I realize you'd be enraged if someone cheated on you. So would I. But what does it matter to you what other people do with their private lives? Do you think people struggling with alcoholism also deserve to be outed and publicly humiliated?
I don't see why cheaters should not be outed.
Go to the spouse, or children, of any alcoholic, drug addict.
Tell them how they've not been wronged or harmed by the actions of the addict.
In any case, just because you wrong someone this doesn't automatically imply you should be publicly exposed for all to see. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't; it depends on the nature of what you did. I don't think infidelity is an act that warrants public exposure and shaming. I think if the wronged partner finds out and then outs you, they are probably justified... I mean, it's about them as well as you, and I can understand their rage. But what does a perfect stranger have to do with anything in this matter?
You are assuming guilt when, frankly, there is no real evidence the list isn't peppered with targets selected by the hackers in addition to the people who actually used the site. It also the only way to make money off such a list if Ashley Madison didn't pay up [e.g. Give us $X and we'll add your political enemies to the list]
Tptacek is correct. This list is, literally, a weapon and could be employed by an actor to attack someone [although no violence would be required].
Honestly, I'm seriously concerned anyone be naive enough to take the list at face value when its clear the hackers had a financial motive to be dishonest. [e.g. Attempting to blackmail AshleyMadison for money.]
[1]: https://www.google.com/search?q=ashley+madison+advertising&b...
The cheaters deserve to be outed. Fuck 'em, let the world know their word is worthless. And as to the question as to whether they're actually cheating or not, let's be honest here - precisely nobody signed up for a site who's advertising and stated reason for existing is explicitly about sneaking around behind your spouse's back, without the intent to be sneaking around behind your spouse's back.
And comparing outing cheaters to terrorists, seriously?
That said, it doesn't mean that they deserve to have their identities stolen. More acceptable would have been names and emails without all the credit card and other personally identifying info.
It's just a toxic, evil, repulsive scene.
You know what's toxic, evil, and repulsive? Entering into a committed relationship with one person, and rather than being an adult and breaking it off if it's not working, sneaking around behind their backs while leading them around as if you're remaining faithful. As far as I'm concerned, cheating is near the top of the list of horrible things you can do to another human being.
I fully expect this sentiment to be a barely-visible shade of "disagreed with the rest of the site light grey" by the end of the day.