Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

Post by [deleted] » Mon, May 18, 2020, 6:34 PM UTC

missosoup wrote: post #153

brmgb wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some users tend to flag stories about China and censorship because they generate a lot of nationalistic and hot headed comments and very little actual intelligent discussion. Just look at the comments attached to this submission.

The submission I linked is not flagged (at least as far as I can see from my account?). Either there's some non-intuitive stuff going on with the way submissions stay on the front page, or HN soft-nuked it. Either way I think we deserve an explanation and a clear understanding of the underlying rules.

Post by koheripbal » Mon, May 18, 2020, 6:34 PM UTC

blaser-waffle wrote: post #432

throwaway894345 wrote: post #403

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As I read it, "this" refers to "a monopoly on communication/speech", not "a monopoly [of any kind]".

Messages had to be transmitted by hand until the telegraph era. The British (or Dutch) India Companies had a stranglehold over shipping -- and thus over communication -- to colonial holdings for much of their existence.

Post by oh_sigh » Mon, May 18, 2020, 6:36 PM UTC

baq wrote: post #235

koheripbal wrote: post #112

I think a more fundamental problem is a single private company having a near-monopoly on various public communication channels, and having financial interests in various global dictatorships. The Founding Fathers could not have predicted this. Google's "We're a private company" get-out-jail-free card cannot continue to apply.

google search is a utility class service at this point, a tier below tap water and electricity. the world would be an objectively worse place without it for billions of people. with great power comes great responsibility is how the saying goes, but i can see them fighting tooth and nail to not be labeled as such. same for facebook and others like them.

Post by koheripbal » Mon, May 18, 2020, 6:37 PM UTC

threwr234434 wrote: post #271

koheripbal wrote: post #112

I think a more fundamental problem is a single private company having a near-monopoly on various public communication channels, and having financial interests in various global dictatorships. The Founding Fathers could not have predicted this. Google's "We're a private company" get-out-jail-free card cannot continue to apply.

The very first multi-national companies were neck deep in looting India and smuggling opium to China. The American founding fathers were very aware of this.

Post by dang » Mon, May 18, 2020, 6:37 PM UTC

barbapapa22 wrote: post #71

missosoup wrote: post #41

There was a previous unrelated discussion about this just a few hours ago which was climbing to the top of the front page when I saw it. And then just vanished: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23221264 It's not flagged, it just went from #13 on the front page to invisible. In a single refresh. How does that work? Looking at the votes and age, it should be in the top 5 of both Ask and the front page. What's the m…

HN is extremely corrupt in that way, but don't worry, my reply to you will be flagged and people will continue to ignore HN's extreme biases, and ideological agenda.