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Elon Musk makes $43B unsolicited bid to take Twitter private

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Re: Elon Musk makes $43B unsolicited bid to take Twitter private

#281

From observing various internet forums, including this one, I noticed that people from the "first world" countries don't know the value of free speech and often take it for granted. Sometimes even coming to such views as "free speech is dangerous" and that "we should limit free speech" (by blocking the views I don't like). Understand this: limits on free speech are far more dangerous to society than allowing fringe e…

Is flagging/moderation on HN also included in your free speech world view?

Do you believe you should be able to walk into any television station and step in front of a camera?

Free speech is not free soapbox.

Re: Elon Musk makes $43B unsolicited bid to take Twitter private

#282
post #2

I don't have an opinion over the consequences for politics over this, I'm just excited over the potential shakedown of the social media landscape that I grew to despise. Musk is an activist, can make it or break it. He is absolutely right over its enormous potential, all the problems it has - as a business or ones it creates for the society - can be solved. Free speech absolutism is possible and is beneficial once yo…

Advertisers don't tend to like free speech absolutism.

Re: Elon Musk makes $43B unsolicited bid to take Twitter private

#284

Can anybody make a good argument as to why Twitter (in its current form) isn’t a major detriment to society? If Twitter poofed out of existence today, it would be a major win for this planet. People talk about a frightening future with a human hostile AI that wants to destroy humanity. That exists, it’s twitter. Elon buying it, even if he runs it into the ground is a good thing. Getting rid of some of the hostile AI…

Twitter is where you can see journalists craft narratives and talking points about news stories in real time. It’s been incredibly revealing imo.

Re: Elon Musk makes $43B unsolicited bid to take Twitter private

#287
post #126

As somebody from the first world who has had the experience of moderating Internet forums… free speech in the sense of “the government generally shouldn’t control people’s speech, with limited exceptions” is good and necessary. Free speech in the sense of “everybody should be forced to platform every idea” is silly IMO. Left alone user content rapidly devolves into the most low-effort salient content - flame wars, po…

what brought people here was not the moderation, but the (perceived) access to SV people and capital

Re: Elon Musk makes $43B unsolicited bid to take Twitter private

#288

It’s an all cash offer. Do folks here who manage such things educate us how could Musk muster such cash? Genuinely curious.

Debt financing. It’s easy when you have an enormous net worth as collateral and close relationships with leaders of big banks/investment firms.

You can get an idea from Michael Dell’s takeover of his eponymous company.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/connieguglielmo/2013/10/30/you-...

Re: Elon Musk makes $43B unsolicited bid to take Twitter private

#289
post #2

I don't have an opinion over the consequences for politics over this, I'm just excited over the potential shakedown of the social media landscape that I grew to despise. Musk is an activist, can make it or break it. He is absolutely right over its enormous potential, all the problems it has - as a business or ones it creates for the society - can be solved. Free speech absolutism is possible and is beneficial once yo…

Free speech absolutism means spam, child porn, revenge porn, death threats, sexual harassment and defamation are all allowed. You’re cool with all that?

Re: Elon Musk makes $43B unsolicited bid to take Twitter private

#290
Elon being in headlines is good for him and his companies. Making noise related to Twitter gets Elon in headlines.

It's the good old trick of 'there is no such thing as bad publicity' that Trump used so effectively too.

I feel like this is a huge publicity stunt and he would probably not follow through with it even if Twitter shareholders wanted it.

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