Comment by paulsutter | Hacker News Reader

Comment by paulsutter | Hacker News Reader

Softbank isn't perfect, but its disappointing to see such a snarky/dismissive tone coming from Bloomberg.

This is ridiculous:

> Three months later, Zume has yet to revolutionize food production or to be profitable

I've worked with Jeff Housenbold. They got his intelligence right, but this nonsense sounds like Gawker not Bloomberg

> Jeff Housenbold,... Acquaintances describe him as smart and arrogant and almost entirely lacking in self-awareness

And when did random company gossip become news reported as fact? How does publishing the denial make it OK to report anonymous smears as fact?

> Navneet Govil, told a Mormon employee to “go back to Utah to get more wives.” The employee left the company. Via a spokesman, Govil denies making such a statement. Around that time, Govil also berated a young accountant in front of a group, bringing her to tears. She later quit. And at a work lunch a few months later with several colleagues, Govil remarked that “Chinese people sound stupid,” according to two people who heard the comment. Via a spokesman, Govil denies making such a statement or berating the employee; SoftBank says it has no record of these events.

> the Vision Fund’s Zambia-born chief financial officer, Navneet Govil, told a...

Make sure you say where someone is from that way you can judge how upset you should be about their comments.

You can’t even mention someone’s place of origin in our politically correct world without a racist accusation.

The above suggestion is a shame. It appears to be a victim “woke” mentality.

Is it possible Bloomberg was describing where the individual was from for reasons outside what you suggest?

While I agree that it should be possible to mention nationality without being labeled racist, what legitimate value do you think his nationality adds to that sentence other than to preload whatever preconceptions people have about African businessmen onto that person? I just don't see how it adds any substance.

It's certainly notable to any US domiciled person. How many Zambian born CFO's do you know? How many Zambian born people do you know?

None! I also don’t know anyone from Mason City, Iowa. But everybody’s gotta be from somewhere.

Seriously, if you’re writing a whole article about someone it seems worthwhile to mention if they’re from Zambia, but if you’re writing a single sentence it’s a bit off putting.

look, in essence, I hear what you are saying, but when considering the readership of Bloomberg News, Mason City, Iowa and Zambia is a false equivalency.

His nationality is Zambian but he's Indian....not from one of the local ethnic tribes. With that context I don't think there was any ulterior motive mentioning his nationality.

I don't think anyone is suggestions a motive here. Looking at the wiki article for microagressions[0]

>Microaggression is a term used for brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioural, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative prejudicial slights and insults toward any group, particularly culturally marginalized groups.

I think the idea of the parents is on point. We never say "An American CFO" or "An American CFO from the Mississippi delta"

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microaggression

I think the value it adds is subjective. In my opinion, it is a fact that further describes the individual. In fairness, it may not be the most relevant point.

We have to appreciate that his place of birth it is a fact, whether one thinks it preloads preconceptions or not.

Edit: "whether you think" -> "whether one thinks"

I broke an internet rule. I apoligize, as I was being sarcastic. I thought my comment was ridiculous enough for that to be obvious.

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