Twitter suspends alt-right figureheads • Hacker News Board

Re: Twitter suspends alt-right figureheads

#21

Post by MichaelBurge » Wed, Nov 16, 2016, 2:30 PM UTC

mulletbum wrote: post #5

Why does the alt-right have issues with them being banned from systems, but don't see issues with themselves banning others from systems. For example, Twitter bans them from using Twitter, but the /r/The_Donald echo chamber bans anyone with a counter view to their own. If you want freedom to speak on certain platforms, you need to provide the same rights to everyone.

I think the appropriate comparison to "Twitter" would be "Reddit", not specifically the /r/The_Donald subreddit.

If they started banning your Reddit account for being a communist, I imagine a lot of people - including "The Donald" - would be angry.

Re: Twitter suspends alt-right figureheads

#22

Post by problems » Wed, Nov 16, 2016, 2:30 PM UTC

edc117 wrote: post #9

module0000 wrote: post #3

People love having their speech limited, I'm sure this will work out great for twitter.

Freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences, and Twitter is free to do as they like with their platform.

While I agree with your statement, I think it's important to protect the concept of free speech in many places and to disrespect companies who don't.

Twitter has failed to do so here and is showing a blatant political statement (unless there were specific cases of harassment with these people or something, in which case I may be overstepping).

I think generally views like this are better left in the spotlight of the public where they can be properly argued with and not dragged into private forums and facebook feeds where it's much harder for people to see a wider response to them. Banning them is harmful to people who are getting a casual interest in their ideas and start reading up on it. When the only place they can do that is Breitbart or similar, how do you think that'll go?

Re: Twitter suspends alt-right figureheads

#23

Post by monkmartinez » Wed, Nov 16, 2016, 2:30 PM UTC

thecopy wrote: post #4

How will this help Twitter turn a profit?

This is a valid question methinks. I am not sure of the distribution of regular HN readers that identify with the so-called "alt-right" movement, but suffice to say millions of Americans do.

Re: Twitter suspends alt-right figureheads

#24

Post by thecopy » Wed, Nov 16, 2016, 2:30 PM UTC

mulletbum wrote: post #5

Why does the alt-right have issues with them being banned from systems, but don't see issues with themselves banning others from systems. For example, Twitter bans them from using Twitter, but the /r/The_Donald echo chamber bans anyone with a counter view to their own. If you want freedom to speak on certain platforms, you need to provide the same rights to everyone.

Apples and oranges. /r/The_Donald is a subreddit niche specifically for supporters for Trump, it is standard for a niche subreddit with a specific goal to ban users which attempt to hinder that goal from happening. Hillary-subreddit does the same.

Re: Twitter suspends alt-right figureheads

#25

Post by okreallywtf » Wed, Nov 16, 2016, 2:30 PM UTC

laumars wrote: post #8

I'm not sure I agree with this. I think I'd rather have people with extreme opinions talking in the public where they are subject to counter arguments than somewhere less public where their message goes unchallenged.

I agree and disagree - on the one hand I prefer to have them out in the open so its easier to understand the kind of misinformation that is being spread, but unfortunately it seems like a large number of people (well, everyone to some extent but some people have more trouble it seems) separating fake information from more-or-less true information.

My guess is that by them having this platform, they can easily reach those who are primed for believing what they read. If people weighted the most informed responses equally to the tweets themselves that would be one thing, but my guess is that is not the case.

Re: Twitter suspends alt-right figureheads

#26

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Nov 16, 2016, 2:30 PM UTC

mulletbum wrote: post #5

Why does the alt-right have issues with them being banned from systems, but don't see issues with themselves banning others from systems. For example, Twitter bans them from using Twitter, but the /r/The_Donald echo chamber bans anyone with a counter view to their own. If you want freedom to speak on certain platforms, you need to provide the same rights to everyone.

[deleted]

Re: Twitter suspends alt-right figureheads

#27

Post by vonklaus » Wed, Nov 16, 2016, 2:31 PM UTC

mulletbum wrote: post #5

Why does the alt-right have issues with them being banned from systems, but don't see issues with themselves banning others from systems. For example, Twitter bans them from using Twitter, but the /r/The_Donald echo chamber bans anyone with a counter view to their own. If you want freedom to speak on certain platforms, you need to provide the same rights to everyone.

I agree that if is hypocritical however clearly the scale is substantially different. Subreddits are typically echochambers especially small niche non-defaults.

Twitter is a platform. Your analogy would be more akin to Reddit banning a subreddit-- which happens. I personally disagree with platforms like google, reddit & twtr editoralizing & policing things like ideology & expression. I certainly lean more libertarian here, but actions like this certainly are a slippery slope. It appears like favoritism in a benevolent view and censorship in a more hard line stance

Re: Twitter suspends alt-right figureheads

#28

Post by ve55 » Wed, Nov 16, 2016, 2:31 PM UTC

Although Twitter obviously has the right to do this, legally, I don't think it is good.

Twitter is esentially a public infrastructure for real-time communication. We have public officials from countries all over the world that use Twitter to communicate to their citizens.

For that (and similar) reasons, I would strongly prefer if Twitter didn't go around policing what types of political opions are okay and aren't. Even if you really hate the people that Twitter bans, imagine if things were the other way around, and they started banning very liberal users.

Re: Twitter suspends alt-right figureheads

#29

Post by JorgeGT » Wed, Nov 16, 2016, 2:31 PM UTC

mulletbum wrote: post #5

Why does the alt-right have issues with them being banned from systems, but don't see issues with themselves banning others from systems. For example, Twitter bans them from using Twitter, but the /r/The_Donald echo chamber bans anyone with a counter view to their own. If you want freedom to speak on certain platforms, you need to provide the same rights to everyone.

Do Twitter and /r/The_Donald have equivalent mission statements, though? I don't think Twitter aspires to be a meeting point for extreme political views.

Re: Twitter suspends alt-right figureheads

#30

Post by arkitaip » Wed, Nov 16, 2016, 2:31 PM UTC

mwill wrote: post #14

I can only see this as furthering the echo chamber that caused many to be so blindsided by Trumps victory. I would like to see specifically why these people were suspended. If they're engaged in harassment obviously the suspension should hold up. If it really is just mass reporting for political speech (I've had friends msging 'targets' for reporting purely for them admitting to voting for Trump), I can only see it a…

But these alt-right figureheads aren't your average trump voters. They actually are racist and nasty people and we shouldn't group them together with other conservative/right/trump voters.