a billionaire with a grudge?

Seriously?

Yes, I'm very sure.

Gawker is a shitstain of a website and has been for over a decade. They've been begging for someone to come beat their sorry asses for years.

You sure you're okay with billionaires controlling the media? You really sure about that? We saw what almost happened with Mother Jones. A Las Vegas newspaper was heavily critical of Sheldon Aldelson, so he just bought the paper.

You're fine with this?

I don't love Thiel, but you know when a billionaire does something unjustifiable to a media outlet, get back to me.

When a billionaire uses his wealth to control the press through lawsuits when the press has done nothing wrong, I'll complain. Gawker deserves what they got here. That strawman doesn't work when we are talking about a company that was alright with posting revenge porn and outing gay people. Siding with Gawker here because "Billionares controlling the media is bad!" is like making El Chapo a martyr for the need to decriminalize drugs.

Bingo.

 

[LucidMomentum]

From Reddit:

Chase Bank changed their UI from that old look a few months ago. Could be edited.

 

[Mammoth Jones]

The folks at Gawker have gleefully wrecked the lives of others for their own greed and amusement. Now it's happening to them.

Are we supposed to feel sorry?

They're the dirtiest major news source of the modern era. They deserved to face consequences and pay a high price for their sins.

Hopefully it's a lesson for the rest of the vultures in the "new media."

Its sad to say but i cant disagree.

 

[n0razi]

Chase Bank changed their UI from that old look a few months ago. Could be edited.

I think you can opt out or its not a global thing... I have 2 separate Chase accounts and even now, one of them has the old UI and one of them has the new one.

 

[twinturbo2]

I don't love Thiel, but you know when a billionaire does something unjustifiable to a media outlet, get back to me.

Gonna point to what happened with Mother Jones, then.

 

[twinturbo2]

Against a 'news' site that outted gay people for lulz and kept a celeb leak sex tape, also apparently for lulz? Yeah.

Let me also point out they also broke the news regarding Hillary's e-mail server, Facebook's censor algorithms...oh fuck it, it's not worth arguing over this, is it?

 

[XAL]

Let me also point out they also broke the news regarding Hillary's e-mail server, Facebook's censor algorithms...oh fuck it, it's not worth arguing over this, is it?

If you're trying to say that the "positive" news they've broken outweighs all of the scummy shit they've done, best to just move along.

 

[chaobreaker]

lol at the people calling him racist, like you haven't said something that would offend/embarrass someone in the past 15 years. he deserves to come back to wwe, no question about it.

Pardon me if I don't have any sympathies for a man who thinks people that look like me are worthless n*****s unless we're tall, millionaire athletes.

Fuck that racist slimeball.

 

[Joni]

What they did to Thiel was wrong. However, if he wasn't a billionaire and was only a normal guy without crazy amounts of money, then it seems probable that this case never goes this far and Gawker is still in existence. If there's no precedent set by this and it ends with Gawker, fine, I won't shed any tears and I will have been wrong to worry.

So thank God they did it to a billionaire as nobody else was able to stop them, with even most of their editors being completely tone deaf when their own legal department tried to stop them from outing people.

 

[Pluto]

Let me also point out they also broke the news regarding Hillary's e-mail server, Facebook's censor algorithms...

So what? How does that make the other things okay?

 

[jorma]

Rupert Murdoch is an example of "billionaires controlling the media", not Thiel.

 

[The Hobo]

People love to push the "a billionaire ruined Gawker, that's not okay!" narrative but the truth is, Peter Thiel simply funded a lawsuit. His actions didn't ruin Gawker. Gawker's actions ruined Gawker.

This isn't a case of a billionaire using his wealth for corrupt means to bury a media organization. This is a case where a billionaire was the only one with the means to actually fight back.

 

[SlipperyFishes]

People love to push the "a billionaire ruined Gawker, that's not okay!" narrative but the truth is, Peter Thiel simply funded a lawsuit. His actions didn't ruin Gawker. Gawker's actions ruined Gawker.

This isn't a case of a billionaire using his wealth for corrupt means to bury a media organization. This is a case where a billionaire was the only one with the means to actually fight back.

Um. You're totally wrong here. Thiel had no prior connection to Hogan before this lawsuit, and saw Hogan as a means to an end. That end? Bury Gawker.

It was absolutely an abuse of power.

 

[Hasney]

People love to push the "a billionaire ruined Gawker, that's not okay!" narrative but the truth is, Peter Thiel simply funded a lawsuit. His actions didn't ruin Gawker. Gawker's actions ruined Gawker.

This isn't a case of a billionaire using his wealth for corrupt means to bury a media organization. This is a case where a billionaire was the only one with the means to actually fight back.

Gawker screwed Gawker.

 

[PHOENIXZERO]

Gawker screwed Gawker.

You could say they've been de-LETE-ed.

 

[Ban Puncher]

A bit off topic but Wwe needs to reconcile with hogan in my opinion. Cant wait to hear that music hit and see him walk down the ramp again.

Wrestlemania 33 next year will be in Florida - Hogan's home state.

He'll be there to tear off a shirt and get the name of the venue wrong.

 

[Nephtis]

A bit off topic but Wwe needs to reconcile with hogan in my opinion. Cant wait to hear that music hit and see him walk down the ramp again.

Why the hell do they need to reconcile with Hogan?

Dude's too old to be anything but a relic. WWE (and the fans) stands to gain nothing. I mean, I just can't see any justification to make such a risky move after what Hogan is now known for.

 

[sprsk]

Every time I feel like they are going too far with this case, I remember all the shit they pulled to get here and read comments from that dude and then I'm like, please proceed.

 

[Hasney]

You could say they've been de-LETE-ed.

IT'S OVAH

Wrestlemania 33 next year will be in Florida - Hogan's home state.

He'll be there to tear off a shirt and get the name of the venue wrong.

Maybe he'll even wipe the smile off Apollo Crews.