Twitter Suspends Prominent Alt-Right Accounts • Hacker News Board

Re: Twitter Suspends Prominent Alt-Right Accounts

#31

Post by drawkbox » Thu, Nov 17, 2016, 4:29 AM UTC

Not a good idea at all, I am never for censorship and I think we are losing sight of why freedom of speech is important which is insane to me.

It is good all these ideas are out there even if you don't agree with them. Shrouding them will only encourage it.

Strict absolutist and authoritative law/parenting almost always leads to acting out, while passive law/parenting let's knowledge decide individual choice.

Putting a stranglehold on knowledge that is bad will give people more desire to find confirmation biases in it. Let them naturally learn it is bad themselves.

This is just the Streisand effect and way too similar to what they do in China, like the censoring of Kim Jong Un fat memes[1]. Twitter just got political and that is not wise in business.

[1] http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/11/16/502312268/...

Re: Twitter Suspends Prominent Alt-Right Accounts

#32

Post by nostromo » Thu, Nov 17, 2016, 4:29 AM UTC

micaksica wrote: post #8

I'm not a fan of the "alt-right" or a lot of its subculture. I also don't find it particularly "alt", as much as it is "far" right. It is a lot of the ideas that powered the NSDAP enveloped in the language of the Internet and memes, with the targets broadened from Jewry to non-whites in general. However, I'm also not a fan of suspending these accounts for controversial views if they are not harassing people on the Tw…

I don't see "alt-right" as being so similar to "far-right" based on my limited exposure.

I've watched some debates with Milo as well as Gavin Mcinnes. They are definitely not what most Americans would call "far-right" -- in that they aren't anti-gay, aren't anti-drugs, aren't socially conservative, and aren't particularly hawkish. They seem to dislike Republicans like Paul Ryan almost as much as Nancy Pelosi.

Milo recently did a profanity-laden pro-Trump rally dressed in drag. That's the "alt" -- it's quite different than what a person would typically call Republican.

Re: Twitter Suspends Prominent Alt-Right Accounts

#33

Post by haimez » Thu, Nov 17, 2016, 4:30 AM UTC

panic wrote: post #20

micaksica wrote: post #8

I'm not a fan of the "alt-right" or a lot of its subculture. I also don't find it particularly "alt", as much as it is "far" right. It is a lot of the ideas that powered the NSDAP enveloped in the language of the Internet and memes, with the targets broadened from Jewry to non-whites in general. However, I'm also not a fan of suspending these accounts for controversial views if they are not harassing people on the Tw…

Unfortunately, the nature of Twitter makes debate unlikely to end in agreement. Twitter is just trying to improve the environment for its users so more people will join and stick around. Most people find the "ideas that powered the NSDAP" quite disgusting.

But at what COST. As a platform shaping measure, this is clearly an intentional measure to create a /specific/ different echo chamber. This is the mechanic that just created a Trump presidency.

Re: Twitter Suspends Prominent Alt-Right Accounts

#34

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Nov 17, 2016, 4:30 AM UTC

panic wrote: post #20

micaksica wrote: post #8

I'm not a fan of the "alt-right" or a lot of its subculture. I also don't find it particularly "alt", as much as it is "far" right. It is a lot of the ideas that powered the NSDAP enveloped in the language of the Internet and memes, with the targets broadened from Jewry to non-whites in general. However, I'm also not a fan of suspending these accounts for controversial views if they are not harassing people on the Tw…

Unfortunately, the nature of Twitter makes debate unlikely to end in agreement. Twitter is just trying to improve the environment for its users so more people will join and stick around. Most people find the "ideas that powered the NSDAP" quite disgusting.

[deleted]

Re: Twitter Suspends Prominent Alt-Right Accounts

#35

Post by mreiland » Thu, Nov 17, 2016, 4:30 AM UTC

panic wrote: post #28

micaksica wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Most people find the "ideas that powered the NSDAP" quite disgusting. If we are truly building a society of tolerance, whether or not one has a visceral reaction to an idea should not stop whether or not one can discuss and debate it. I'm not a neo-Nazi, but I've talked at length with them about their views. I will give anyone a few minutes to explain what they are about, try to listen to it neutrally, and form my…

Sure, but not everyone enjoys spending their time engaging with Nazi rhetoric. There are plenty of places outside of Twitter where you can actually choose whether or not to have a discussion.

He didn't say debating, he said listening.

Re: Twitter Suspends Prominent Alt-Right Accounts

#36

Post by leurfete » Thu, Nov 17, 2016, 4:31 AM UTC

stevebmark wrote: post #17

Finally, Twitter is growing up and moving past its cowardly, childish "free speech" dogma. It's taken them way too long to get here though.

Good trolling sir. You had me going for a moment. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zT09Dy13slc/T3CInkRWjRI/AAAAAAAABI...

Re: Twitter Suspends Prominent Alt-Right Accounts

#37

Post by commenting » Thu, Nov 17, 2016, 4:31 AM UTC

Good riddance. Twitter shouldn't let itself be a recruiting platform for neo-Nazis and their ilk.

This is consistent with the ban on ISIS propaganda accounts, which was also a positive step towards combatting online extremism.

Re: Twitter Suspends Prominent Alt-Right Accounts

#38

Post by xaa » Thu, Nov 17, 2016, 4:31 AM UTC

micaksica wrote: post #8

I'm not a fan of the "alt-right" or a lot of its subculture. I also don't find it particularly "alt", as much as it is "far" right. It is a lot of the ideas that powered the NSDAP enveloped in the language of the Internet and memes, with the targets broadened from Jewry to non-whites in general. However, I'm also not a fan of suspending these accounts for controversial views if they are not harassing people on the Tw…

Agree. The first thing I thought upon reading this was: would Twitter ban an account with the following description:

"dedicated to the heritage, identity, and future of people of African descent in the United States, and around the world."

Undoubtedly not. The only difference, of course, is s/African/European/g.

I'm a liberal, but I feel that if this election has taught us anything, it should be that suppression of "undesirable" views only makes them stronger. It's almost as if the Founders foresaw this somehow, and having done so, created some kind of First Alteration of the Constitution to protect this kind of speech, realizing that attempting to suppress it would cause more harm than good.

I do realize that Twitter is not the government, but the same principle applies.

Re: Twitter Suspends Prominent Alt-Right Accounts

#39

Post by jgrowl » Thu, Nov 17, 2016, 4:31 AM UTC

dpc59 wrote: post #27

TillE wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a little odd, since 99% of the time it's really just a euphemism for a particular kind of neo-nazi.

alternative is pretty much a synonym of neo

I was thinking about this earlier. It's so silly. Neo Conservative was already taken so lets make up a new term to label people with. "I know, how about alt-right..."

Re: Twitter Suspends Prominent Alt-Right Accounts

#40

Post by cwilson » Thu, Nov 17, 2016, 4:32 AM UTC

dmritard96 wrote: post #24

Seems like there is a case to be made that Trump should be suspended. Would certainly be a loud statement but also would put twitter in an interesting position.

I'd never thought of that before. Trump values his Twitter account quite a bit. What could he do if Twitter decided to suspend him as a protest?

I don't think this will ever happen, but it's an interesting hypothetical.