Gawker shutting down

[Storebought]

Gawker was trash and symptomatic of the worst of internet click-bait reportage, but Peter Thiel and his conservative libertarian principles that led him to destroy is unarguably worse. Indefensibly worse.

[DC Al Fine]

The main thing here is Gawker wasn't simply a "stupid tabloid". It was an EVIL site. It ruined lives and might've been responsible for at least one suicide.

Gawker wasn't just inane and low-brow, it was a destructive force of evil.

It also needs pointing out (endlessly until it sinks in) that in this very case Gawker tried to use the fundamental economic injustices built into the U.S.A. legal system to its own advantage, but that then things backfired rather dramatically. A pretty clear cut case of someone being hoisted by their own petard, frankly.

Could you elaborate for the people who haven't been following the case?

[heatcharger]

Gawker was trash and symptomatic of the worst of internet click-bait reportage, but Peter Thiel and his conservative libertarian principles that led him to destroy is unarguably worse. Indefensibly worse.

[MaxQue]

The main thing here is Gawker wasn't simply a "stupid tabloid". It was an EVIL site. It ruined lives and might've been responsible for at least one suicide.

Gawker wasn't just inane and low-brow, it was a destructive force of evil.

It also needs pointing out (endlessly until it sinks in) that in this very case Gawker tried to use the fundamental economic injustices built into the U.S.A. legal system to its own advantage, but that then things backfired rather dramatically. A pretty clear cut case of someone being hoisted by their own petard, frankly.

Could you elaborate for the people who haven't been following the case?

A lawsuit like the one that made Gawker bankrupt is very expensive for the claimant, and Gawker used that, knowing than most of the people they targeted couldn't afford to sue them.

But, Peter Thiel, in fight with them since years (and with no lack of money), bankrolled the Hogan lawsuit against them (Hogan couldn't afford it by himself). In most countries, you cannot do things like that, the ourt would disallow Thiel funding Hogan lawsuit.

[DavidB.]

Saw this Gawker comment on this issue, which was pretty great:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

It's worth noting that the laws on libel/slander and this sort of thing overall in the US are very skewed in favor of the defendant in comparison to most countries (Hustler v. Falwell anyone?), the fact that Gawker even lost is notable to just how far they went.

[Slander and/or Libel]

Saw this Gawker comment on this issue, which was pretty great:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

This is certainly true, but does it excuse everything Thiel did afterwards? I don't know that there's any argument to be made that it does.

[Angel of Death]

It's worth noting that the laws on libel/slander and this sort of thing overall in the US are very skewed in favor of the defendant in comparison to most countries (Hustler v. Falwell anyone?), the fact that Gawker even lost is notable to just how far they went.

I guess one cannot avoid the comparison here with Jesse Ventura's lawsuit against Chris Kyle('s estate).

[Devout Centrist]

Let's all gawk at the death of Gawker.