Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube • Hacker News Board

Re: Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

#481

Post by geofft » Mon, May 18, 2020, 5:04 PM UTC

mc32 wrote: post #292

geofft wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not a Google or YouTube employee, but, practically, what would change? In the most likely case, a bunch of Googlers who believe it's important to be apolitical at work would take over the product and implement much stronger censorship to get promo. In the unlikely event all of them (and every applicant drooling for a FAANG job) had a change of heart too, Tencent would gladly step into the vacuum.

They can organize against project maven but apparently this issue isn’t attractive enough for them.

Er, they did organize against Dragonfly, so management did it in secret...

Re: Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

#482

Post by jayd16 » Mon, May 18, 2020, 5:05 PM UTC

manigandham wrote: post #442

jayd16 wrote: post #371

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What were those clear rules we apparently abandoned for no reason?

The First Amendment of the US Constitution.

That never applied to privately owned forums.

Re: Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

#483

Post by shp0ngle » Mon, May 18, 2020, 5:05 PM UTC

CamelCaseName wrote: post #169

humaid wrote: post #59

Similar happens with the name "Eric Ciaramella", which YouTube instantly deletes. This is a name of a CIA whistle blower. It would be interesting to know what other words are in the YouTube censor list.

Wow. No Wikipedia articles on him either, and reports of people getting permanently banned from Wikipedia for trying to create that article, or even mentioning him in another.

If you want to edit wikipedia, you need to know and play their game.

Politically charged topics on wikipedia need multiple reliable sources.

I can’t find any sources, that would pass as reputable on wikipedia, on this guy.

Maybe if there was a script from Senate from Rand Paul, who spoke his name publicly, that could be used. New York Post is the only kind-of-reputable source I can find, I don’t think that’s enough for now

edit: people link Conservapedia etc, but you can quickly see the stuff is full of misinformation. The like to point out, as Rand did, that Schiff daughter was in some relationship with the CIA guy. This is provably false.

Maybe the Wikipedia rule on sources is actually good.

Re: Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

#484

Post by acka » Mon, May 18, 2020, 5:06 PM UTC

CamelCaseName wrote: post #169

humaid wrote: post #59

Similar happens with the name "Eric Ciaramella", which YouTube instantly deletes. This is a name of a CIA whistle blower. It would be interesting to know what other words are in the YouTube censor list.

Wow. No Wikipedia articles on him either, and reports of people getting permanently banned from Wikipedia for trying to create that article, or even mentioning him in another.

There are articles about him on WikiSpooks[0] and Conservapedia[1].

[0] https://wikispooks.com/wiki/Eric_Ciaramella [1] https://www.conservapedia.com/Eric_Ciaramella

Re: Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

#485

Post by tru3_power » Mon, May 18, 2020, 5:06 PM UTC

In the end, we just have to stop using this stuff. We’re all addicted, complain that google shouldn’t have all this power, yet we can take that power away by choosing not to use these platforms. I’m guilty of this myself.

Re: Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

#486

Post by zelphirkalt » Mon, May 18, 2020, 5:06 PM UTC

crankylinuxuser wrote: post #304

im3w1l wrote: post #219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hacker news and dang in particular has a very good track record of even handed and well thought of moderation. They have definitely earned benefit of the doubt from me. Let's wait a little before bringing the torches.

I would think that having more transparency (eg: moderation/removal log) is much more appropriate than "he looks good to me". I've already seen a few times where content demeaning YC companies mysteriously got disappeared... and then summarily blamed on automated removal. Who's right? No clue. But being able to see that log as it happens would be a significant good faith action.

Perhaps both are correct. You can automatically remove "content demeaning YC companies".

Re: Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

#487

Post by jakebasile » Mon, May 18, 2020, 5:07 PM UTC

exo-pla-net wrote: post #320

YouTube filtering slurs and hateful memes is not surprising. They would target anything that gets spammed and reduces the quality of discourse (such as it is on YouTube). I see no evidence that China is getting any special treatment here. It was the subject of hateful spam, so now it gets a filter. Same would apply to any other country or topic. From my perspective, the absolutist "freedom of speech"/anti-censorship…

Who decides what is intelligent, well-reasoned critique?

Those in power have an incentive to categorize anything that threatens them as "hate speech" or "obscene" or "threatening to the social order".

Re: Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

#488

Post by manigandham » Mon, May 18, 2020, 5:07 PM UTC

jayd16 wrote: post #482

manigandham wrote: post #442

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The First Amendment of the US Constitution.

That never applied to privately owned forums.

I know, they are the clear rules that I’m referring to though.

Re: Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

#489

Post by cmrdporcupine » Mon, May 18, 2020, 5:07 PM UTC

ddevault wrote: post #76

ravenstine wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It might be easy to say this, but I believe I would quit if I was asked to implement something like that. But perhaps I'd be different if I were paid $300k a year. (I sure hope not, though)

If you were being paid $300K/year, it costs your employer (as a rule of thumb) 1.5x, or about $450K/year. The only reason they could spend $450K/year on you is if they expected to make at least that much money with you, compared to what they would make without you. Even if you aren't directly working on this stuff, you are providing them with capital that is being spent on it.

Arguably they don't have to make that money off you directly.

They just need you to not be elsewhere making that money for someone else, or disrupting a market that they are entrenched in. IMHO much of the FAANG hiring / head count / acquisition process could be analyzed in this light.

Re: Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

#490

Post by geofft » Mon, May 18, 2020, 5:07 PM UTC

ddevault wrote: post #129

geofft wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not a Google or YouTube employee, but, practically, what would change? In the most likely case, a bunch of Googlers who believe it's important to be apolitical at work would take over the product and implement much stronger censorship to get promo. In the unlikely event all of them (and every applicant drooling for a FAANG job) had a change of heart too, Tencent would gladly step into the vacuum.

Google employees have proven themselves capable of collective action: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/01/technology/google-walkout... Do it again.

I'm not sure how that addresses the points I raised - what was the outcome of that walkout? (Besides some retaliation against organizers.)