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Comment by dang | Hacker News Reader

Please don't do this here.

I'm sorry, because their horrible working conditions faded from the headlines, when Foxconn gets mentioned we're not allowed to criticize them now? To me the most notable detail about any deal with Foxconn is the working conditions implicit in carrying it out. Please tell me more about what to think, I wouldn't want to break step with the Hacker News hive mind.

The suicide rate at Foxcon is/was lower than that of the general population.

You should not get all your news from headlines.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/9006988... "Around 150 Chinese workers at Foxconn, the world's largest electronics manufacturer, threatened to commit suicide by leaping from their factory roof in protest at their working conditions." I'll let the weakness of the argument, "That's normal" speak for itself.

>> threatened to commit suicide That's just union tactics

Do the math. Calculate the suicide rate for China as a whole, them for Foxconn.

Do it, post the numbers here.

Worst year 2010 with 14 suicides @ Foxconn when they had almost 1 million employees, around 1.4 per 100,000.

China's suicide rate is around 7.8 per 100k.

The rate in Japan is 18.5 per 100k, Australia 15.3, USA 12.1 and UK is 6.2 (WHO's 2012 numbers).

I wonder if that's employees who commit suicide while at work and if it accounts for Foxconn employees who commit suicide outside of work.

Don't they have dorms for the employees, so there's not really a lot of time spent "outside" of work?

I don't think that criticism of Foxconn is out of line at all. However, you're probably getting downvoted because your tone and style is way too Reddit-y, and that will indeed get one dismissed on HN.

I think you will prefer the Reddit hive mind better accommodating. It's just a browser tab away.

The issue isn't what you're 'allowed' to think or criticize, but how to contribute to this community, where we're trying for a higher standard of thoughtfulness.

For example, if you care about Foxconn workers and believe that their situation is relevant to the story, you could post an informative comment making a case for that connection.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com