Repeat: I'm NOT criticizing @elonmusk for trying to help. But his irritation at a Thai official saying his sub was sophisticated but not practical (rescue was almost over) may perhaps be a learning moment? Wealth, fame and power are curses to judgment. None of us would be immune.
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Point isn't that everything should be like the airline industry or like cave-diving. But, look. After the 1996 TWA crash, they put the plane back together. Investigated for four years. Redesigned things. That's why commercial flying is so safe. This approach needs more respect.pic.twitter.com/19OZD75qg9
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The flashy tech solution and the savior make good movies. But what makes most things work is the quite hero/ine embedded in institutional knowledge—divers who brought decades of knowledge. The Thai officials who let go—must have been hard. Farmers who let their fields be flooded.
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In the comments for my piece, some Musk fans think people like me are just ungrateful for the saviors who steps up. I hope this thread explains it more—nobody is ungrateful. But the worst thing to do to a famous/rich person is to be their uncritical fan.https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/14/opinion/sunday/elon-musk-thailand-hubris.html …
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zeynep tufekci Retweeted
I do seem to have a zillion of them defending Musk with enormous zeal right now in my mentions because he replied to this thread, and I wouldn't wish this kind of fame and fan-base on my worst enemy.



https://twitter.com/Adwait_AD_Dubey/status/1018500909901414400 …zeynep tufekci added,
This Tweet is unavailable.20 replies 45 retweets 715 likesShow this thread -
zeynep tufekci Retweeted Timothy McLaughlin
The rescuer I've quoted in the first tweet made the "PR-stunt" comment re:Musk's sub, not me. That diver is not a bystander—if someone made a movie, I'd make him the key character. Still, he clearly spoke out in irritation and I was trying to explain why.https://twitter.com/TMclaughlin3/status/1018514508598276096 …
zeynep tufekci added,
Timothy McLaughlinVerified account @TMclaughlin3“Pedo guy” Musk is referring to is Brit Vernon Unsworth who US military and many others involved told us was integral at every stage of the rescue. US officials said the cave system is his “absolute obsession” no one in the world knows it better. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/time-is-running-out-inside-the-treacherous-rescue-of-boys-trapped-in-thai-cave/2018/07/13/df335afe-8614-11e8-8f6c-46cb43e3f306_story.html?utm_term=.4936fa4d3840 … https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1018497953051258880 …9 replies 54 retweets 516 likesShow this thread -
But my piece—and this thread—is an attempt to go beyond the irritations of the moment and discuss what the tech world could learn from the slow, iterative and deeper safety cultures—but there's a lot to recommend to the can-do optimism in Silicon Valley. Not in isolation, though.
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zeynep tufekci Retweeted Max Tani
I’m dumbfounded by this. I’d understand getting mad at me (whatev
) but Vern Unsworth is, by all accounts I saw, a key hero of the miraculous rescue. The kids certainly—and many more divers likely—would be dead if not for him. Apology badly needed.https://twitter.com/maxwelltani/status/1018517885080211456 …zeynep tufekci added,
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Seems Musk has deleted his inflammatory tweets & his responses to me.
That makes it hard to follow threads so here's my screenshots on why developing a back-up option QUIETLY is great but doing it with gobs of publicity has potential for harm. https://twitter.com/zeynep/status/1018498560789286912 …pic.twitter.com/VyIx0gPsxs
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Replying to @zeynep
Nominate you for Twitter sainthood for your charity and composure.
1 reply 0 retweets 12 likes
Thank you though not hard. Also, if I get the sainthood does that mean I have to tweet more? yikes
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Replying to @zeynep
Well, I think the not hard part is a reflection of your character. Clearly others find it ... challenging. And, no, it means you get to retreat into the contemplative life. Enjoy!
0 replies 0 retweets 2 likesThanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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