His behavior has no affect on me. Why should I care? Even if your analogy is accurate, that guy at the bar doesn't affect me either.

What is dangerous and does affect me, indirectly in this case, is the online mob behavior and bullying. That does real harm to people and to our society. For example, whoever the real Satoshi is, would they ever want to be subjected to this?

Bullying probable conmen is a reasonable way to try and discourage future conmen. Come 'round our town selling snake oil, and you get run out on a rail. It's disproportionate; that's the point. It's a sort of social control.

But the bullies often get it wrong. Vigilante justice is not justice at all, just abuse of random people.

I never said it was a good idea, but that's why people care about people like Wright walking in and appearing to try to take them for a ride. The response can be completely maladaptive, and cause more harm than good, but that doesn't mean it's completely unreasonable. It's the same reason people get steamed at companies like Theranos.

In this case, it's nuts because everyone agrees on what the standard of evidence is, including him, and he's refused to provide it and acting hurt that people are sceptical. Many people gave him the benefit of the doubt when Gavin et al vouched for him; it's entirely his behavior afterwards that has turned people against him.

best thing I've read all day