In the eyes of many, Sony is a cowardly company run by fools and frightened people yet in a post 9/11 society, we're expected to ignore the threat of terrorism as if it's just a joke?
This whole fiasco has exposed some pretty sad facts. Quite a few have given zero thought to the people working at Sony Pictures, and what they went thru following the hack.
How would we feel if someone had just stolen and leaked our medical records, credit card info, social security numbers, all personal email correspondences, salary information and other private data? It would be devastating. One Sony employee actually explained it today. The point is, this could have happened to any company.
A sequence of events occurred, Sony was not prepared for it. Things got out of control. Some individuals made bad mistakes. But who wouldn't in a disaster like that?
Some execs said some stupid stuff. Some remarks were totally unacceptable. Yes, they can't be defended, but why take it out on everyone who works at this company as if they all think like that?
Threats of terrorism and violence on people is very frightening and when you've had all your own data stolen, you're a victim and that threat would seem even more real.
So many of us can sit comfortably at our desks at work, or surf the web at home and paint this company as a failure, as if they did everything wrong and we can do better. Sony makes billions every year, employs thousands, makes films that inspire. It brings together creative people from all walks of life. In fact it is a tremendous success story even if it has failed from time to time.
Many of us fail. It's part of life. There is no company that doesn't make mistakes.
When 'The Interview' got pulled from theaters, was that Sony's cowardice? No. It was a decision by major theaters in the US to withdraw the title. Does that make them cowards? No. There was a threat of violence and terror against audiences. What responsible company is going to put their customers in potential danger when the FBI haven't arrested people in connection with this hack, and the threat is still real? What if the film had screened and a lone gunman got inspired and started shooting people while watching 'The Interview'? An entire nation would be outraged calling for Sony's destruction.
There are so many things to consider in what has happened to Sony, and what this hack means for America and the world as a whole. People shouldn't be punished for being frightened. No one wants to appease a dictator but there's a time and a place to make a stand, not when you still don't have your bearings and putting things back together.
Sony will fight back, when the time is right. That's obvious. 'The Interview' will get released. That too is obvious, but can people take a moment to get perspective on what it's like to be attacked by hackers, terrorists and even your own media? Maybe not.
At the end of the day, the people working at Sony are no different to us. We are all human. So my take on this would be to focus not on the failings of Sony but on what actually happened. This hack was a national disaster that has serious ramifications for all industries and it needs a united response.
