In the wake of California resident Dorian Nakamoto's denial that he invented Bitcoin, some have voiced concerns about his exposure to possibly undue media scrutiny.
Add Nassim Taleb to that list.
In a new series of Tweets, Taleb, the best-selling author of books about how he thinks markets and society work, goes after Newsweek reporter Leah McGrath Goodman, the author of the piece alleging Nakamoto invented the digital currency; and journalism in general, using his signature lexicon about probability and skin in the game.
He's really angry:
Violation of Nakamoto's privacy by Goodman @truth_eater shd be reciprocal: journos should also have their privacy in jeopardy #skininthegame
- Nassim N. Taleb (@nntaleb) March 8, 2014
Aside from cluelessness about "forensics", Goodman's treatment of Nakamoto marks the conflation of reporting with voyeurism @truth_eater
- Nassim N. Taleb (@nntaleb) March 8, 2014
Can't figure out why I am so upset abt Nakamoto's privacy. Centuries of legal evolution based of burden of evidence. Sympathy for the man.
- Nassim N. Taleb (@nntaleb) March 8, 2014
.@felixsalmon ETHICS: If .1% probability of error/harming yourself, you wouldn't take the risk. Why did she harm Nakamoto? #skininthegame
- Nassim N. Taleb (@nntaleb) March 10, 2014
@SpireSec @felixsalmon Severe invasion of privacy even if she is right. Unlike artists/polititicians he did not ask to have a public life.
- Nassim N. Taleb (@nntaleb) March 10, 2014
.@truth_eater @SpireSec @felixsalmon Ms Goodman, there is something despicable about you and your profession. Voyeurism is not journalism.
- Nassim N. Taleb (@nntaleb) March 10, 2014
.@truth_eater @SpireSec @felixsalmon Your profession of violating people's privacy for profit? You call that journalism or voyeurism?
- Nassim N. Taleb (@nntaleb) March 10, 2014
The latest development in the hunt for Satoshi is that someone identifying themself as Arthur Nakamoto, Dorian Nakamoto's brother, posted a lengthy item on reddit denouncing the press blitz in language similar to that used in BI's brief interview with him Friday. Interestingly, the post does not address what exactly Newsweek got wrong. The reddit user did not respond to a message we left with hiim at the site.