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Reddit blocks posting any .ru links

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Re: Reddit blocks posting any .ru links

#71

Post by rrook »

asjldkfin wrote: post #66
rrook wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the exact same response you'd get if it had everything to do with ~censorship~ attempting push back on anything that reduces a propaganda vector. Do you see?

The difference is that in Western society (assume you're Western), we've agreed that people should have the right to think for themselves and decided what is right and wrong- so it should be up to them to decided what is propaganda and what isn't.

I don't disagree with this. I'm saying that your original reply relies on nothing but insinuation.

Re: Reddit blocks posting any .ru links

#72

Post by root_axis »

remram wrote: post #4

This just seems completely backwards. We lament every time a country in crisis/civil war blocks Internet for its citizens: Sudan, Kazakhstan, Burkina Faso, Yemen, ... and then we cut Russia from the Internet on our side [1] If the point of sanctions is to get the local population to rise and make it difficult for the government to keep its course, why cut out their access to independent news that would let them know…

> I get that Reddit don't want to be left out of the PR bandwagon

This is not good PR for reddit, whenever they make decisions like this the entire site erupts in revolt for a week or two. More likely, reddit thinks this is a good idea because it will reduce the spread of what the administrator's conider Russian disinformation. Acting to limit the spread of Russian disinformation has been a major effort for all the big social media sites since 2016, and this change seems inline with that pattern, just taken to an extreme that reflects the current extreme situation with Russia.

Re: Reddit blocks posting any .ru links

#73

Post by unicornporn »

ehsankia wrote: post #52
remram wrote: post #4

This just seems completely backwards. We lament every time a country in crisis/civil war blocks Internet for its citizens: Sudan, Kazakhstan, Burkina Faso, Yemen, ... and then we cut Russia from the Internet on our side [1] If the point of sanctions is to get the local population to rise and make it difficult for the government to keep its course, why cut out their access to independent news that would let them know…

Being blocked from sharing Russian-owned content is absolutely nothing like being cut off from the internet or information. At best it's limiting the spread of Russian-owned content. I'm not sure why HN comments are so quick to make these extreme fear-mongering comparisons. Just yesterday I saw a top comment comparing Youtube removing a video to Chinese censorship...

Exactly.

If every Russian can see what an inconvenience it is to have Putin as a leader the hope is that they will be more inclined to do everything in their power to have him replaced. Some will of course just blame "west", but there will also be those who will come to question power.

Re: Reddit blocks posting any .ru links

#74

Post by netcan »

WillPostForFood wrote: post #14
remram wrote: post #4

This just seems completely backwards. We lament every time a country in crisis/civil war blocks Internet for its citizens: Sudan, Kazakhstan, Burkina Faso, Yemen, ... and then we cut Russia from the Internet on our side [1] If the point of sanctions is to get the local population to rise and make it difficult for the government to keep its course, why cut out their access to independent news that would let them know…

>and then we cut Russia from the Internet on our side This isn’t a good example of cutting Russia from the internet - Reddit is allowing Russians access to Reddit, and they can post on Reddit, they are just blocking links to Russian sites. That’s perhaps I’ll advised, and too blunt an attempt to slow disinformation, but it is not cutting Russian citizens off.

I disagree.

"Cutting off" means all sorts of things. Blocking russian sites from being posted is a form of cutting off.

"Too blunt an attempt to slow disinformation" is, IMO, bordering on euphemism. The increasingly enthusiastic swinging of blunt weapons has already made a terrible mess. Once the war misinformation game matures to where the Trump election or covid misinformation game has already matured to...

This week Youtube shut down an actual news channel that aired a Trump election statements in the process of reporting on it. Airing pro-regime Russian media will likely be next, in some fashion.

Yesterday, I caught up with a Russian friend of mine. He had complex views Ukraine, Putin & such two weeks ago. His views are no longer complex. He's squarely anti-Putin, anti-regime and considers Zelenski and the Ukrainian fighters heroic with no caveats. Obviously, the invasion itself played a part forming his current views. But... the shuttering of nearly all free media outlets cinched it. Now that dissident opinions are literally illegal in Russia again, he's literally supporting the opposite side in a war. This man is a lifelong nationalist.

This fearful attitude towards misinformation is dangerous, far more dangerous than misinformation in my opinion. That does not mean misinformation is not real, not a problem or not something that needs action. It does mean that this is a bad decision by Reddit.

Re: Reddit blocks posting any .ru links

#75

Post by root_axis »

unicornporn wrote: post #73
ehsankia wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Being blocked from sharing Russian-owned content is absolutely nothing like being cut off from the internet or information. At best it's limiting the spread of Russian-owned content. I'm not sure why HN comments are so quick to make these extreme fear-mongering comparisons. Just yesterday I saw a top comment comparing Youtube removing a video to Chinese censorship...

Exactly. If every Russian can see what an inconvenience it is to have Putin as a leader the hope is that they will be more inclined to do everything in their power to have him replaced. Some will of course just blame "west", but there will also be those who will come to question power.

It certainly applies political pressure with respect to the current war, but it seems absurd to suggest that Russian citizens will replace Putin because of inconveniences on the internet.

Re: Reddit blocks posting any .ru links

#76

Post by Hoasi »

ehsankia wrote: post #52
remram wrote: post #4

This just seems completely backwards. We lament every time a country in crisis/civil war blocks Internet for its citizens: Sudan, Kazakhstan, Burkina Faso, Yemen, ... and then we cut Russia from the Internet on our side [1] If the point of sanctions is to get the local population to rise and make it difficult for the government to keep its course, why cut out their access to independent news that would let them know…

Being blocked from sharing Russian-owned content is absolutely nothing like being cut off from the internet or information. At best it's limiting the spread of Russian-owned content. I'm not sure why HN comments are so quick to make these extreme fear-mongering comparisons. Just yesterday I saw a top comment comparing Youtube removing a video to Chinese censorship...

Information wants to be free.

If free speech is paramount to democracy, we shouldn't discriminate. Most people understand there is an information war at play. Most people know that information is either propaganda or carries an agenda. If you cut one opponent's voice, then it's not balanced. Why shouldn't we defend the right for Russian media to promote their narrative? Besides, legitimate, unrelated stories from one perspective also end up ignored.

Censoring Russian media only further isolates Russia, which is counterproductive. That also further separates the world from Russia and understanding regular Russian people.

Last, there is the argument that understanding the Russian state is also critical at times like these. You can also read intent between the lines. Understanding the current opinion of those in power in that part of the world is of the essence.

Re: Reddit blocks posting any .ru links

#77

Post by shukantpal »

throwaway22032 wrote: post #59
4ggr0 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Blocking .ru URLs is ten times worse than a war and desinformation?

No, the cumulative impact of attempting to erase the existence of a nuclear state by trying to find a loophole is.

Blocking links is not trying to "erase the existence" of a country. That's a particularly foolish comparison.

Re: Reddit blocks posting any .ru links

#79

Post by Terry_Roll »

unicornporn wrote: post #73
ehsankia wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Being blocked from sharing Russian-owned content is absolutely nothing like being cut off from the internet or information. At best it's limiting the spread of Russian-owned content. I'm not sure why HN comments are so quick to make these extreme fear-mongering comparisons. Just yesterday I saw a top comment comparing Youtube removing a video to Chinese censorship...

Exactly. If every Russian can see what an inconvenience it is to have Putin as a leader the hope is that they will be more inclined to do everything in their power to have him replaced. Some will of course just blame "west", but there will also be those who will come to question power.

Putin is just another US led Egyptian uprising.

I wonder if this (\u202E) would work for Russians, anyone tried? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30351968

Re: Reddit blocks posting any .ru links

#80

Post by justinpowers »

throwaway22032 wrote: post #59
4ggr0 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Blocking .ru URLs is ten times worse than a war and desinformation?

No, the cumulative impact of attempting to erase the existence of a nuclear state by trying to find a loophole is.

The hyperbole is strong with this one.
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