I didn't know what 18F was until today and all I had to go by was their letter of grievance after being fired. I think it would be foolish to take a post at face value, so I asked. I think your thoughts, while well-conceived, are based on assumption that I should have implicitly known to trust the words of this organization.
I know you're upset and I am too. The United States is in a very embarrassing state right now and it's frustrating, right? Especially the amount of misinformation, disinformation, astroturfing and all that going on. I was fortunate to receive a number of helpful responses soon after my question, which helped guide discussion on the topic in other forums.
Don’t take this the wrong way—I’m not calling you dishonest; I’m calling the question dishonest.
My point wasn’t that you should have known to trust the organization. I’d never ask you to trust anyone or anything.
My argument is that the question’s vague phrasing and misleading premise make it nearly impossible to answer while also inviting the reader’s imagination to spiral into meaningless speculation.
While it may not directly inject misinformation, it fosters the kind of speculation that often leads to it—because, believe it or not, grown adults can be surprisingly impressionable.
I know you're upset and I am too. The United States is in a very embarrassing state right now and it's frustrating, right? Especially the amount of misinformation, disinformation, astroturfing and all that going on. I was fortunate to receive a number of helpful responses soon after my question, which helped guide discussion on the topic in other forums.