>>So, if this happens again, say some other high-profile member starts a new and similarly dubious enterprise, SI's only response will be to give him a job and feature him on its front page? Is that really the best precedent we wish to set?
That's ludicrous on its face, and doesn't even approximate what has happened.
- If it was "dubious" why on earth did you invest unless you accepted that as part of the risk factor?
- The homepage commentaries started back in February, long before anyone voiced a public concern about this private matter.
- If you felt there was some reason SI should have factored your experience into the decision to run the unrelated commentary piece, why didn't anyone see fit to report it?
- The commentary piece is there for its humorous way of discussing generic investment terms and concepts. There is no self-promotion/solicitation in it, no recommendations for a particular investment, no links to any of the above.
This entire side-discussion about PMs and a mythical magic bullet to protect people from themselves is just a another means to vent sour grapes.
As an analogy, this is like the workplace affair gone bad. Two coworkers willingly and without coercion or duress enter have an affair knowing there are any number of risks being accepted by doing so. The happy couple goes along they merry way for months or years, unknown to anyone else. Then one day the blinders come off, and one half of the tryst finds out the other is not what they presented themselves to be, or failed to live up to a promise or commitment, or was having equally surreptitious relationships with other co-workers, possibly even friends. Suddenly, the affair was never okay; the workplace should have not only known but done something about it, and therefore shares responsibility for someone's personal decisions, despite the fact that the workplace should be keeping it's nose out of peoples' personal affairs.
That's not meant to minimize the reason that some may have to be unhappy with what's happened. I empathize with everyone involved, and not only because I consider many to be friends, including some I have talked to over the years outside of the confines of SI. If the objective is to educate other users about how to avoid similar endeavors and outcomes, then everyone would be better served by keeping their eye on the ball. |
