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Twitter Suspends Alex Jones for Seven Days Over Tweet

nytimes.com

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Re: Twitter Suspends Alex Jones for Seven Days Over Tweet

#11

Post by poisonborz »

This whole ordeal is a good example how f'd up the current internet infrastructure is. For a decade or so it just seems like the beginnings of a megacorp-ruled Blade Runner-ish world.

While companies have all the right to have control over whatever on their platforms, there just isn't a well known unfiltered, unmoderated, "real" spot on the internet anymore that is known to all - just some niche spots requiring technical or insider knowledge.

It's sickening to look at all the stock-footage-showing happy-go-lucky feeds - comments, articles, posts disappearing without a trace, individuals banned, search results removed.

I'm rather sure that the more this continues, the sooner a breakout moment happens, creating p2p-ish network not needing direct corporate support for content delivery.

To note: in no way do I support Jones, and as said, companies have the right to censor.

Re: Twitter Suspends Alex Jones for Seven Days Over Tweet

#12

Post by pjc50 »

teamk wrote: post #6

Its pretty insane that public businesses are forbidden from discrimination on most grounds (political views, religious views, etc) of who it employs, or who can enter their business, but its perfectly fine for FB, Google, Apple, Twitter, etc., to completely control the content of the conversation on their platforms. It doesn't make sense that as a baker I can be forced to bake gay wedding cakes, or as a Restaurant ow…

The situation isn't symmetrical at all; it only appears to be if you ignore or misrepresent the history of power and violence involved. The list of protected characteristics is small and political views aren't usually on it per se.

Re: Twitter Suspends Alex Jones for Seven Days Over Tweet

#13

Post by frou_dh »

skrebbel wrote: post #2

I'm curious about how this is happening in America, of all places. As a European, I've always wondered (with a certain hint of jealousy, I might add) at the USA's absolute freedom of speech. People like the Westboro Baptist Church would've certainly been blocked from protesting here in the Netherlands. At the same time, it's now companies that are very American, both by origin and by culture, that are (letting themse…

> coming from a country where people get taught from primary school onward to "disagree with what you say but fight for your right to say it".

I've always found that to be a trite self-aggrandising phrase (especially in its "to the death" variant). How many of the people who have repeated that, actually stick by it long term? Gotta be microscopic.

Re: Twitter Suspends Alex Jones for Seven Days Over Tweet

#14

Post by pjc50 »

poisonborz wrote: post #11

This whole ordeal is a good example how f'd up the current internet infrastructure is. For a decade or so it just seems like the beginnings of a megacorp-ruled Blade Runner-ish world. While companies have all the right to have control over whatever on their platforms, there just isn't a well known unfiltered, unmoderated, "real" spot on the internet anymore that is known to all - just some niche spots requiring techn…

> stock-footage-showing happy-go-lucky feeds - comments, articles, posts disappearing without a trace, individuals banned, search results removed.

Could you explain what you're referring to here?

Re: Twitter Suspends Alex Jones for Seven Days Over Tweet

#15

Post by Svip »

ceejayoz wrote: post #10
Svip wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't that part of the difference between customers and users? You cannot discriminate against customers, but you can against users.

I'm not aware of any such distinction in the law. The more significant legal concept would be https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protected_group , I'd imagine. "Far right" isn't on the list. (Neither is far left, incidentally.)

I don't know of a de jure distinction either, but clearly there is a de facto distinction. Perhaps the law is undefined on this subject?

Re: Twitter Suspends Alex Jones for Seven Days Over Tweet

#16

Post by bardworx »

teamk wrote: post #6

Its pretty insane that public businesses are forbidden from discrimination on most grounds (political views, religious views, etc) of who it employs, or who can enter their business, but its perfectly fine for FB, Google, Apple, Twitter, etc., to completely control the content of the conversation on their platforms. It doesn't make sense that as a baker I can be forced to bake gay wedding cakes, or as a Restaurant ow…

That’s simply not true. Without getting into left/right conversation, if you’re being disruptive at a restaurant, they can ask you to leave.

If you start using the inappropriate language at work, HR might have something to say about that.

Freedom of speech does not protect you against yelling “Fire” in a packed movie theater.

For some reason folks think you can say anything and there are no repercussions. That’s childish.

Re: Twitter Suspends Alex Jones for Seven Days Over Tweet

#17

Post by empath75 »

poisonborz wrote: post #11

This whole ordeal is a good example how f'd up the current internet infrastructure is. For a decade or so it just seems like the beginnings of a megacorp-ruled Blade Runner-ish world. While companies have all the right to have control over whatever on their platforms, there just isn't a well known unfiltered, unmoderated, "real" spot on the internet anymore that is known to all - just some niche spots requiring techn…

Who is going to quit Facebook so they have access to more nazis and whack job conspiracy theorists?

Re: Twitter Suspends Alex Jones for Seven Days Over Tweet

#18

Post by nailer »

empath75 wrote: post #17
poisonborz wrote: post #11

This whole ordeal is a good example how f'd up the current internet infrastructure is. For a decade or so it just seems like the beginnings of a megacorp-ruled Blade Runner-ish world. While companies have all the right to have control over whatever on their platforms, there just isn't a well known unfiltered, unmoderated, "real" spot on the internet anymore that is known to all - just some niche spots requiring techn…

Who is going to quit Facebook so they have access to more nazis and whack job conspiracy theorists?

Some people find Alex Jones entertaining. I don't (not that that should be relevant).

Re: Twitter Suspends Alex Jones for Seven Days Over Tweet

#19

Post by Jacqued »

teamk wrote: post #6

Its pretty insane that public businesses are forbidden from discrimination on most grounds (political views, religious views, etc) of who it employs, or who can enter their business, but its perfectly fine for FB, Google, Apple, Twitter, etc., to completely control the content of the conversation on their platforms. It doesn't make sense that as a baker I can be forced to bake gay wedding cakes, or as a Restaurant ow…

The way it makes sense is that "right-wing nutjob" is not a protected characteristic, whereas race & sexual orientation are protected.

Re: Twitter Suspends Alex Jones for Seven Days Over Tweet

#20

Post by beberlei »

poisonborz wrote: post #11

This whole ordeal is a good example how f'd up the current internet infrastructure is. For a decade or so it just seems like the beginnings of a megacorp-ruled Blade Runner-ish world. While companies have all the right to have control over whatever on their platforms, there just isn't a well known unfiltered, unmoderated, "real" spot on the internet anymore that is known to all - just some niche spots requiring techn…

In the 90s and early 2000s you had to search for the nieche content as well or know where it was located. Hundrets of different phpBBs or other forums hidden from "uninitated" people.

The simplicity of central platform just has all the users going there, because they don't want to search for hours to find communities to participate in.

infowars is still available at infowars.com, they just can't use the platform and distribution effects of fb, twitter, spotify, etc anymore, so they are precisely back in 1999.

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