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Craigslist takes personals sections offline in response to FOSTA

craigslist.org

121–130 of 654 posts

Re: Craigslist takes personals sections offline in response to FOSTA

#121

I just read the text of this bill. The way it reads, the entire online dating industry should be closing its doors...tonight. CEOs of these companies face penalties of up to 25 years in prison. Why were there not massive protests over this? I had never heard of this bill before today.

Meanwhile, net neutrality, which wasn't even policy until the Obama administration gets huge press all over the place. What happened to Silicon Valley's political activism?

Good question... almost like they might not be telling you the truth when the say they are riled up about X because of Y. The silence on Z is deafening.

Re: Craigslist takes personals sections offline in response to FOSTA

#122

I am fucking sick and fucking tired of people interfering with the free choice of individuals in any effort to "fix" society and "help" people. Lawmakers and advocates, have some epistemic humility and acknowledge that your own perspective may be mistaken. Not everything is oppression. Not every activity is injustice. Sometimes, people just fucking disagree.

What we don't look at is how prostitution is tied to the financialization of higher education. We could end a lot more prostitution by forgiving student loan debt rather than using the police to intercede in between sexual partners to try to deduce their motives. If we make higher education free and forgive student loans the motivation to get money no matter what it takes will go away. There are escorts who got into the business to pay for medical school. We have driven the cost of education so high that students are willing to take amazing risks to avoid lifelong debt.

Re: Craigslist takes personals sections offline in response to FOSTA

#123

It'll be interesting to see how other dating sites (okcupid, match.com, tinder, etc) handle this. If they manage to stay open, this could wind up benefiting them, as craiglist users migrate over. But if they shut down, and newspapers posting personals also run afoul of this law, then this could be a boon to bars and other, more traditional ways of meeting people.

> this could be a boon to bars and other, more traditional ways of meeting people That is insanely optimistic, randomly meeting people in a bar is significantly more dangerous than a prearranged meet, and the first thing most people do after contact online is go to a bar or public meeting point anyway. What is a “traditional” way of meeting someone? Through your parents?

"What is a "traditional" way of meeting someone? Through your parents?"

Through friends, hobbies, volunteering, bars, clubs, parties, and various other forms of group entertainment like concerts, plays, etc.

Pretty much anywhere people meet face to face counts.

Re: Craigslist takes personals sections offline in response to FOSTA

#124
post #72

I am fucking sick and fucking tired of people interfering with the free choice of individuals in any effort to "fix" society and "help" people. Lawmakers and advocates, have some epistemic humility and acknowledge that your own perspective may be mistaken. Not everything is oppression. Not every activity is injustice. Sometimes, people just fucking disagree.

The goal of the legislation in question is specifically to help individuals that have been coerced, against their free will, into sex trafficking. It is not about voluntary interactions between consenting adults. The legislation might be misguided or ineffective--I haven't really looked into it--but it very definitely isn't about restricting the free choice of individuals.

It’s not misguided, it’s deliberate. Broad restrictions on prostitution and adult services were wanted by conservatives based on family values, liberals are favoring regulations on speech due to identity politics. I’m sure both groups honestly want to help the trafficked, and they came together to both get what they want, and pat themselves on the back at the same time.

Re: Craigslist takes personals sections offline in response to FOSTA

#125

I just read the text of this bill. The way it reads, the entire online dating industry should be closing its doors...tonight. CEOs of these companies face penalties of up to 25 years in prison. Why were there not massive protests over this? I had never heard of this bill before today.

because the bill was introduced and passed in under 24 hours!

Re: Craigslist takes personals sections offline in response to FOSTA

#126

I just read the text of this bill. The way it reads, the entire online dating industry should be closing its doors...tonight. CEOs of these companies face penalties of up to 25 years in prison. Why were there not massive protests over this? I had never heard of this bill before today.

>I had never heard of this bill before today. Who was going to tell you about it? Time, NYT, CNN, WaPo? Nope.

[deleted]

Re: Craigslist takes personals sections offline in response to FOSTA

#128
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suppose if you work directly with people on the front lines of that problem, Craigslist personals might seem pretty trivial in comparison.

To me, the odd thing is they focus on that instead of legalization and helping people report abuses. Legalization is far from perfect but abuse in Nevada brothels is much lower than as street walkers. It seems it's more a puritanical belief system than a genuine desire to render aid.

[deleted]

Re: Craigslist takes personals sections offline in response to FOSTA

#129
post #48

This is completely bizarre, we can't go down this route with the internet. It is madness.

Unfortunately we've had a very poor week for internet freedom. However much of it has been the result of corporate overreach. This week: Reddit bans Cigar, beer and Alchohol trading subreddits, toy bb gun sales, and gun related coupon clippers Youtube (and facebook?) banned Channels featuring guns they deem inappropriate. Including videos regarding proper safety and maintenance. It has become clear to be that the int…

"It has become clear to be that the internet is naturally monopolistic in a way physical institutions are not. One simply cannot move their gun channel, or the cigar trading forum to other sites and have a decent chance of maintaining even 10% of their customers."

That's funny - I thought that exactly the opposite was true.

The Internet (not particular sites, not AOL or "the facebook", but The Internet) is naturally un-monopolistic because you can, in fact, just move your video channel to your own website and do whatever you'd like there.

In fact, it's trivially easy to do so - you can probably accomplish the entire task using only your telephone.

If you feel that this is not the case I think you've made yourself fragile to services and processes that have nothing to do with The Internet.

Re: Craigslist takes personals sections offline in response to FOSTA

#130
post #48

This is completely bizarre, we can't go down this route with the internet. It is madness.

Unfortunately we've had a very poor week for internet freedom. However much of it has been the result of corporate overreach. This week: Reddit bans Cigar, beer and Alchohol trading subreddits, toy bb gun sales, and gun related coupon clippers Youtube (and facebook?) banned Channels featuring guns they deem inappropriate. Including videos regarding proper safety and maintenance. It has become clear to be that the int…

I screwed up and accidentally chambered two 12ga shells in my Remington 870, it was a potential dangerous accident but found video to help me safely un-f the situation. Also I found a "bug" that allowed me to shoot, under a strange condition, my 9mm when the safety was on. Found out what not to do on youtube to avoid that situation. Also couldn't figure out what this knob was on my 10/22, turns out its a critical feature after finding it on youtube. This sucks I won't be able to find this type of information literally typing the gun model and the name of the problem to see a video to help me out as easily as yesterday.
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