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Comment by obilgic | Hacker News Reader

That means, unless you are on HN's front page you don't have rights to use word tumblr in your domain

It's become an interesting phenomena now. The rise in availability of the internet and pervasiveness of social media is making companies accountable for their wrongdoings. Of course, the more prominent/visible the complaint, the more likely it is that a company will try to act on it.

However, I don't believe that most companies would just handle problems like this in a case by case basis. IsTumblrDown made some noise, and that noise led Tumblr to recognizing a flaw in their process. At the very least, it'll make them more cautious going forward. Incidents like this can lead to long-term improvements.

Good

It means that legal departments have to stop the "shoot first ask questions later" strategy

It's very easy to just go around threatening legal action against people unchecked.

Let's not flatter ourselves here.

I agree and disagree. HN is not massive, but it is a force.

HN can be one scary angry mob which is nice to be backed by, but horrible to be on the end of. Remember the Aria Richards debacle which was heightened by this community. Just one of many. (That wasn't my intention by the way and everyone's been pretty calm.)

The HN effect is a strange one. :)

HN's readership wields significant influence in SV/SF tech, both collectively and individually. Check your server logs, I bet you got hits from inside Tumblr's IP block almost the instant it hit the front page, along with virtually every other tech company, whose employees and even executives were glowering at their friends (and former and future colleagues) at Tumblr.

To use the indelicate phrasing of my first manager, bay area tech is highly incestuous.

The same has historically applied to google search misclassifications and ignored bug/error reports for any major company. Publicity is to be the only recourse for anyone without a contractual agreement.

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