Permanent suspension of @realDonaldTrump • Hacker News Board

Re: Permanent suspension of @realDonaldTrump

#941

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Jan 09, 2021, 9:30 AM UTC

mrchess wrote: post #177

Rebelgecko wrote: post #54

Is it just my perception, or is their actual justification using the 2 quoted tweets kinda weak? Interpreting his boycott of an event as a call to violence seems like a huge stretch. It seems like they wanted to shoehorn a justification using his 2 latest tweets when the actual reason goes back further.

When I saw the cryptic 1 sentence tweet that he wasn't going to be there, the first thing that came to mind was that he was telling his supporters indirectly that they could do whatever they wanted since he wouldn't be in harms way. So perhaps it is a huge stretch to some, but we need to remember it is also not a stretch at all to many, especially given the recent events. Therein lies the danger.

[deleted]

Re: Permanent suspension of @realDonaldTrump

#942

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Jan 09, 2021, 9:38 AM UTC

busterarm wrote: post #718

paganel wrote: post #224

It's a purge, had just read 5 minutes ago that they had suspended Michael Flynn's account, now I'm seeing that FB has decided to ban a community of over half a million people [1] supposedly because their political opinions are not in the best interest of FB the company right at this moment. Of course, I had to get all that info from thedonald.win because almost no-one else is talking about this. Coincidentally, I als…

> have grown up as a kid in Ceausescu's one-party state Romania and I have to tell you that this doesn't look good. As an American, I can tell you that unfortunately nobody on either side will be willing to heed your warning here. In our polarized climate, everyone seems to think that they can do autocracy better. I've grown up around a lot immigrants from Romania and other former-dictatorships and they're all shouti…

[deleted]

Re: Permanent suspension of @realDonaldTrump

#943

Post by CamperBob2 » Sat, Jan 09, 2021, 9:48 AM UTC

ve55 wrote: post #44

This ban seems to heavily take advantage of the current moment, as it's obvious that he has tweeted worse things in the past. It's strange that they picked such a poor way to justify the ban when they could have made a significantly stronger case, and in doing so could have convinced millions more people that they are trying their best to apply policies evenly. For example, I have a hard time imagining why they chose…

Another possibility: Twitter and Facebook have become aware of skulduggery in progress that we don't know anything about yet, such as a plot centered on the inauguration ceremony on the 20th, and don't want anything to do with its participants.

Facebook in particular will obviously be the first to know about any such plot, long before any intelligence or law-enforcement agency. Twitter wouldn't be far behind.

Re: Permanent suspension of @realDonaldTrump

#944

Post by jfax » Sat, Jan 09, 2021, 9:49 AM UTC

sdwa wrote: post #478

rootsudo wrote: post #84

Comparing today's media, to the media of old - where they colluded to hide FDR couldn't walk because of the shame/and attacks it'd lead to now, where Tech companies overtook print media and now themselves control the pitchforks and direct anger at the masses. 1984 Two minutes of hate is real, so very real, and it's quite sad how most people welcomed this into the world. I've deleted my social media, twitters years be…

>I hold no opinion on Trump Utterly baffling and genuinely inconceivable. My imagination is running wild trying to imagine what sort of person you might be, assuming you are being honest here.

There are people who live in countries outside the US, you know.

Re: Permanent suspension of @realDonaldTrump

#945

Post by CamperBob2 » Sat, Jan 09, 2021, 9:50 AM UTC

skindoe wrote: post #226

handmodel wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the logic isn't that hard. Person says bad things to whip up a mob - Twitter unsure to take him seriously or literally. Mob actually materializes and several people die - Twitter sure they now have to take him literally

He literally told people to stay peaceful...

Yeah, and so did Charles Manson, who also never laid a hand on anyone.

Re: Permanent suspension of @realDonaldTrump

#946

Post by beefield » Sat, Jan 09, 2021, 9:51 AM UTC

allendoerfer wrote: post #167

Does anybody have a solution to the bigger underlying question of de-platforming and censorship on online platforms? As far as I can tell, there are two general viewpoints: a) Censorship is bad, free speech is good. You should counter bad arguments with better arguments. b) There are types of speech, which are proven to lead to violence in the long-run. Also, some things can be proven as untrue. Lies are bad. I have…

A is demonstrably and blatantly dangerous approach for society. Thus we must consider option B, and due to all risks associated with that, we must be damn sure that the institutions responsible for managing the discussion are and will stay accountable and transparent towards the public. Are we there? Hell no.

Re: Permanent suspension of @realDonaldTrump

#947

Post by peter_retief » Sat, Jan 09, 2021, 9:53 AM UTC

I was just thinking how refreshing that HN was free of US politics, until I saw this. Oh well.

Re: Permanent suspension of @realDonaldTrump

#948

Post by x3iv130f » Sat, Jan 09, 2021, 9:53 AM UTC

sobellian wrote: post #721

It used to be fairly uncontroversial that internet forums could be heavily moderated. Many of the more valuable forums I frequented in my youth were often moderated to stay on topic and cut down on spam. I cannot imagine paying much attention 20 years ago if a random forum decided even to go further than Twitter has and simply ban all Republicans or all Democrats. Indeed there are many subreddits that go this far wit…

I agree completely.

Expecting privately held companies to serve as free speech platforms is unrealistic.

The 1st Ammendment is something the Government is held to, not private companies.

We don't expect book publishers or book stores to sell every type of book there is.

In the same way we shouldn't expect social media websites to allow every type of content on their platforms.

Re: Permanent suspension of @realDonaldTrump

#949

Post by guilhas » Sat, Jan 09, 2021, 9:58 AM UTC

bdibs wrote: post #52

tempsy wrote: post #28

Me thinks this will have huge implications for big tech. A Pandora’s box was just opened.

That private businesses can keep people off of their properties?

So we need the gov to create a public twitter? It is not very hard or expensive, and twitter will loose market

Re: Permanent suspension of @realDonaldTrump

#950

Post by bromuro » Sat, Jan 09, 2021, 10:04 AM UTC

sobellian wrote: post #721

It used to be fairly uncontroversial that internet forums could be heavily moderated. Many of the more valuable forums I frequented in my youth were often moderated to stay on topic and cut down on spam. I cannot imagine paying much attention 20 years ago if a random forum decided even to go further than Twitter has and simply ban all Republicans or all Democrats. Indeed there are many subreddits that go this far wit…

I also think the twitter ban won’t mute them: they can always move to a website - yet websites can be banned and censored too.