Re:In the World of Astrophysics, One Failed Cancel Campaign ...
by dmix on Sunday December 25, 2022 @09:59PM
(#34134088)
> they insisted that Oluseyi’s research “changes nothing.” According to the fallback case against Webb that they articulated, the mere fact that Webb was in any kind of leadership position at the State Department meant that he bore personal responsibility for all of the anti-gay social panic then unfolding around him.
Guilt by association is a dangerous precedent.
> [George Mason University astronomy professor Peter] Plavchan said that in July 2021, as word circulated in academia that Dr. Oluseyi might win an appointment at George Mason, he heard from a professor at a different university who claimed that Dr. Oluseyi had mishandled a federal grant and sexually harassed a woman. [..] They found nothing to substantiate these charges
This initially started off as typical slacktivism 101. But slacktivism seems to be evolving to become something much more serious and effective.
It's the easiest thing in the world is to sit on Twitter whine about words and labels used for a science project.
Just like it was probably the easiest option for 1950s congressmen to run a giant purity test, accuse people of being communists, and get them blacklisted... instead of focusing on actually doing a better job with the country than communism.
Social media used to just be whining part but now we're seeing backroom blacklisting tactics getting refined and expanded to more and more places.
Guilt by association is a dangerous precedent.
> [George Mason University astronomy professor Peter] Plavchan said that in July 2021, as word circulated in academia that Dr. Oluseyi might win an appointment at George Mason, he heard from a professor at a different university who claimed that Dr. Oluseyi had mishandled a federal grant and sexually harassed a woman. [..] They found nothing to substantiate these charges
This initially started off as typical slacktivism 101. But slacktivism seems to be evolving to become something much more serious and effective.
It's the easiest thing in the world is to sit on Twitter whine about words and labels used for a science project.
Just like it was probably the easiest option for 1950s congressmen to run a giant purity test, accuse people of being communists, and get them blacklisted... instead of focusing on actually doing a better job with the country than communism.
Social media used to just be whining part but now we're seeing backroom blacklisting tactics getting refined and expanded to more and more places.