(2021-02-13) Alexander Statement On New York Times Article

Scott Alexander: Statement on New York Times Article. There was recently a negative article about me and my blog in the New York Times. Most of you already know the history behind this, but for anyone referred here by NYT, this is where I give my side and defend myself. 2021-02-13-MetzSiliconValleysSafeSpace

In early 2020, I learned the New York Times wanted to write an article about me. They had discovered my real name and wanted to reveal it to the world.

I was grateful for the interest, but still objected that I didn’t want my real name revealed to everyone.

When I discussed this with the New York Times, they said they were going to reveal my real name anyway. As a protest and an attempt to prevent this from happening, I deleted my blog and replaced it with a post condemning the New York Times’ actions.

I took various steps to make this more survivable

the NYT piece came out soon after, and predictably, it was very negative. I want to respond to four main negative claims in the article – there are more, but these should give a general sketch of why I feel it was unfair:

1. The article tries to connect me to Charles Murray and The Bell Curve.

2. In their litany of reasons I am bad, the Times says I compared some feminists to Voldemort. This is true only in the sense that in 2014, I applied this comparison to a specific group of feminists who I accused of bullying and taunting people in a way that made them traumatized and suicidal. I describe my specific concern in the linked post. Lots of other feminists are great, and I continue to support gender equality.

3. The Times also presented a more general case that I was a bad ally to women in tech. I deny this claim.

4. They further presented a more general case that I am six-degrees-of-Kevin-Bacon-style linked to right-wing / pro-Trump figures in Silicon Valley like Peter Thiel. This is true – I can think of a friend of mine who also knows Peter Thiel. In fact, I met Peter Thiel once... I wrote a 30,000 word condemnation of one of them (neo-reactionary) on my blog a few years ago.

I am writing this as a necessary ritual to avoid silence being taken as evidence of guilt. I have no particular call for action.