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Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

blog.joinmastodon.org

211–220 of 551 posts

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#211
post #121

In terms of "antithetical values", the machine learning project ml5js.org actually did something about this. They bound their open-source license to a Code of Conduct¹, which forbids the use of their ML software for (1) discriminating against marginalized communities, (2) building tools that disingenuously manipulate public opinion, (3) building tools of mass surveillance and prediction to repress the rights of peopl…

To be honest, deciding if you are not breaking ml5.js Code of Conduct feels like a material for full-time research on its own.

How to define who is marginalized by whom? And by what actor? Creators of the code, users, customers? What if both groups think they are marginalized by the opposing one? Who can use the code then?

Forbidding manipulation of public opinion is also too lax of a term to use that way. Look for example into such polarizing topics like pro-life/pro-choice debate worldwide. Each side can accuse the other of manipulating the public while still believing they are in the right.

Controlling weapons is probably the point that could be easily defended in terms of being rather concrete, but I think it could be placed as some kind of custom license (IANAL).

Putting things that should be confined to decisions made by some kind of regulatory body like a country’s judicial system in a text file is rather a pointless signaling in my opinion, although it can be easily understood why somebody would want to include something like that.

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#212

Kinda off and I have no horses in the race but how come Mastodon has so many gambling sites and casinos as sponsors? Never knew that, feels a bit odd. Also personally not a big fan of this... https://joinmastodon.org/sponsors

Lol. Another sponsor is Mark Mitchell from https://www.bestblowjobmachines.com/

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#213
post #121

In terms of "antithetical values", the machine learning project ml5js.org actually did something about this. They bound their open-source license to a Code of Conduct¹, which forbids the use of their ML software for (1) discriminating against marginalized communities, (2) building tools that disingenuously manipulate public opinion, (3) building tools of mass surveillance and prediction to repress the rights of peopl…

> discriminating against marginalized communities Only marginalised communities?

The way things are going, they’re probably defining discrimination as any negative outcome for a member of a marginalised community (where ‘marginalised’ is also defined on their terms.)

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#214

"but the reality of working on free software is that you give up the possibility of choosing who can and cannot use it from the get-go" I always wonder why wokeism hasn't reached software licenses yet? Just imagine the anger when it would come to a FOSS dev team's attention that is using their product, successfully even... "of course we would prefer if people so antithetical to our values did not use" I mean just the…

> I always wonder why wokeism hasn't reached software licenses yet?

The license you’re waiting for was JSLint. It was brilliant and the effect it had on users was a hilarious thing to behold:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5138866

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4762035

Nothing involving Trump’s projects will provoke the same sort of hilarity. A desire to avoid litigation on the part of the user, combined with at least a minimal, superficial concern over good and evil, are necessary for the gag to work.

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#215

Kinda off and I have no horses in the race but how come Mastodon has so many gambling sites and casinos as sponsors? Never knew that, feels a bit odd. Also personally not a big fan of this... https://joinmastodon.org/sponsors

Probably the same reason the WNBA sponsors are all hard liquor. You take what you can get.

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#216
post #134
post #121

In terms of "antithetical values", the machine learning project ml5js.org actually did something about this. They bound their open-source license to a Code of Conduct¹, which forbids the use of their ML software for (1) discriminating against marginalized communities, (2) building tools that disingenuously manipulate public opinion, (3) building tools of mass surveillance and prediction to repress the rights of peopl…

If all software was licensed that way, 5-15 years would pass then suddenly there'd be a whole bunch of "Wow, Stallman was right again! We should have been using free software licenses!" style articles. Restricting software use to only people approved by the creators is a terrible idea. Society has to operate with some level of trust that even people we disagree with, using methods we don't approve of, have the potent…

[deleted]

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#217
post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? The creators created the software, they can put any conditions they please on how others might use it. They're under no moral or legal obligation to allow people to use the fruits of their labors, except as they permit.

The creators are themselves fruit of the society. It's short-sighted to grant them the privilege to withhold their fruit.

While I agree wholeheartedly, since the overly-clever invention of copyright that ship has kind of sailed. The vast majority of IP is owner controlled, because a few people hundreds of years ago thought it would be cheaper to just throw things into the court system, rather than deal with taxation, subsidies, and other regulation.

And way back then - when courts where a thing, but a broad tax base was not, and in any case society didn't have the kind of near-instant communication networks available now - that might even have made sense.

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#218
post #191
post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If all software was licensed that way, 5-15 years would pass then suddenly there'd be a whole bunch of "Wow, Stallman was right again! We should have been using free software licenses!" style articles. Restricting software use to only people approved by the creators is a terrible idea. Society has to operate with some level of trust that even people we disagree with, using methods we don't approve of, have the potent…

> Restricting software use to only people approved by the creators is a terrible idea. Everyone is free to use the software. If a project is found to be in violation of the Code of Conduct (e.g. discriminating against marginalized communities, manipulating public opinion, automating weapons) than the community developing the software takes steps to remedy the problem with the reported violator, or the project falls o…

If I interpret all this correctly. What if the project was bought out by the kind of people who run patent-troll companies? Suddenly your retroactive license that can at any point be invalid based on someone's opinion of wrong is a giant liability. I'd struggle to recommend such a risk.

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#219

Kinda off and I have no horses in the race but how come Mastodon has so many gambling sites and casinos as sponsors? Never knew that, feels a bit odd. Also personally not a big fan of this... https://joinmastodon.org/sponsors

I assume they're just being used as ads? The page does say you get a logo and a non-follow link for donating.

Then again, I checked a random company, Fire Stick Tricks, and they donate to a bunch[1] of open-source projects. So maybe they're just companies that have extra money to give back?

1: https://opencollective.com/fire-stick-tricks

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#220
post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Who defines what 'marginalization of people' means The software creators, which seems very reasonable to me. This isn't some arbitrary judge deeming what is marginalizing or not. This is the creators of the software saying "We don't want to build something that complete dickweeds can use for evil." Don't like their definition of "dickweeds" or "evil"? Fine, build your own shit then.

That’s reasonable, but don’t call it open source, because it isn’t.

Not everyone needs to agree with your "One True Scotsman" decree.
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