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Comment by carlosjobim | Hacker News Reader

> It is not slander to say you distrust someone.

Of course it is slander to say that somebody's reputation is damaged. Especially when it's not a public figure. Just that somebody's name is public, doesn't make them a public figure. And you even continue. Step out of the mob frenzy for a while and try to look at how you are behaving from a higher perspective. Is it right of you to treat a person like that, because he sold his own business? It matters little you once purchased a product from him. Software change owners all the time.

Until there is definite proof of malevolence you should calm down, as should the other hackers. This business has the possibility of becoming a great embarrassment for Hacker News in the future.

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It's libelous to write false statements with the intent to harm the reputation of private person; but _observing_ that their reputation appears damaged? That seems like a stretch. Personally, I don't wish either the original developer or the current developer ill; but given that the software requires screen recording permissions in order to operate, the communication issued by both should be thorough, sensitive to the privacy and security issues involved, and open. None of that is the case here.

> Of course it is slander to say that somebody's reputation is damaged.

Of course it is not. Reputations are, by definition, opinions. And opinions are subjective.

> because he sold his own business?

If you’re not going to engage in good faith and will just keep repeating the exact same argument after its inaccuracy has been pointed out to you, I don’t see the point in continuing the conversation.

Engage with the words, not the strawman in your head.

> you should calm down

I am calm. Again, you’re projecting what you want to see, not the reality.

It doesn't matter that it's your opinion. Naming a person as having a damaged reputation is very serious. That can and will have real life consequences, all for some bickering about a utility tool for MacOS. Be proportional. You wouldn't publicly name some other person as having a damaged reputation in real life, so why do you consider it acceptable to do here?

And you shouldn't give apps permission to record your screen. That's your responsibility.

> And you shouldn't give apps permission to record your screen. That's your responsibility.

Clearly, they already know this. They're exercising this responsibility by ceasing to use an app that they no longer trust with their privacy.

And publicly flaming the original author. Just because more people are upvoting you and the others flaming the author of Bartender person does not make them correct. It is a mob after all, the only reasonable person in this discussion is Carlos. People are incredibly toxic in groups. Stop the groupthink!

Why can’t people be reasonable online

I don't think I was unreasonable, as that was my only comment on this thread, but oh well.

Thank you for saying this. The mob is incredibly dangerous, and one of the reasons I have ZERO online presence outside of hackernews. People are dangerous and cultish in groups, especially so online.

People saying the original software author is untrustworthy live in a fucking whimsical fairyland. And probably have never built anything worthy of a sale

You do not seem familiar with US slander laws and precedent.

What does the US and their laws have to do with this?

Slander is a legal term with a specific definition in the US court system. For you to accuse someone in the US of slander against someone else in the US is only logical to interpret as "x person could sue y person for slander". Otherwise why use the legal term?

Everybody you talk to online is not in the United States or from the United States. Maybe in the beginning of the 90s. Open your mind.

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