Agreed, it was inexcusable.

However, we all have our moments where we do dumb things. If you expect anyone to be perfect, you're in for a rude surprise. One has to look at the whole picture, and that incident was an anomaly.

I've noticed a tendency for people to jump on one thing someone says or does and try to ruin them over it and de-platform them, as if that one mistake defines their whole life. I think it's uncharitable, and hypocritical. I don't like that trend.

Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone. I'm not religious, but you have to admit, there's some wisdom in that. To be clear I'm not saying you can't criticize someone, especially a public figure, who does something wrong. I'm saying don't stone them to death over it - there's some proportionality missing in the response of the twitter mob.

I completely agree with you.

> One has to look at the whole picture, and that incident was an anomaly.

My point is that this episode was not an anomaly. There are dozens of examples, where Elon personally tries to "take revenge" on whistleblowers, critics, and journalists.

E.g. Elon called and threatened the boss of the (at the time) anonymous critic Montana Skeptic. He was going through the facebook history of journalist Linnette Lopez and taking screengrabs that he shared on Twitter to defame her. His lawsuit against whistle-blower Skabooshka is currently ongoing.

> However, we all have our moments where we do dumb things. If you expect anyone to be perfect, you're in for a rude surprise. One has to look at the whole picture, and that incident was an anomaly.

"our moments"? Didn't he double down on it? Didn't he offer someone a bet, that it would eventually be discovered that the could was a pedophile?

It's in "these moments" that you can peer inside a person's mind. In normal times, anyone can put up a facade.

It is one thing for a normal person to insult somebody, but someone like Elon has a greater responsibility with his platform.

It is also not OK in general to accuse people of being a pedophile! Not sure why that is controversial.

There are lots of examples of important artists, politicians, scientists, etc, who were total jerks and dirtbags. I think it is fine to recognize them for their talents and achievements but also call out their faults too. It isn't mutually exclusive.

I didn't say it was ok...?

Just don't see how it "breaks the camels back" or in anyway discounts his incredible achievements, any more than Jobs being an asshole to some of his employees makes the iPhone less of a world-changing invention.

I don’t think he’s saying it discounts anything; he’s saying that’s when he lost respect for Musk.

He is a manager and a leader, he did not build Tesla and SpaceX by his own, nor he invented those technologies. As a leader, he is responsible to well behave and show example to others. Instead, he looks more like the Trump's type of a guy with narcissistic personality and disrespect to simple people, who can only manipulate them.

What do you mean by discounting?

"broke the camels back" -- it sounds like this was some binary event, like "once he did this, I discounted everything he done as ruined by his behaviour.

I'll ask again because you didn't actually answer my question. What do you mean by "discounted"?

"regard (a possibility or fact) as being unworthy of consideration"

I know what the word "discount" means.

When I say "what do you mean by 'I'm discounting'?", is "What do you mean when you say that I'm regarding a possibility as being unworthy of consideration?" What possibility are you referring to that I'm regarding as being unworthy of consideration?

"I didn't like what he said" isn't a legal defense to defamation.

Further, it seemed that Musk was actually talking to other members of the team out there who were more positive about the submarine idea. So it seemed valid to pursue it. And then as you say an argument started and Musk was an asshat. So, he has flaws, he can be an asshat to people.