Empathy Online
People who themselves lack empathy aren't entitled to any themselves. And people who feel so amazingly entitled or believe they're entitled to censor those whom they don't agree with are living under some kind of illusion wherein they're always right and everyone else is always wrong. That is plain narcissism.
I recently learned from someone that running his Web site might hurt some feelings, even if the writings are truthful and can help prevent pain or even death of other people. Put another way, documenting cautionary tales that can warn or forewarn others is in its own right a public service; documenting abuse is very important and given the risks of doing so it is also commendable.
So when people try to take offline information in the name of "safety" ask yourself:
- Does this information help protect some people (e.g. future victims)?
- Whose feelings or alleged safety is put at risk?
- What are the true motivations of these muzzling attempts?
Publishing suppressed information is known as journalism. Everything else, as Orwell (Blair) might have put it, is Public Relations or churnalism.
The Cocaine Patent Office - Part IV (about the European Patent Office) will come out some time soon. We continue to receive additional information and tips. █