Should Facebook have a Chinese Wall between Product and Platform Data

immadsnewworld.com

15 points·immad··6 comments

I'm not one to offend easily, but ethnic characterizations like this really discredit the author and distract from the issue. I find this usage particularly jarring - it's at least somewhat derogatory, rather obscure to me (I had to look it up,) and completely unhelpful. An entrepreneur with an ethnic name should know better.

Presumably, this phrase comes from the Great Wall of China, which ironically was itself more symbolic than effective.

"Firewall" would have worked just fine.

Its pretty common business terminology - It is unlikely that the author intended to offend, and your reaction isn't a common one.

I don't think the author intended to offend, but I do think he was rather thoughtless. He might as well accuse Facebook of being Jewy with their data, called their policies "gay", or accused them of Indian giving our privacy. It's very inappropriate and unnecessary, regardless of how "common" it is. I don't care in general when people horse around with such things, but it has no place in serious analysis. When used in a serious discussion versus a colloquial debate it causes that much more edification of the stereotype and offense.

Far be it from me to be the PC police - I have a pretty thick skin with this stuff. I'm surprised others find this acceptable.

Well at least another feels similarly. The woed firewall works fine for the concept without the load.

http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Chinese-wall

It seems he changed the title of the blog post and left the reference to a Chinese wall in the body. That doesn't bother me near as much as a headline blazing with borderline racial slur.

Seems like that title might have gotten the article flagged off of the HN home page though.

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