Galactic Interactions

Fine. The post is deleted already.

Posted by on October 15, 2007
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Commenters convinced me to think twice, and they’re right.

Our system is screwed up. Never shed light on anything, because you’re small and it could hurt you. If a festering wound exists somewhere, just try to get away. Don’t try to point it out. Especially if it’s not your problem any more.

Choose your battles, and let other places that are screwed up stay screwed up.

A lawyer on retainer. Jesus Christ. No, I’m not going to jail, but civil law practically limits the reality of free speech in this fucked up and litigious society.

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Comments

  1. #1 anonymous person
    October 16, 2007

    Hi Rob, I just wanted to mention that there is one good reason why you shouldn’t post this even now that you no longer work there: it could hurt your future employment prospects. Any future employer need only look at this blog post to know that you could potentially burn them once you no longer work for them. I don’t object to this post, but I think you should consider taking it down, just out of self-interest.

  2. #2 Rob Knop
    October 16, 2007

    I’ve given up on self-interest.

    Self-interest and a lack of transparency is what has allowed the mess at Vanderbilt to fester as long as it has.

  3. #3 Counterfly
    October 16, 2007

    I presume you have a lawyer on retainer? Universities are known to be rather grouchy about this sort of thing, whether or not they have good cause.

  4. #4 Rob Knop
    October 16, 2007

    Fine! Jesus H. Bloody Christ. Everybody be afraid.

    Fine. I’m afraid. It’s gone.

    Vanderbilt can go on being a disaster of an environment for women, and nobody will say a damn thing about it, because everybody is either too self-interested or to afraid to say anything about it.

    Yes, I might get sued. Yes, Vanderbilt might wipe me out. Yes, I might get blacklisted from all future employers.

    Great. Those kinds of considerations are why Physics is going to remain a hellhole for women for the forseeable future. For no level of consciousness raising will make one whit of difference if the departments don’t feel any pain for their misbehavior, or if no light is shed upon departments who continue down a blind path. And it’s too dangerous for anybody to shed light.

    So never mind.

    Christ.

  5. #5 Counterfly
    October 16, 2007

    Oh please. You have a penchant for impulsive posts, which is fine, it shows passion, but your commentariat needs to be there to make sure you know the not-impossible consequences.

    I really don’t think it’s ludicrous for a university to try and protect itself from a disturbing account of an internal closed-door meeting by shaking its probably-homegrown Vandy lawdogs at you, especially when you seem to know that your former colleagues read this blog. Asking for trouble, yo.

    Choose your battles

    Yup.

  6. #6 Matt B.
    October 16, 2007

    I read the post while it was still up. I miss it already…

    I can’t believe a university would sue over this?! You mentioned no names (if I recall correctly), so there is no slander, right?!

  7. #7 Counterfly
    October 16, 2007

    Look, it wasn’t that bad, they probably wouldn’t sue, etc, etc. I don’t actually believe Rob should keep a lawyer on retainer unless he plans on making anti-Vanderbilt stuff a daily occurrence.

    Still glad he took it down.

  8. #8 Rob Knop
    October 16, 2007

    Counterfly, just go away.