Robert Scoble Talks Nazis
- Posted on: Sep. 1, 2008
- 30 Comments
Robert Scoble is dangerous because he’s an idiot, is afraid of language, and quite simply doesn’t have the brains to speak about anything of substance or importance. You can imagine my dismay when he tries to talk about the holocaust on friendfeed.
“Does anyone else think its kinda gay that Google used a comic to introduce Google Chrome? A frickin’ comic?” - David Risley
This just earned David a block. David, you really need to go back and study Nazi world history. How you can use a perjorative against any group without expecting to see consequences is pretty over the line in my book. - Robert Scoble
“Lesson of the Day: Never use slang on Twitter or FriendFeed. It has the high liklhood of being totally misinterpretted.” - David Risley
meh, words only have the power that one assigns them. - Mattb4rd
Mattb4rd that’s bull. How did Nazi Germany happen? I just was in Berlin to study just that. It started with everyday people’s use of language against another group. The word David used connotates a certain group of people and it wasn’t used in a friendly way. That’s why I reacted so harshly to make sure that David (and everyone) understands that kind of language will not be tolerated around me. My visit to Berlin last week made me even more steadfast in that world view. - Robert Scoble
BTW Yes I’m aware that I sound a bit like Tim Gunn with long “okays”, but in no way should it detract from the serious nature of this post. BTW Tim Gunn is GAY and I simply adore him. He’s one of those sweet and gentle gays as opposed to Owen Thomas who is considered a surly bear type gay.
UPDATE FROM THE COMMENT SECTION
er - I don’t disagree with your main point but when scoble said “The word David used connotates a certain group of people and it wasn’t used in a friendly way”, I think he was talking about the commentator in the friendfeed thread, not nazis/jews.
As you were…
By bbuaku on Sep 2, 2008
I know, but you know what as I was out of my mind angry and my point is exactly the same which is about Scoble lecturing people about language and world history. Not to mention trying to censor people and how they choose to communicate.
By Loren Feldman on Sep 2, 2008
Posted in Dopes, Dumb, Fast Company, Fat, Half-Wit, I mean really an idiot., Imbecile, Low IQ, Moronic, Robert Scoble, Simpleton, Stupid
You look so gay laying in bed shirtless while you record. Oh shit, I said gay…PLEASE DON’T BLOCK ME!!!
ReplyPar for the course for Robert. he got into it with me on Friendfeed once about American and religion and I just pounded him into the ground. Didn’t matter to him though, he just kept talking, and each subsequent straw he reached for got smaller and smaller. Tech guys are starting to do this now. Especially since it’s an election year. They all so badly want to be relevant, they’ll throw their hat in the ring on anything. Especially Scoble. Doesn’t matter how wrong he is, just that he’s noticed.
Hmm. I wonder if I got blocked for saying Louis Gray had sand in his vagina?
ReplyArt,
ReplyDid it make a pearl?
Your right. That is so idiotic that he would even delve into that let alone, let all the said information be false. He is stupid. Glad someone has the balls to bring that info to the table. That’s why i subscribe to 1938 Media.
ReplyLoren- Any speaker, public or private, should understand the phrase, “know your audience”. I think Scoble can (possibly) contribute to certain tech conversations and be of value. However, trying to talk about Nazi world history just because he went over to Germany makes him sound/look like a absolute jack ass. This seemed to be one of your more genuine posts and I couldn’t agree more. Well said.
To Scoble: know your audience!
ReplyI don’t know, Loren. I try not to pay that much attention to Louis Gray’s vagina. However, if It did, I’m sure it would count as a blog stat, therefore counting as content in Louis’ world.
As an update, Louis has kind of gone away, but nobody really went to bat for me either.
ReplyIt’s just plain moronic to think that Germany is the cradle of Nazism, as it is to spend a few days in Berlin and pretend to be authoritative or even grasp years of history.
Love the categories
ReplyYeah, he’s an idiot but surely he must grasp that English is a living language and words change their meaning? Originally gay meant happy, then it meant homosexual but people seem to think it has/had a negative connotation but in reality it didn’t, that was just a negative view of homosexuality infecting the word with negativity. They did a great job taking back the word though, talk about rescuing a brand if you must Scoble. As gay has become a pretty comfortable word for most people and being gay is only a problem for problem people nowadays then of course gay would be appropriated for something else. You have a generation where they were brought up seeing gay as redundant in the negative for it’s then use, gay had perceived attributes of being wrong, a bit eugh and erm… defective. But we all knew if you were gay you weren’t any of those things, well no more so than anyone else.
Being that language is just a tag cloud really we play with it and click the attributes and bingo up pops a word, it’s kinda lyrical folksonomy. Using a cartoon to launch a browser, apparently that’s a bit eugh, a bit defective…click….. that’s gay.
Sorry for the lecture, if I’m wrong about that stuff I’ll soon find out. Maybe Scoble picks up on it? I could even bait him into talking about the swastika and how it was originally a positive symbol from sanskrit misappropriated for evil intent pretty much because it looked cool. I like to think I have a little more invested in this stuff than a trip to Berlin last week.. My grandmother fled Germany just before the war, she wasn’t Jewish or a Gypsy just wanted out of a bad place.
ReplyRobert Scoble is so gay.
ReplyThere we go, Vince gets it.. that’s how gay is used today… or did you mean he likes men?
ReplyAgreed Vince.
Replyoh, and Scoble, it’s PEJORATIVE’ not ‘PERJORATIVE’ (doesn’t come from perjury), even a French like me knows that…
ReplyIt’s pretty bad when you’re nearly rendered speechless.
I’ve thought for some time how Scoble’s perception of his self-importance far outstrips reality. This is a perfect example.
ReplyScoble is very dumb Ammerican..
Nazism was founded not in Germany but Austria..the party that founded Nazism is still in existence in Austria..
Can someone throw damn history book at Scoble..
Replyer - I don’t disagree with your main point but when scoble said “The word David used connotates a certain group of people and it wasn’t used in a friendly way”, I think he was talking about the commentator in the friendfeed thread, not nazis/jews.
As you were…
ReplyI know, but you know what as I was out of my mind angry and my point is exactly the same which is about Scoble lecturing people about language and world history. Not to mention trying to censor people and how they choose to communicate.
ReplyYou want to know the true irony here?
Whether people realize it or not the term “Gay” as used in the pejorative is not referring to homosexuals. In fact, it’s used (negatively) in literature as early as the 1800s even though it didn’t begin to be used to refer to homosexuals until the 1920s.
That’s why the pejorative use of the word is generally used to connote “lameness” as opposed to any trait that is necessarily related to homosexuality. That use is derived from the original meaning of being “Cheery” in that people who are overly cheery are generally considered lame by those around them.
In fact, a quick trip over to Wikipedia (under “Pejorative non-sexualized usage”) will show you that the British Board of Governors has actually considered the topic and ruled that the word has a dual meaning and that one of those meanings has nothing to do with homosexuality. I quote…
“The word ‘gay’, in addition to being used to mean ‘homosexual’ or ‘carefree’, was often now used to mean ‘lame’ or ‘rubbish’. This is a widespread current usage of the word amongst young people… The word ‘gay’ … need not be offensive… or homophobic”
So when used to refer to a homosexual the word is not a pejorative at all and is in fact descriptive. When used as a pejorative it is not referring to homosexuality. Next time, perhaps Scoble should consult a dictionary.
ReplyHa… speaking of fat, moronic, and known for adding irrelevantly stupid propaganda into an benign conversation, it’s Art Linsdey! yay! (who also happens to represent the “closet type” of gay… to add to the list at the end of the blog post. how fitting that it be “The Third”… hehehe.)
Reply@fred grott - your comment isn’t that better
nationalsozialismus originated in germany around 1919/20 (same with fascism in italy)
the only existing right wing party in austria was founded in the mid 1950s whereas the old pan-german wing is in a minority and not part of the official program today
Reply@Justin.
Both.
ReplyLoren,
ReplyAre you saying that ” Robert Scoble is a Racist”??
Robert has no self-esteem. The Internet is his only reason for living. He spends each day adoring himself by looking at his hits and downloads. Give the guy a break! He’s trying. Yeah, maybe trying too hard… way too hard and commenting on everything. But let him play in his corner over there, extract cash from Fast Company, Seagate, and SAP, and in the end he’ll be a curious footnote in web history (which he’ll probably trump up and edit himself on Wikipedia) but Jesus, God love him.
Reply@Bubba - I understand where you’re coming from but I really disagree. Rather than say why I’m going to cheat here and suggest you read this:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/06/the_rape_of_a_name_is_also_rap.html
I’m not sure I’d use the word “Rape” because of it’s emotional impact on women but the point he’s making is a good one. Trashing someone’s name because you’re a reactionary is as immoral as anything. Accusing Mr. Risley of homophobia was essentially doing just that.
ReplyHow does Chrome fit into Nazi Germany? I know because Scoble can’t talk about Chrome. He doesn’t even get invited to major events except for Techcrunch. Everyone knows Mike Arrington invites him because he’s a walking idiot. The word out in Silicon Valley is that no one will invite Robert to any events. He’s not important anymore.
ReplyScoble was not invited to the Chrome event?
Reply+1
ReplyIn Mother Russia, Google Chrome genocides YOU!
Reply…Mattb4ard makes a good point, “meh, words only have the power that one assigns them.”… Funny how that tool that we use to communicate changes based upon the audience and the user… and to quote a friend “perception is a motherfucker”…
ReplyI remember I was once in a plane that passed over Venezuela for 20 minutes. In those 20 minutes, I became an expert on every aspect of Venezuelan history.
You really left people hanging in this video. What was the last thing you decided not to say?
Reply[...] Feldman reacted to Scoble in his usual, colorful [...]