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Comment by ck2 | Hacker News Reader

Runners do not tolerate cheaters at all but the way this was handled was ridiculously unacceptable. Since there's no penalty for humiliating someone to death, for the press it's even profitable, so of course that's what ends up happening.

Also, anyone who runs knows that website they mention is one of the most toxic places on the internet, not just for running but everything and anything. ala "4chan" (8chan?) It's hundreds, thousands, of teenagers and 20-something boys with complete anonymity and nothing but free time. The website owners do not moderate. So once they get ahold of something to attack, they are going to bully it to death, in this case literally.

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He could have shut them up by running fast with an observer, like they ordered him to repeatedly.

This article leaves out a lot of his disqualifications, too.

EDIT: And I fail to see any materially objectionable, insulting harassment, meaning beyond calling him out for cheating, which he totally deserved.

You missed this bit?

"Meanwhile, on LetsRun, some users had posted contact information for Meza’s employers. A handful of people left negative online reviews for him."

Oh OK that, yeah, that's harassment.

Is it? Don't his patients have a right to know that he's a fraud?

No, they don't have such a right, but everyone has the right to call him out publicly. The key point, for me, is that vengeance is evil. Cheaters should be exposed but not destroyed. Go the full mile to get cheaters banned from competitions and make sure that the record is set straight. Make sure that past winnings and glory is returned and nullified, and leave it at that.

I'd argue they absolutely do have that right. A doctor is in a position of immense power and trust, and you need to know that your doctor will be honest if they make mistakes and not try to cover them up. This is a matter of character.

You gonna tell them if he steals cookies from the cookie jar? I see your point but I ask where you draw the line.

Do his patients also get access to his tax records and medical records?? How does cheating at running a marathon translate to professional candor? I cheat in single player computer games, is my body of professional work now under enhanced scrutiny for a completely unrelated activity?

Well, what profession are you in? If you're a lawyer, or a financial advisor, or, yes, a doctor, then your revealed character absolutely has a bearing over whether you're a fit and proper person to be in a position of trust.

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