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Twitter/X will let people you've blocked see your posts

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Re: Twitter/X will let people you've blocked see your posts

#41

Post by JohnMakin »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #28
JohnMakin wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Again, then why the need for this feature if it is so easy to get around a block? A harasser can do many things, but removing a barrier for the person being harassed to mitigate it because… reasons feels very odd to me. Can you explain what this new feature provides legitimate users that doesn’t already exist?

> Can you explain what this new feature provides legitimate users that doesn’t already exist? In America we have case law that prohibits public officials from blocking their constituents from their official accounts [1]. Not every country does. Also, that ruling doesn't cover material edge cases. Should a public figure be able to block journalists they don't like? Oil companies anyone with an environmental leaning to…

> In America we have case law that prohibits public officials from blocking their constituents from their official accounts [1].

Can’t they just make a new account to see the posts? Are you stating that you think this is the reason this is being implemented? As for the rest of your post, your whole argument is undermined by the arguments you’ve already made in this thread.

Re: Twitter/X will let people you've blocked see your posts

#42

Post by JumpCrisscross »

JohnMakin wrote: post #41
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Can you explain what this new feature provides legitimate users that doesn’t already exist? In America we have case law that prohibits public officials from blocking their constituents from their official accounts [1]. Not every country does. Also, that ruling doesn't cover material edge cases. Should a public figure be able to block journalists they don't like? Oil companies anyone with an environmental leaning to…

> In America we have case law that prohibits public officials from blocking their constituents from their official accounts [1]. Can’t they just make a new account to see the posts? Are you stating that you think this is the reason this is being implemented? As for the rest of your post, your whole argument is undermined by the arguments you’ve already made in this thread.

> Can’t they just make a new account to see the posts?

Sure. But they may not know they've been blocked.

> you think this is the reason this is being implented?

No. I think it's being done to increase engagement. Engagement scales with outrage, and a pretty simple way to boost outrage would be by showing people stuff they've been blocked from.

> your whole argument is undermined by the arguments you’ve already made in this argument

Not really. Blocking users from seeing your public content degrades weak relationships. My interest in what my state Senator is doing is a weak relationship; I don't think I'd be able to tell if they stopped e-mailing me for at least a full election cycle. Harassment, on the other hand, is a strong relationship. That provides circumvention motivation.

My argument is that there appear to be marginal benefits to this policy. If the cost is making unmotivated harassers' jobs a little easier, inasmuch as it pertains to them viewing (not responding to) public content, that seems to be worth it.

Re: Twitter/X will let people you've blocked see your posts

#44

Post by Jordrok »

amenhotep wrote: post #36
CincinnatiMan wrote: post #30

I'm not on Twitter but in its current form, wouldn't a blocked user be able to see the blocker's posts just by using an incognito window or logging in as a different account?

Yes. It's always been a stupid, petulant implementation, and its widespread acceptance is confusing.

The point of blocking is to prevent harassment, no? Hiding the blocker's posts from the blockee puts up an additional barrier to interaction. Even if it can be circumvented, it still requires some effort and may dissuade the person from continuing the harassment. There is a reason why this is the standard implementation for almost every social media site, and petulance has nothing to do with it.
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