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Twitter has barred hundreds of accounts for posing as liberal activists

nytimes.com

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Re: Twitter has barred hundreds of accounts for posing as liberal activists

#161

Post by beauzero »

rtkwe wrote: post #130
raxxorrax wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While your answer is reducible to "yes" in this case, I think the NPC meme is just the inverted Russian bot meme. If one qualifies as misleading information, the other should be scrutinized as well. Although the NPC case is probably about some random people on twitter that like to make fun of some targets, the story about Russians seems to have more involved actors.

It's not the satire/joke that's getting banned, we know this because there's still NPC account doing the same joke so it's not just the joke that brought down the hammer. What got those 1500 banned were tweets like "Get out and vote November 7th!" 1 day after the actual date of Nov 6th and the boosting and retweeting among all the accounts.

Thanks. This is logical.

Re: Twitter has barred hundreds of accounts for posing as liberal activists

#162

Post by rtkwe »

yAnonymous wrote: post #84
rtkwe wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not the jokes and mocking they got the boot for it's spreading intentionally misleading election information like when and how to vote.

If you are misled about when the vote is by a tweet from an account with a wojak avatar, it's probably for the better of mankind if you don't vote... or procreate.

Eugenics is bunk and low information voters are still entitled to their representation and votes.

Re: Twitter has barred hundreds of accounts for posing as liberal activists

#163

Post by wowzap »

heavenlyhash wrote: post #96
ericdykstra wrote: post #60

One thing I really like about Twitter is that you can choose to follow who you want. If you don't want to see memes making fun of you, just don't follow accounts that post/retweet these memes. It's sad that Twitter is banning satire accounts. I'm against all censorship of lawful speech, and condemn Twitter and any social media platform that participates in this kind of censorship.

For the 1,000,000th time: you can't shout "fire" in a crowded theater and call it "satire" either.

This is the kind of post the NPC meme is parodying. Instead of parroting mindless talking points, why don't you learn about the history of the quote "shouting fire in a movie theater"? Learn about Schenck decision and how "shouting fire in a movie theater" was used to justify a criminal offense against individuals distributing anti-draft flyers to military-aged men. YES. Common anti-draft speech practiced wherever today was once as dangerous as what you're implying. This decision's first amendment implication was finally overturned in Brandenburg v. Ohio in 1969.

Make up your own mind, and form your own opinions. This meme is not dangerous, it's exposing a dangerous pattern. A pattern of people parroting simplistic ideas with no knowledge of the context involved. A pattern which effects most sides of the political aisle. Don't be an NPC, learn and grow, become a player.

Re: Twitter has barred hundreds of accounts for posing as liberal activists

#164

Post by rc_bhg »

OldJackHinson wrote: post #158
josteink wrote: post #36

How about they proceed to ban bots instead? That would IMO make twitter much more useful, but of course it would kill 95% of their “user base” and traffic.

Well, part of the basis of this "campaign" is that the people they are satirizing are indistinguishable from "bots"...

4chan is too stupid to tell the difference between a bot and a liberal

Re: Twitter has barred hundreds of accounts for posing as liberal activists

#165

Post by wpietri »

influx wrote: post #71
wpietri wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess? It's so self-invalidating that I'm having trouble seeing the point. Do they understand that they're engaging in the exact behavior they're criticizing? If they do and see it as clever irony, it hasn't come across in the bits I've seen. If they don't then it seems a vigorous self-own.

I see your point, but what’s weird is Twitter is banning these accounts and the press is freaking out about it. Why not let these npc memers continue to self own? Why interrupt your enemy while he’s making a mistake?

From Twitter's perspective, meme-makers aren't the enemy. Drama is good for their revenue numbers. Bulk fake accounts are a problem in general, so I'm sure they noticed the spike. But I'd guess the false election information is the honest motivation for the mass ban. People have basically given them and Facebook a mulligan on the 2016 election. But they definitely don't want to be blamed twice an a row for ruining democracy; not only does it make them look careless, but it significantly raises the risks of intemperate regulatory action.

Re: Twitter has barred hundreds of accounts for posing as liberal activists

#166

Post by wpietri »

WillPostForFood wrote: post #133
wpietri wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess? It's so self-invalidating that I'm having trouble seeing the point. Do they understand that they're engaging in the exact behavior they're criticizing? If they do and see it as clever irony, it hasn't come across in the bits I've seen. If they don't then it seems a vigorous self-own.

Satire definitionally takes on elements of what is is criticizing. So your question is good, do they understand they're engaging in the same behavior they are criticizing. I think the answer is obviously they do. Just like when SNL does an obnoxious loud rendition of Donald Trump, they know they are being loud and obnoxious. I don't think most people would say SNL self-owns because they are being loud and obnoxious j…

Yes and no. If one person posted a bunch of this stuff in one spot, that would be satire, and the ironic contrast between text and intent would be heightened. But having a lot of people do it diminishes the contrast. Here the mass behavior weakens any satire.

SNL can pull off a loud and obnoxious Trump character, because they show they can work in many other registers. But SNL itself doesn't become indiscriminately loud and obnoxious throughout a whole episode in hopes that people will make some meta-level connection between general obnoxiousness and Trump. And for good reason; a tiresome character in contrast to non-tiresome characters can be good drama. A tiresome show is for most poeple just a tiresome show. There's a reason badfilm like The Room is very much a niche taste.

Re: Twitter has barred hundreds of accounts for posing as liberal activists

#167

Post by rhema »

sp332 wrote: post #22
rhema wrote: post #14

A long time ago, I was told "don't feed the trolls". It's hard to see how this publicity (e.g. the NYT) is not feeding the trolls. There is no doubt that this campaign, whatever motivations, was successful. At the same time, social media platforms are more at the ready to ban pranksters, bots, etc. That might be the only approach that works when the majority of society participates. (1) don't feed the troll, but it g…

That approach only works for people who are "acting out" and trying to get attention online. The meaning of "troll" has changed. It doesn't work for people who are conducting harassment campaigns or spreading misinformation. It kinda doesn't work for anyone you're interacting with on a personal, non-anonymous basis anyway. If someone is behaving badly in a company or even in a casual group, you don't just ignore them…

"If someone is behaving badly in a company or even in a casual group, you don't just ignore them."

I think I agree, but it goes against the grain of what people previously thought you should do on the internet.

>harassment campaigns or spreading misinformation

I am genuinely curious about the flora of the NPC movement. I mean, this territory between meme and organized campaign is really interesting and it's sad it comes at the cost of society.

Re: Twitter has barred hundreds of accounts for posing as liberal activists

#168

Post by imustbeevil »

michaelflux wrote: post #115
pcbro141 wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my view, there's a difference between letting people say stupid things, and letting people deliberately say misleading things that are clearly for the purpose of influencing an election (spreading the wrong election date.) I don't see anything wrong with Twitter not tolerating people spreading the wrong election date because 'free speech, don't be so offended'.

> people deliberately say misleading things for purpose of influencing an election Well there goes every political campaign ever. All jokes aside, these days it doesn't matter if it's the media, the campaigns themselves, the supporters - it's not about the facts, it's not about anything real, it's just about spreading misleading shit faster than it can be fact checked. It's an issue on the right, it's an issue on the…

The point is that it is an issue. Yeah, for the last 200 years dozens of scumbags have lied to millions of American citizens, and I'd rather it never happen again.

Re: Twitter has barred hundreds of accounts for posing as liberal activists

#169

Post by michaelflux »

imustbeevil wrote: post #168
michaelflux wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> people deliberately say misleading things for purpose of influencing an election Well there goes every political campaign ever. All jokes aside, these days it doesn't matter if it's the media, the campaigns themselves, the supporters - it's not about the facts, it's not about anything real, it's just about spreading misleading shit faster than it can be fact checked. It's an issue on the right, it's an issue on the…

The point is that it is an issue. Yeah, for the last 200 years dozens of scumbags have lied to millions of American citizens, and I'd rather it never happen again.

No-one is advocating for people to be full of shit. All that is being said is that mass censorship of "offensive" words/ideas is the stupidest, most counter-productive way to do it.

Re: Twitter has barred hundreds of accounts for posing as liberal activists

#170

Post by smsm42 »

heavenlyhash wrote: post #96
ericdykstra wrote: post #60

One thing I really like about Twitter is that you can choose to follow who you want. If you don't want to see memes making fun of you, just don't follow accounts that post/retweet these memes. It's sad that Twitter is banning satire accounts. I'm against all censorship of lawful speech, and condemn Twitter and any social media platform that participates in this kind of censorship.

For the 1,000,000th time: you can't shout "fire" in a crowded theater and call it "satire" either.

Except there's no crowded theater and no fire. It's time to put that rusty excuse to rest - the fact that some speech can cause bad consequences in extremely specific narrow case does not mean that now you can justify any speech restriction by "but fire in theater! Checkmate, free speech!"
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