Spotify deletes 70 Joe Rogan episodes • Hacker News Board

Re: Spotify deletes 70 Joe Rogan episodes

#491

Post by codeivore » Sat, Feb 05, 2022, 1:10 PM UTC

hnarn wrote: post #466

I don't really understand why anyone who claims to be a proponent of a free market economy has an issue with a private corporation deciding what type of content they want to broadcast. JR sold his catalog of intellectual property (podcast episodes) of his own free will and was paid very well for it: about $100M from what I can gather. What Spotify chooses to do with it is completely up to them, even if they bought it…

imagine if someone could tell you what you can't not publish on your own website

this is the new "freedom of speech" sentiment

Re: Spotify deletes 70 Joe Rogan episodes

#492

Post by Dumblydorr » Sat, Feb 05, 2022, 1:11 PM UTC

bachmeier wrote: post #238

Predictably, people break out the C-word. Every business decides what they sell and what they don't. Do they also complain about censorship and shout at the manager of a shoe store for not selling books? Spotify decided they don't want to sell those episodes of JR. That's not censorship, it's business, and it's very different than if it's done by the government.

Looked up the definition of censorship: the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security.

Some definitions have narrowed it's purposes to just "offensive", this one was slightly broader.

Given this meaning, Spotify's action is on the line of security and safety. JRE is taking heat for misinformation about covid, specifically about vaccines and alternative treatments, as well as his history of having platformed Alex Jones.

I'd say preventing snake oil salesmen from selling their products in your market due to safety concerns is a valid employment of censorship. People could actually die due to believing some of these extreme guests. Obviously, legally there is zero problem here since a private company can do as it wishes, freedom of speech doesn't give the freedom to dictate to companies what they must sell.

Re: Spotify deletes 70 Joe Rogan episodes

#493

Post by dave_sullivan » Sat, Feb 05, 2022, 1:11 PM UTC

emsy wrote: post #472

digitcatphd wrote: post #470

I fail to see how anyone can seriously listen to Joe Rogan. He has a circus of quacks and conspiracy theorists on the show and when he does occasionally have a legitimate scientist he can barely muster any response beyond “wow that blows my mind”

Yes, there are occasional episodes with quacks. But using those to dismiss the whole show is blatantly ignorant.

"Occasional" is generous I think.

This is the best explanation I've heard of the show's appeal: Back when I was a kid you didn’t need Joe Rogan. Your best friend had a 27 year-old brother who was a fucking loser who would smoke pot in a room with blacklight posters and tell you that the Mayans invented cell phones.

Re: Spotify deletes 70 Joe Rogan episodes

#494

Post by codeivore » Sat, Feb 05, 2022, 1:12 PM UTC

graderjs wrote: post #106

I'm not sure this website is accurate as Rogan so far has not said anything on Twitter or Instagram about this. Yet if true, this is such BS. It's hard not to see Rogan, with his massive and mostly bipartisan audience, yet still polarizing and controversial discussions, as a litmus test for how well the West really embraces dissent. We're supposed to have invented dissent, right? And Joe Rogan, he's our little free s…

It's possible Rogan hasn't said anything yet because he's going to try and sue.

Re: Spotify deletes 70 Joe Rogan episodes

#495

Post by swalls » Sat, Feb 05, 2022, 1:12 PM UTC

bhaak wrote: post #439

> CEO Daniel Ek has defended the inclusion of Rogan on the company's roster and told a company town hall that the podcast was vital to Spotify's success. > "If we want even a shot at achieving our bold ambitions, it will mean having content on Spotify that many of us may not be proud to be associated with," Ek said during the town hall. "Not anything goes, but there will be opinions, ideas and beliefs that we disagre…

There's a big difference between 'having this content on your platform,' and 'paying $100m for exclusive rights.'

Re: Spotify deletes 70 Joe Rogan episodes

#496

Post by thrown_22 » Sat, Feb 05, 2022, 1:13 PM UTC

CodeGlitch wrote: post #442

concinds wrote: post #324

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The open web is dead. It's likely Rogan would have been banned from YouTube and Apple Podcasts had he not moved to Spotify. He could have moved to tiny platforms like Odysee or Rokfin that would likely have poor retention rates, or just relied on people adding his URL manually to Apple Podcasts, but come on. Nobody would do that. The "death of the open web" problem isn't creators somehow consistently choosing to empo…

> It's likely Rogan would have been banned from YouTube and Apple Podcasts had he not moved to Spotify. I'm not so sure. Just put the non controversial episodes on YouTube, then link and advertise the "problematic" episodes that are only available on your own platform. This is what the Lotus Eaters do: https://www.lotuseaters.com

No post body was provided.

Re: Spotify deletes 70 Joe Rogan episodes

#497

Post by polote » Sat, Feb 05, 2022, 1:13 PM UTC

concinds wrote: post #324

afavour wrote: post #188

I’m struggling to have sympathy with anyone involved in this. Podcasting has always felt like a resurgence of the “original web” spirit to me: anyone can upload, anywhere. All you need is an RSS feed and anyone can subscribe. Then Spotify came busting in and decided that the open podcasting platform is obsolete and paid Joe Rogan $100 million for exclusive distribution of his content. So they’ve dug their own grave h…

The open web is dead. It's likely Rogan would have been banned from YouTube and Apple Podcasts had he not moved to Spotify. He could have moved to tiny platforms like Odysee or Rokfin that would likely have poor retention rates, or just relied on people adding his URL manually to Apple Podcasts, but come on. Nobody would do that. The "death of the open web" problem isn't creators somehow consistently choosing to empo…

> What's left is his website (if you remember the URL)

It's only a matter of time before Google Chrome bans viewing url that Google considers harmful, as they already do with phishing URL

Re: Spotify deletes 70 Joe Rogan episodes

#498

Post by codeivore » Sat, Feb 05, 2022, 1:14 PM UTC

thebigjewbowski wrote: post #269

I love Joe. I use Spotify exclusively to listen to his podcast. I listen to every episode… I wish there was a way to tell them if it wasn’t for his show I’d never use their app but I suspect they already know that. Unfortunately I think attacks on his having been prescribed ivermectin and his guests like the highly published cardiologist and the guy that contracts with the defense department and has patents related t…

maybe civil war II will be fought with information and not guns

Re: Spotify deletes 70 Joe Rogan episodes

#499

Post by darkhorse13 » Sat, Feb 05, 2022, 1:14 PM UTC

digitcatphd wrote: post #470

I fail to see how anyone can seriously listen to Joe Rogan. He has a circus of quacks and conspiracy theorists on the show and when he does occasionally have a legitimate scientist he can barely muster any response beyond “wow that blows my mind”

Exactly why I listen to him. What makes you think we all want to only listen to mainstream opinions filtered by media "experts" and journalists? Also I'm absolutely fascinated by some of the fringe people and their ideas, particularly Graham Hancock, Randall Carlson, Robert Schoch, i.e. the ancient civilization stuff. Literally nobody else in the media discusses these things with so much earnestness as Joe Rogan.

Re: Spotify deletes 70 Joe Rogan episodes

#500

Post by mrweasel » Sat, Feb 05, 2022, 1:17 PM UTC

TrispusAttucks wrote: post #297

afavour wrote: post #188

I’m struggling to have sympathy with anyone involved in this. Podcasting has always felt like a resurgence of the “original web” spirit to me: anyone can upload, anywhere. All you need is an RSS feed and anyone can subscribe. Then Spotify came busting in and decided that the open podcasting platform is obsolete and paid Joe Rogan $100 million for exclusive distribution of his content. So they’ve dug their own grave h…

Spotify competing with YouTube isn't the root problem. The people calling for censorship are the problem. This is the latest attack in an ongoing war on free speech. We are losing our freedoms. Today it's Joe Rogan's speech tomorrow it's yours.

Yes and no. You’re right that to many want to censor everyone they disagree with.

In this case, sure Rogan is just an idiot, but he’s honestly allowed to be. Spotifys competition, with Google and other only caused problems because Spotify was dumb enough to pay Joe Rogan $100 million for an exclusive podcast. By doing so they went from just being a platform to having an editiorial responsibility.

Had Spotify not paid Joe Rogan, they could have defended their position as “just a platform provider” who shouldn’t interfer with content.