This really gets at the heart of the whole thing. Cringely was wrong to be dishonest. That didn’t make it okay to hound and stalk him.

I would have wanted to know about the Mineserver affair if I was making any sort of business dealing with him. I do think the concept of reputation is valuable, and it's a sad thing that it doesn't seem as important as it once was.

That said, I wouldn't want to have any dealing with the stalkers who can't let go of the offense, and post angry comments a decade later. Those are the sort of people you smile at and slowly back away from. Too risky to interact with.