A clip from Stray got me banned from Twitter • Hacker News Board

Re: A clip from Stray got me banned from Twitter

#141

Post by leephillips » Sat, Jul 23, 2022, 2:02 PM UTC

ricardobeat wrote: post #125

leephillips wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“These things have replaced existing connections” I hear this now and then and it puzzles me. All my personal online and business communication is through email, with some friends and groups on WhatsApp and Telegram. People sometimes talk to me on Twitter but, if I want to talk to them, I steer them to email. I seems really risky, as we see in so many incidents reported here, to actually rely on platforms like Twitte…

Almost nobody in my circles uses email for personal conversations anymore. People don’t share their email when you meet at a conference. You don’t join the X tech discussion group over email (anymore). This also implies only talking to people you already know, no opportunities to join or start communities. And that’s still besides the point: just imagine that your email account is cancelled tomorrow because they don’…

I don’t doubt what you’re saying about your circles. I live in a different universe. If someone only communicates through Twitter, etc., that’s a useful filter for me. I don’t have a Facebook account.

“only talking to people you already know”

Far from it. For example, the contact information for an author on a scientific paper often includes an email address.

Re: A clip from Stray got me banned from Twitter

#142

Post by carbadtraingood » Sat, Jul 23, 2022, 2:02 PM UTC

weird-eye-issue wrote: post #115

c-shubh wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From https://eu.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/a-good-tip-for-peopl... The following countries have been blocked from accessing any of the websites owned and operated by ZAM Network, LLC DBA Fanbyte (the owner of Wowhead. com): China Indonesia Philippines Thailand Turkey Serbia India This decision is ultimately due to legal compliance and liability issues with respect to these countries and their laws/regulations. This…

I'm surprised to hear there's that much regulation in Thailand (if it's true). I do know a couple porn sites are blocked here though I own a site that's monetized primarily off display ads and I can tell you that advertising revenue in those countries is abysmally low so they probably just don't want to expend any effort to support those countries

Thailand has laws about how one can talk about the king, right? Maybe there's no safe harbor provisions for websites, and a site this size is too small to fight, but big enough to attract attention?

Re: A clip from Stray got me banned from Twitter

#143

Post by safety1st » Sat, Jul 23, 2022, 2:03 PM UTC

OrangeMonkey wrote: post #12

This is how big tech does damage to humans. Love it or hate it, the online world is our current public square. A public square, in the united states, has typically been an area where people can shout out their concerns or whatever they want to anyone who can listen and the government cannot stop it. Currently, our public squares are owned by private megacorporations that not only ban people for reasons many people ag…

Here's a fun story. I see that this post is from fanbyte.com.

Existing got me banned from fanbyte.com and all of the websites they own.

Specifically, existing in a particular country. Not an exotic or unusual one on an embargo list or something -- just some country that Fanbyte felt they weren't earning enough profit from.

They banned the entire populations of about ten countries from their entire network of websites earlier this year, for that reason.

If this guy who got banned from Twitter works for Fanbyte, I have no sympathy. I'll never know the details of the story though, because Fanbyte is out there banning entire nations.

Re: A clip from Stray got me banned from Twitter

#144

Post by feurio » Sat, Jul 23, 2022, 2:03 PM UTC

ricardobeat wrote: post #62

Forgeties79 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am so tired of the public square analogy. You don’t need Twitter. You don’t need Facebook. You don’t need Reddit. And what’s more, you can still read them if you’re banned. If you think it’s ok for a restaurant to turn you away because of a dress code, then this is a non-issue. The are several major platforms you can use as a megaphone, just like you have plenty of restaurants to choose from for your meal. If you a…

That’s a very naive argument. If your friends and family are on Facebook, your work contacts across the country are on Twitter, the only forums left alive on the web are on Reddit, how can you not need them? These things have replaced existing connections you used to have via other channels. You can not step away without severing them now, it is no longer a matter of personal choice.

If you get banned, just create another account and then don't do the thing that got you banned.

It's really not that difficult.

Re: A clip from Stray got me banned from Twitter

#145

Post by lovelearning » Sat, Jul 23, 2022, 2:04 PM UTC

I'm amused that this article ranting about bans is published on a site that itself bans people merely based on their location:

> We've discontinued servicing users from your location and are thereby preventing access to any of the websites owned and operated by ZAM Network, LLC DBA Fanbyte (the owner of Fanbyte.com)

Re: A clip from Stray got me banned from Twitter

#146

Post by carbadtraingood » Sat, Jul 23, 2022, 2:04 PM UTC

AnonymousPlanet wrote: post #103

weird-eye-issue wrote: post #26

I'm in Thailand and just get this message: We've discontinued servicing users from your location and are thereby preventing access to any of the websites owned and operated by ZAM Network, LLC DBA Fanbyte (the owner of Fanbyte.com): This decision is ultimately one we were forced to make due to the number of visitors from your region when compared to the operational costs necessary to continue providing access there.…

So they host articles that complain about being banned on Twitter, but are ok with banning entire countries?

The article isn't about being banned on Twitter. It's about automated moderation (a side effect of which is, yes, a Twitter ban.)

Re: A clip from Stray got me banned from Twitter

#147

Post by jonnycomputer » Sat, Jul 23, 2022, 2:05 PM UTC

booleandilemma wrote: post #37

OrangeMonkey wrote: post #12

This is how big tech does damage to humans. Love it or hate it, the online world is our current public square. A public square, in the united states, has typically been an area where people can shout out their concerns or whatever they want to anyone who can listen and the government cannot stop it. Currently, our public squares are owned by private megacorporations that not only ban people for reasons many people ag…

Eh, I don't buy the public square argument. The online world is a cesspool filled with bots and crazy people. I don't need to voice my opinion on Twitter, nor is Twitter a place I need to be . What matters is how we relate to the people around us, in our communities. Your neighbor isn't a bot, the barista at the coffee shop isn't a russian troll. We need to stop taking the "online world" so seriously and connect with…

Yeah, I don't think the problem is public squares, but force multipliers that certain actors, especially well-funded ones, can employ (meaning mostly state actors, but also corporations and other interest groups) can use to dominate digital public spaces.

Re: A clip from Stray got me banned from Twitter

#148

Post by lapcat » Sat, Jul 23, 2022, 2:05 PM UTC

OrangeMonkey wrote: post #12

This is how big tech does damage to humans. Love it or hate it, the online world is our current public square. A public square, in the united states, has typically been an area where people can shout out their concerns or whatever they want to anyone who can listen and the government cannot stop it. Currently, our public squares are owned by private megacorporations that not only ban people for reasons many people ag…

There are plenty of public places in the US, but the so-called "public square" where strangers gather to debate is a total myth. It does not exist anywhere, and I'm not sure it ever has existed. Certainly not in my lifetime, anywhere I've ever lived.

Friends do gather in public squares to talk or lounge or listen to concerts or whatever. But the kind of thing that happens on Twitter, or on HN for that matter, does not happen IRL. Occasionally there's a crazy preacher who attempts to address a crowd of strangers, but mostly the crazy preachers get ignored or ridiculed. There's no real, serious discussion and debate in the public squares among people who didn't already know each other.

You can go to an open city council meeting to discuss and debate public issues, but those meetings are strictly governed by rules and moderated.

Re: A clip from Stray got me banned from Twitter

#149

Post by OrangeMonkey » Sat, Jul 23, 2022, 2:06 PM UTC

safety1st wrote: post #143

OrangeMonkey wrote: post #12

This is how big tech does damage to humans. Love it or hate it, the online world is our current public square. A public square, in the united states, has typically been an area where people can shout out their concerns or whatever they want to anyone who can listen and the government cannot stop it. Currently, our public squares are owned by private megacorporations that not only ban people for reasons many people ag…

Here's a fun story. I see that this post is from fanbyte.com. Existing got me banned from fanbyte.com and all of the websites they own. Specifically, existing in a particular country. Not an exotic or unusual one on an embargo list or something -- just some country that Fanbyte felt they weren't earning enough profit from. They banned the entire populations of about ten countries from their entire network of websites…

Don't have sympathy for an individual - instead, consider the path this is taking humanity down and consider what happened to you.

A bigtech company made the decision that the voices from your country were not worth being heard so banned you from global discussions. Individuals can also be banned, with no recourse, due to an AI model gone awry.

How do we deal with this and make things better? Legit question - I don't know myself and it eats at me sometimes.

Re: A clip from Stray got me banned from Twitter

#150

Post by carbadtraingood » Sat, Jul 23, 2022, 2:06 PM UTC

mordae wrote: post #119

mikkergp wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you say moderate without AI are you suggesting human moderation? This is not really a good solution to this problem either. Paying people to traumatize themselves by watching video after video or reading tweet after tweet of the worst content society has to offer is dehumanizing.

With good moderation it won't spiral out of control that much.

What? Even with the best moderation, humans will periodically brigade a site with awful content because they think it's funny to do so.