Sony Caves in to N Korea

[Sparko]

Sony did not "allow" the hacking. Besides the damage was already done, the threats already made. So I will ask again, is there anything, any principle, that you would be willing to go to the wall for? And this is not about a stupid movie (and it is stupid). It is about being controlled by, or dictated to, by anonymous hackers. Probably sitting home in their pajamas.

I would not put other people's lives at risk just to make a point about something like this. I would let the authorities handle it and I would do everything I could to protect my employees and the public from coming to harm.

However you seem to think that Sony should ignore the threats and let it's employees and the public take any consequences that might happen and actually be grateful to Sony for "going to the wall for their principles"

Glad I don't work for you.

[Epoetker]

wow that was a change of topic. nice deflection though.

It's not changing the topic, it's establishing the bounds within which you will risk your life and fortune to defend your principles....

The FBI is taking care of it. And probably the CIA. It isn't just being ignored. They probably told Sony to back down so they could do their jobs.

....risk other people's life and fortune to defend your principles, though I'm glad to see that you support the essential primacy of military force over civil law and culture when the problem is likely to be military.

My suspicion is that seer's life and fortune simply enables him to live out his principles more thoroughly and consistently, in which case some appreciation for his achievements would be warranted, as well as a description of whatever life-circumstantial trap you may be experiencing that prevents you from living them out the same way. Helping others to realize, and thus avoid or mitigate these traps, will contribute greatly to a more intelligent discourse.

[seanD]

Someone will get a copy and put it on the interwebz where it will likely be seen by the curious and get far more attention than if North Korea ignored it.

Who's to stop them from releasing it on DVD? The only reason they shut down theater showings is the so-called threat of terrorist attacks. This actually works in Sony's favor because movie attendance was waning anyway, and a movie about North Korea would have been a sure bust. So now they release it on DVD, record sales skyrocket due to curiosity seekers and the whole patriotism "we refuse to let terrorists win" crap that will be behind the DVD release.

[Paprika]

Maybe they are backing off while the FBI/CIA etc are taking care of things. You can't know the threats were empty or not. The personal hacks and attacks weren't. How would you like it if your employer was hacked and you found your personal info posted all over the net, and threats made against your family and your employers said "We don't care. We won't be threatened by terrorists. Deal with it Seer"

Sparko has something approaching a point, for once: it's easy to do critique from the armchair especially while not possessing all the information the actual doers had.

That said, the feelings of the employees are hardly relevant. If I were the hypothetical employee my feels about the decision in no way determines whether the decision was right or wrong, wise or foolish.

[Sparko]

that is "feelings" not "feels"

[Psychic Missile]

I would not put other people's lives at risk just to make a point about something like this. I would let the authorities handle it and I would do everything I could to protect my employees and the public from coming to harm.

However you seem to think that Sony should ignore the threats and let it's employees and the public take any consequences that might happen and actually be grateful to Sony for "going to the wall for their principles"

Glad I don't work for you.

If NK told the US gov "we will kill people if you don't give us 1 trillion dollars" and the US doesn't give them anything, is the US at fault if people were to die? Was the US at fault for not funding ISIS when they killed their hostages? I just don't see how Sony would be at fault for anything if such an event were to occur.

[Sparko]

If NK told the US gov "we will kill people if you don't give us 1 trillion dollars" and the US doesn't give them anything, is the US at fault if people were to die? Was the US at fault for not funding ISIS when they killed their hostages? I just don't see how Sony would be at fault for anything if such an event were to occur.

I never said sony would be at fault. and sony is not a government. I said I don't see anything wrong with the way they handled it, trying as best they can to protect the safety of their employees, various theaters and the public and letting the authorities handle the terrorists.

If you were in a mall and they got a bomb threat, would you fault them for calling the police and evacuating everyone, or should they just stick to their principles and not try to save anyone because that would be "giving into terrorism"

[rogue06]

Then why did they cave? Are they not willing to stand up for their principles?

Look at the theaters themselves for an answer. Many if not most of the large chains had announced that they wouldn't show it.

[seer]

Look at the theaters themselves for an answer. Many if not most of the large chains had announced that they wouldn't show it.

What the heck - then just release on DVD.

[seer]

One thing is clear - we got our butts kicked with this cyber attack. I think we need to harden our sites.

[seanD]

One thing is clear - we got out butts kicked with this cyber attack. I think we need to harden our sites.

So by "harden" I take it your solution is more government oversight?

[Sparko]

What we need to do is send over some celebrities that seem like bumbling idiots and have them take out Kim Jong-un.

[Manwë Súlimo]

Yeah...No...

I know it's not the world we live in where we can expect privacy...but, hacking IS illegal. So deserves it is a little strong IMO...

Who cares if it's illegal or not. When you store passwords in a file called "Passwords" with zero encryption on it, I find it hard to dredge up some sympathy when someone exploits your stupidity.

[fm93]

Who cares if it's illegal or not. When you store passwords in a file called "Passwords" with zero encryption on it, I find it hard to dredge up some sympathy when someone exploits your stupidity.

That hardly equates to "You DESERVED to be hacked," however.

[seer]

So by "harden" I take it your solution is more government oversight?

No, private companies need to be more watchful. And the government more watch full on government sites.