[Edit: The flagkilled comment referenced accusations levied against Max Temkin and showed us examples of conferences barring him from attendance.]

Of all the things the Internet has given us, a broader platform for accusations without conviction, but which nonetheless unconditionally yield consequences for the accused, scare me the most for the future. It is absolutely and mortally frightening what we are becoming.

To be crystal clear, this isn't about sexual assault (though that is potent) or any of the specifics, nor is it about the Internet, nor is it about technology, even. I am saying the choice of victims in all walks of life to publicize unarguable, indefensible, unproven accusations via social media (and, recently, traditional journalism) and not pursue remedy through the established system creates a worrying future. That a certain camp of people worships at this altar of "coming forward," as long as it's publicly, and portrays it as a necessary and important step to seeking justice is even more worrying and damaging to society at large. I'm not talking about the Internet. I'm saying the growth of this phenomenon has a direct, real, and unprecedented impact on how we interact as human beings, and nobody seems to realize this or care much for it.

Not long ago in our history, a mere remark from a monarch was enough to see you beheaded. Now, if someone sets their sights on you, there is nothing you can do but react, just as then, as they steer the hatred of countless folks toward you and attack your self, your feelings, and your livelihood. Watching some people who have been on the receiving end of this, I pray every day that I do not become a target. An acquaintance was accused in public of a horrible act and eventually vindicated when the evidence came forward, yet multiple people still e-mail his employers to make sure they're aware of who, they say, the company chose to hire. We share a planet with people who digest accusations and e-mail employers after accepting the facts they want.

We are regressing. Just look. They raised protest at a conference inviting Max because someone said something. That's all. That created a situation where Max couldn't attend. That's the sort of outcome that you should expect to count on after a group of your peers has reviewed the case in full and heard from witnesses, not a single narrative taken at face value on the Internet. And the people raising social NIMBYism masked as being uncomfortable are entirely complicit in this.

In Max's original response, I was outright stunned to read the leading tweet. "Today I learned: Max Temkin raped a friend of my friend." Notice the tweet does not use phrases like "was accused." To this person, the event happened. There is no doubt; that person skipped right over doubt and arrived at an outcome, which they will undoubtedly repeat to anybody within earshot upon hearing his name, that Max Temkin is a rapist, based on a single narrative with no evidence from a removed third party.

Cognizant of the fact that the camp in favor of this will color my comments as calling the accuser a liar, though I am not: apparently all I need to do, now, to psychologically and emotionally attack someone by proxy, is create a convincing narrative that cannot be proven or disproven and was never tried before a jury and make sure it gets as widely circulated as possible, then sit back and watch people play the concern card like this.

I would say this exact same thing if the accused were a woman, a person of color, or any other human being.