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Comment by gfosco | Hacker News Reader

People say a lot of dumb stuff when they're 19.

That's not a good enough excuse. I'm frustrated that you trivialize intentions to hand over people's e-mails, addresses, pictures like it's nothing, "oh, but he was just 19!". I was 19 once too, did a lot of stupid stuff, but even then I was never willing to hand over pictures/private details about thousands of people to my friends (I could have -- I was the owner of a fairly popular forum when I was 16 which had roughly 10k users).

What irks me about the quote is how specific and self-assured he sounds:

    Zuck: Yeah so if you ever need info about anyone at Harvard
    Zuck: Just ask.
    Zuck: I have over 4,000 emails, pictures, addresses, SNS
    [Redacted Friend's Name]: What? How'd you manage that one?
    Zuck: People just submitted it.
    Zuck: I don't know why.
    Zuck: They "trust me"
    Zuck: Dumb fucks.

It is very difficult to buy that he's since then done a complete 180 degree turn. He is of course aware that he can't hand his friends private information of FB users because there'll be consequences (like FB going down, his wealth going down, his reputation going down), but what the chat message tells us is what Mark is really like, what his conscience is truly like: if he's willing to put being thought of as cool and hip to his friends (or whatever was the guiding motive behind his willingness to release private information of students) above privacy of others, he's probably willing to put profit above privacy and well-being of others. But of course that's already been made clear by his many other actions since then.

I am also saddened that pg time and again praises him for being an example of a good founder. The hacker community should continue giving him as much hell as possible (as most of it does, thankfully), refuse to promote its business (don't put 'Like' buttons on your stuff), don't use Facebook Connect, don't have a FB profile, do not disclose bugs to FB, etc. Don't reward individuals who lack basic conscience.

Again: people do a lot of dumb stuff when they're 19.

I'm assuming you've never met Mark Zuckerberg. All you have to go on are his portrayals in the media.

Have you ever said anything racist? Sexist? Discriminatory, widely insulting? Have you ever joked about things you would do to take advantage of other people?

How would you feel if any one of those things were held against you by everyone years later? I've personally said worse things, and I've later regretted them. I'd be mortifed to have them follow me for a decade. The man is turning 30 soon. It was literally a decade ago. Let it go.

I haven't met Mark but I know people who knew Mark in his Harvard days. None of them have very nice things to say about him.

The age argument is not good enough. You're still trivializing his willingness to release private information about thousands of students at his university without their permission.

Again: people do a lot of dumb stuff when they're 19.

Like Vote? or Like Make Porn?

How would you feel if any one of those things were held against you by everyone years later?

You're really missing the Irony here, eh?

They also say a lot of things they truly mean before they develop a "shut up filter" later on in life.

I think you're being too harsh. I've personally said much worse things, and it would deeply shame me to have a trivial statement (not action, statement) follow me in the media for the rest of my life. Especially if it were in a private conversation.

He was careless. Most teenagers are. He was probably not even seriously thinking when he said it. He's almost 30 now. Let's judge the man on what he says today.

3 minutes between two posts defending pretty much the same thing. you must've said some pretty terrible stuff if you're that afraid :)

don't worry though, you can still cast the second stone :-P

Fair enough, I was being snarky. But throw yourself back to your younger days. You've said worse, but how much of it did you really mean?

Now back to today, how much of what you say do you mean?

Read and listen to his words on how he feels about privacy in the digital age. Especially with regard to "expectation" of privacy in a sharing site (silly concept, this privacy business there, isn't it?). If he's grown as much as you believe he has, and if how much Zuckerberg means of what he says is any way comparable to you today in terms of how much he means it, I'd still worry.

Does that still sound like someone you want guarding your basket while you put all your eggs in it?

> Let's judge the man on what he says today.

I have judged him and Facebook by their words and actions: I've never had a Facebook account.

(And I don't think he's changed much since he wrote that.)

some people said a lot of dumb stuff (like that) when they're 19.

other people can be trusted to lead a corporation that globally has access to individuals most private data and relationships.

I really don't think it's unreasonable that I prefer those two sets to be distinct. unrealistic, maybe. unreasonable, no.

Its nothing personal. And in any event, It's perhaps even out of Zucks's hands now, though.

Google and Facebook both said they didn’t know anything about the National Security Agency using a program called PRISM to access their users’ data.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mv06t60fV9YclwHzFmDOEk2w...

I do hope you are 19 or younger.

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