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It's all rather depressing, and I'm pretty disappointed with The Register's coverage of it.

I've been too lazy to read his memo. So I've no idea how much sense it makes overall. However I've seen enough large chunks of it quoted - that it seems unlikely that he was just firing off a hate-filled screed. And it doesn't appear on the surface that his motive was malice or trolling.

So even if someone finds his views offensive - I would expect them to have the decency to approach this as something to discuss - rather than just launching the witch-hunt.

That's partisan polics for you. Bringing out all the unhelpful people, who enjoy the heat of a good shouty debate, and the mudslinging. Rather than addressing the actual issues.

There seems to be a modern trend in politics to try to de-legitimise the other side's point of view, rather than actually debate the issues. It's always happened of course, but the temperature seems to have been turned up of late. You see it over Brexit for example. You have the pro-EU people are traitors EUSSR idiots, and then you have the over-the-top remainer types who claim that they can't think of a single argument for leaving. And they do enjoy a nice old barney online - despite the fact that both sides are turning off neutrals with every post.

If there has been Russian interference in recent elections (it's looking increasingly likely) it does appear to be more about encouraging those extreme positions, more than supporting particular candidates. In order to discredit democracy and open debate. Putin's circle know their system is shit, they've no ideology to fall back on, and they know they're criminals. There's not much in the way of a postive case to make for their system, so much better to attack the other system and try to make a false equivalence between theirs and the many failures of democracy.

Finally we come to El Reg. Who I'm fucking disappointed with. Snark I can take. Snark I like. Aim it at companies please. Even at individuals if they deserve it. So funny stories about Aussies getting caught by the fuzz having 90mph blow-jobs is all grist for the mill. Or the other bootnotes stuff. And abusing powerful individuals who deserve it - again fine. Especially the ones that found Uber or Groupon. But unless they want to produce an article that dissects his piece and convincingly shows it to have been written from a position of malice or trolling - then can we please not revel in some blokes career and life going down the toilet as he gets publicly sacked and vilified by a giant lynch mob. This isn't edifying.

Tear down his arguments by all means. But don't tear down individuals who appear to have been accidentally caught up in a massive public shit-storm. If he'd published, then even if unfair, you could at least argue that he asked for it. He didn't, so he didn't.

Oh and dial down the fucking sanctimony everybody. Please.