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Comment by mjfl | Hacker News Reader

I don't care whether the director of the NSA is a bad guy, it just makes you look bad if you heckle someone on stage. There are probably few more scrutinizing audiences for the director of the NSA than a professional security conference. I would rather have him say what he has to say and be analysed by the many bright minds at the conference than for him to be childishly interrupted and waste time that could be spent talking about the actual role of the NSA in the security of the nation.

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General Alexander doesn't have to act rude when he has the power of the NSA behind him. The only power we have in a situation like that is to be disruptive and to be rude. Why should we treat him with respect given all the disrespectful things that he's instrumental in?

Those in power keep trying to present this as a "conversation" or a "dialog," but that's absolute bullshit. They're not actually trying to have a conversation, so we shouldn't behave as if that's what's happening. The most powerful thing we could have done would have been to boo him off the stage.

The most powerful thing we could have done would have been to boo him off the stage.

Exactly this. I was hoping that when I clicked through on this story, that I would read about that happening. Sadly, twas not to be.

Even if it was a niche hacker conference that most "regular" people have never heard of, if he'd been booed off of the stage and the media had given it any attention at all, it would have been a symbolically meaningful moment and a powerful message.

A person standing up in the middle of the audience, and turning their back to him, and standing there for the entire presentation would have been much more powerful.

How about civil disobedience rather than childish disobedience?

We shouldn't be criticizing the heckler for not being a good enough or different enough heckler, we should be criticizing everyone else who did nothing at all.

Something along the lines of those who remain silent when powers that be discuss Freedom and Security deserve neither?

How well would it turn out for people to conduct in civil disobedience against a group that has clearly shown to have little respect for due process and civil rights?

The problem with being disruptive and rude is that it is generally unpopular in America. So in the battle for "hearts and minds" (i.e. for positive press coverage), the intended message can become tainted by the delivery.

Here's one alternative idea: If you can organize enough people for it to look good on camera, a coordinated walk-out could be effective. Tip off a few key press folks in advance, so they know to shoot B roll of people walking out. Then you hold a short press avail in the hall outside the ballroom, delivering a statement with all the people who walked out massed behind you.

It's still confrontational, which the press likes, but it appears more civil and organized.

> it just makes you look bad if you heckle someone on stage.

It also takes a lot of courage to do just that. And people with courage are rare. They need our support. People who are 2 inches away from getting loud need our support. Because they are the people who can start the chain reaction that is so urgently needed now and that will not happen if we collectively shut up and just stay polite. We have been seriously betrayed and we have now every reason, right and duty to break free from the rules which were appropriate for the times "when things were good".

So I think he did just what everybody should have done - in a perfect world.

It takes courage to be a whistleblower, or to make any decision different from your peers. It does not take courage to heckle someone on a stage from the safety of a crowd. It happens at almost every comedy show, concert, and sporting event. Heckling someone on stage when you're in the crowd isn't rare at all.

I disagree. This was a situation where a four star general was standing on stage in military uniform, flanked by secret service, with local security also making a visible show of force. It was an intimidating situation amidst a crowd that was largely unsympathetic to critique, and I think it took a certain amount of courage to be the first to yell something.

I thought everything but the "read the constitution!" heckle was well timed and on point. I only wish that more had joined in.

Indeed. I hear 'protesting' near any member of the Secret Service has recently become a very, very big no-no.

I think I'd agree with you if it were a public crowd at a more neutral venue, but this is the equivalent of saying that the NSA is bad on HN. Gen. Alexander wasn't there to take off the boogeyman mask for the security professionals, he was there to gain sympathy for the NSA, and it worked beautifully.

The hackers were in their own seat of power, and the guy came to them. There was no particular courage there. Had they heckled at, say, a military graduation ceremony he was presiding over, then yes, that would take courage.

Being loud is worthless if you're not right in what you're saying when you are loud. Even hurts your cause if you're not right.

I agree with the sentiment. I think that most people in that crowd were probably thinking that they can't possibly believe what he's going to tell them. Why is he on stage? However, I also agree that people yelling things like this from a crowd while he was on stage plays directly into their hand. It makes people sympathize and makes the General look more reasonable. In a perfect world, everyone would have walked out and not listened to him at all.

> it just makes you look bad if you heckle someone on stage.

I disagree. It's important that we speak truth to power. If we don't then they won't hear our case. You don't think the president is wandering around Hacker News and Reddit looking for details do you? No. They employ PR firms or former employees of them to filter information back to reports which get filtered through various aides which finally makes it to the ear of the president.

However, when you stand and loudly speak your feelings, the message doesn't get filtered. That's an important part of the process.

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