Updated Below
Those of you who know me know that I don’t particularly want to talk at length about the situation with Thunderf00t/FTB at the moment. My feelings about Da F00t’s conduct are practically a matter of public record, and I don’t like repeating myself.
I will say something for the record, though: Tf00t’s broke back into a private (not secret, private) email list by taking advantage of an administration error. He exposed data that was not his to expose. Far more importantly, he did so three weeks before the Twitter argument and subsequent drama, making his defense as expressed in his blog moot. He presented information that (again) was not his to present, and did so out of context and (more importantly) out of chronological order in a very misleading way. He has appointed himself as the moral policeman who watches those he doesn’t like, and feels it inappropriate for anyone to watch him. Yes, I have a bias. I’m biased against self-important busybodies who take it upon themselves to reject adherence moral and ethical conduct in order to condemn the morals and ethics of others.
One example: note that when Dawahfilms was digging for information about Tf00t in order to contact his employer (a stupid and morally repugnant move on Dawah’s part), it was a heinous crime; when Tf00t dug into and handed out a sample of the information of a group of people (at the very least the private e-mail addresses on the emails he shared, setting aside the also-private contents), it was supposedly in a righteous cause. Special pleading (it’s OK when I do it because [insert spurious excuses here]) is bullshit, and the ends do not justify the means.
That’s all I have to say on the matter. If you want to know more, here is a collection of linky goodness (and badness).
If you only look at three things by the FTBloggers, look at these first things (but if you only look at these three items, you’re missing a lot):
2. Lousy Canuck has general technical info.
3. Matt Dillahunty’s video on the topic
Thunderf00t’s post “defending” himself.
More information:
There are, of course, many many more all over the place.
Lastly, the first and second stupidest comments about the issue. I guess we’re all Scientologists now, and that accidentally leaving your door unlocked is a legal loophole.
He truly is in the process of self-destruction, and as Napoleon Bonaparte said, “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.”
Update: this video by Tom Kerss (who some of us were introduced to as Andromeda’s Wake) is important because, well, it’s a message and a few questions from someone who collaborated with him in the past.
You make many good points. I also get the feeling that TF could be in self-destruct mode at the moment.
Also, link to second stupidest comment malformed.
Fixed, and thank you.
Sorry mate but i think your wrong, TF can be a bit of an idiot sometimes & he certainly can’t debate, but he has a point & people have been saying they want to destroy his credibility in the movement. Personally, i’ll stick with people like Dawkins, Hirsi Ali, Dennet, Harris etc’, you know people who actually DO something for the cause of Atheism & people & don’t see themselves as more than what they are because they get free travel around the world to speak at conferences. This started because Feminists wanted a bigger influence in the movement & they didn’t like the pushback so went on the attack & things just went from bad to worse & we are where we are now. The Skepchick crowd must be so proud at their achievement, i ask you a simple question, is our cause better served by them, is it in a better state today than before they went onto the attack?
I’m very puzzled. why are you presenting this as some kind of either-or choice?