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Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

blog.joinmastodon.org

521–530 of 551 posts

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#521
post #248

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think calling open fascism something as simple as a "differing political opinion" a bit reductive. Additionally, a former president (and future presidential hopeful) taking advantage of someone in this manor is more newsworthy than a multinational corporation. Though, I agree with what I assume is also your opinion that that Amazon situation matters more.

Is it possible I live in an insulated worldview largely detached from the political, economical, and societal issues faced by non-urban dwelling, non-millennials? No, definitely not. They’re just actual fascists.

Seeing as I don't live in an urban area and am in the most "red" state in the nation, I doubt I'm that removed from what you think I'm removed from.

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#522

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article states it was made available to a small subset of people. I guess distribution is distribution even if it just handing a USB stick to a friend.

Has any person who has access to the site actually requested the source code? If not then there is no license violation right?

I don’t know. I’m not privy to the private communications of the users nor do I have the legal expertise to understand the validity of the terms and conditions of a license.

Regardless I just see this announcement as a pre emptive move by the developers of Mastodon to compel the owners of Truth Social to comply with their license moving forward.

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#523
post #248

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think calling open fascism something as simple as a "differing political opinion" a bit reductive. Additionally, a former president (and future presidential hopeful) taking advantage of someone in this manor is more newsworthy than a multinational corporation. Though, I agree with what I assume is also your opinion that that Amazon situation matters more.

Could you list some of the things that make the right fascist? Its a pretty blanket statement to call everyone that has a different political opinion of you fascist. Here is the definition https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fascism Last administration had several people of color in it. It also had an openly gay member. I did not see them banning anyone off social media or suppressing the opposition. They remo…

> Fascist actions to me are things like admitting the government regularly bans people they don't like from social media.

Didn't really have a way to effectively do that, but tried to get laws changed so social media platforms that people had to opportunity to speak out against him on were shut down. That was a pretty common theme during his term.

> Ignoring supreme court rulings.

https://www.npr.org/2020/07/15/891563635/trump-administratio...

> Demanding the federal government have full control of all elections.

Not federal, but: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/03/us/politics/trump-raffens...

> Trying to shutdown opposition news organizations. Spying on opposition news organizations.

He actively went after every news org except for Fox and orgs further to the right of Fox. And nearing the end of his term, he started going after Fox as well.

There was the whole "throw protestors (and people near protests) in cars and drive them to undisclosed locations" thing that happened in Portland. There was the whole "can we invoke the Insurrection Act" stuff too.

You also miss the race stuff that definition of Fascism you linked to mentions. Stephan Miller's general existence should be enough to convince anyone of that.

Other characteristics of Fascism: punishing political opponents. Remember "Lock Her Up"? What about Democrats stealing the election and how they should be punished? One party system, right?

Then there was that tiny infiltration of the capital that he may or may not have had a large hand in.

He was very good at pushing as far as he thought he could, but no further. I admit, he didn't open fun down people in the streets. You're right, not a fascist.

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#524

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I read it as being personal at first but on second read interpreted the “antithetical” comment to reference the issue that they were breaking the license and limiting the users freedom.

I meant that my comment was a personal feeling about the license, and not about any particular users or violators of the license. The post says "we would prefer if people so antithetical to our values did not use and benefit from our labour", and that is clearly not a criticism of just the nature of the license violation, but the people who are violating it.

Can’t a generous person who chooses to give away something (on the condition that anyone who chooses to accept this gift does the same) criticise the character of those who take advantage of this kindness for their own personal financial gain?

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#525

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The creators created the software, they can put any conditions they please on how others might use it. Indeed so, they have that right. I personally wouldn't consider using code licensed like this, because even if I 100% agreed with the CoC and Steering Committee, both might change over time (the CoC says "We expect the Code of Conduct to be a living document") and I have no idea who'll be on the Steering Committee…

Is ones liscence based on the values of when it is granted or reviewed every day? A bit like paying $100 for some software but a year later being told they now think you should pay $5000.

> A bit like paying $100 for some software but a year later being told they now think you should pay $5000.

Atlassian has a patent on that business process.

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#526
post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It depends perhaps on whether it ends up in anti-SLAPP or something like that. But if, for example, you don't sue a hospital for showing your film to a group of children, but you do sue a school, the fact you didn't sue the hospital probably doesn't matter too much, even though your bias is against caretakers of healthy children as opposed to sick children. Not a legal opinion, of course.

SLAPP is a mechanism to short-circuit certain attacks on freedom of speech, it has nothing to do with intellectual property.

That was probably a reference to the fact that Trump has filed anti-SLAPP suits against people suing him as an intimidation tactic and to run up their legal bills.

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#527
post #521

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it possible I live in an insulated worldview largely detached from the political, economical, and societal issues faced by non-urban dwelling, non-millennials? No, definitely not. They’re just actual fascists.

Seeing as I don't live in an urban area and am in the most "red" state in the nation, I doubt I'm that removed from what you think I'm removed from.

That reads a lot like "I'm surrounded by people who think there's no (non-Democratic) fascism and that's proof I'm correct when I tell you it's okay." Frog-boiling is a serious problem in US politics these days.

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#528

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah I thought the same thing. Someone pointed out that even creating test accounts probably qualifies as "over the networks." But it seems silly. And unless mastodon is enforcing this clause against every other instance operator, I'm guessing this is just posturing. Having said that, I'd like them to continue posturing and getting their concept of federated social media more traction.

Good point, because similar cases have been brought against Vizio and Tesla, among other, this clearly isn't just posturing.

Brought by mastodon and against Vizio and Tesla? Or by some other entity with a similar license?

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#529

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What exactly are you hoping for or missing? No actual harm has been done to anybody. If "Truth Social" was online for real it would be different, but now? The beta users presumably didn't mind that they didn't have the source code. I think the Mastodon people are merely hoping they can stop Trump, they are not really concerned about getting the source code.

GPL does not differentiate between beta and not. You use GPL code - you release anything build on top of it. Simple as that. Anyone can request a copy of their source and should get it. Doesn’t matter if it’s in beta or not as long as it’s licensed under GPL. Even if it’s internal software. Don’t like it - go build from scratch and use some other software but don’t break the license agreement just because you are laz…

I don't think that's correct. Unless you publish it, you don't have to release anything. Otherwise it would be madness.

Also my question was more about why that specific concern about the license - why did you pick AGPL instead of GPL and why do you care so much about that specific case?

Re: Trump’s new social media platform found using Mastodon code

#530

Getting into any form of discussion regarding T is unwise. Yet I wanted to point out something Mastodon mission has always been to provide users freedom from and alternatives to the giant faceless autocratic exploitative social media. Or at least that is what I gleam from a search of Mastodon prior to when T ran for president. To now state for the record that T is not supposed to use the software seems like a politic…

Why should a software licence only apply after "launch"? From what I can tell, "Truth Social" is violating the AGPL if they don't hand over the source code within a thirty-day period after the request from Mastodon. If they do, fine, but if they don't, Mastodon can revoke permission to use their software.
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