Whistleblower protection is necessary when Abe provides evidence that Bill harmed Cindy; otherwise, Abe lacks incentive to help Cindy. It is less important when Abe defends himself against harm caused by Bill.
There’s something to this, but I don’t think the incentives argument maps neatly onto the presence/absence of third parties. It’s not entirely clear to me what tangible incentive “Alice” and “Chloe” would have to tell their stories to Ben with permission to share with the broader public. The financial payment seems to have not been anticipated. Having proceeded under pseudonyms, the bulk of any sympathy they might get from the community wouldn’t translate into better real-world outcomes for the individuals themselves.
In these kinds of cases, the motive will often be psychological. People in this position could be motivated by altruistic motives (e.g., a desire for others not to experience the same things they believe they did) or non-altruistic motives (e.g., a hope that the community will roast people who the pseudonymous individuals believe did them wrong). In the former case, a default norm of respecting pseudonymity is important. Altruistic whistleblowers aren’t getting much out of it themselves (and are already devoting a lot of time and stress to the communal good).
Whistleblower protection is necessary when Abe provides evidence that Bill harmed Cindy; otherwise, Abe lacks incentive to help Cindy. It is less important when Abe defends himself against harm caused by Bill.
There’s something to this, but I don’t think the incentives argument maps neatly onto the presence/absence of third parties. It’s not entirely clear to me what tangible incentive “Alice” and “Chloe” would have to tell their stories to Ben with permission to share with the broader public. The financial payment seems to have not been anticipated. Having proceeded under pseudonyms, the bulk of any sympathy they might get from the community wouldn’t translate into better real-world outcomes for the individuals themselves.
In these kinds of cases, the motive will often be psychological. People in this position could be motivated by altruistic motives (e.g., a desire for others not to experience the same things they believe they did) or non-altruistic motives (e.g., a hope that the community will roast people who the pseudonymous individuals believe did them wrong). In the former case, a default norm of respecting pseudonymity is important. Altruistic whistleblowers aren’t getting much out of it themselves (and are already devoting a lot of time and stress to the communal good).
-13 karma from 5 votes for a comment that doesn’t seem to break any Forum norms? Odd