Facebook Indefinitely Suspends Trump • Hacker News Board

Re: Facebook Indefinitely Suspends Trump

#911

Post by marcus_holmes » Thu, Jan 07, 2021, 9:51 PM UTC

jeresuikkila wrote: post #859

marcus_holmes wrote: post #718

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Twitter has a really high membership ratio in journalism and politics - pretty much every professional journalist and politician is very active. Whether this is a good thing for society is a different question. (I'd argue that it's not and that Twitter should be closed down. But I know that's an unpopular opinion)

Does your closing down suggestion only apply to Twitter or also other social media platforms? What would the effect be?

I don't know why Twitter is the one they all chose. It's unique in restricting the size of posts, maybe that's it?

I don't know what the effect would be. I don't think we can roll the clock back to 1995. But equally given the current situation in the USA I don't think the status quo is sustainable.

If you forced me to give an answer, then I think there should be a 1-hour delay on all tweets. It's the immediacy of the thing that gives it the power. If we just slowed it down then I think it would work better, because human nature.

Re: Facebook Indefinitely Suspends Trump

#912

Post by UnFleshedOne » Thu, Jan 07, 2021, 10:03 PM UTC

RHSeeger wrote: post #87

uncoder0 wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are correct the video all the platforms are using to justify the bans explicitly asked people to go home. Previously he had urged them to be peaceful which they mostly were as evidenced by the fact that no capitol staff or police were in any way injured during the incident. edit: Leaving my comment intact as there are people who have replied. VBProgrammer pointed out that a portion of my statement is not true. Th…

Destroying and stealing is not "peaceful", it's just not "violent against people".

It is, in the new 2020 definition.

Re: Facebook Indefinitely Suspends Trump

#913

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Jan 07, 2021, 10:05 PM UTC

elgfare wrote: post #625

molbioguy wrote: post #467

The statements by Facebook and others pushing moral justifications around Facebook's censorship fail to entertain the possibility that even morality is subjective and relative. Facebook makes its decisions based on its own goals and preferences and morals. Facebook has established itself unfairly as a moral arbiter on a platform that is so widely used that is treated like a public utility. The people who currently ag…

Yes, but in a lot of ways, the laws of society are a sufficiently objective moral basis, since those are the rules we chose for ourselves. Undermining those is just bad in so many ways.

[deleted]

Re: Facebook Indefinitely Suspends Trump

#914

Post by yeetman21 » Thu, Jan 07, 2021, 10:10 PM UTC

Florin_Andrei wrote: post #881

marcosdumay wrote: post #861

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The death of the press¹ has been an worldwide phenomenon, so attributing it to a single US legislative bill is a bit too reductionist. It's quite possible that there was US protagonism on that process, and it's quite possible that the bill was a relevant factor, but the bill doesn't have an worldwide impact, and the US influence does certainly not come from it. 1 - It looks quite dead by now, nearly everything we cal…

Regardless - giving every single person, no matter what their accomplishments or talents, the same voice online, without anything out there filtering the garbage, was a really, REALLY bad move. Unfiltered social media is an amplifier for bullshit. Truth, reason, a good analysis - they're all hard. Spewing out nonsensical mythology is easy. Something needs to change.

Regardless - giving every single person, no matter what their accomplishments or talents, the same ability to vote, without anything out there filtering the garbage, was a really, REALLY bad move. Unfiltered universal suffrage is an amplifier for bullshit. Truth, reason, a good analysis - they're all hard. Spewing out nonsensical mythology is easy. Something needs to change.

Re: Facebook Indefinitely Suspends Trump

#915

Post by Thuggery » Thu, Jan 07, 2021, 10:11 PM UTC

cycrutchfield wrote: post #523

textech wrote: post #494

Facebook, Twitter and the rest shouldn't act like arbiters of truth. I think this is just plain wrong and a slippery slope for the entire industry.

They don’t have to allow their platforms to be used to incite violence or insurrection. That’s their choice. You’re welcome to go to the cesspool that is Parler if you want to make violent threats.

>They don’t have to allow their platforms to be used

This is a major flaw in modern legal tradition and social morality. Society will continue to suffer from it. People need to stop pretending Internet media is an optional luxury. It's now integral to the public's extended mind and method of social/political discourse. No one is writing letters to the editor anymore, or going to salons, or likely talking heavy politics with their neighbors.

Re: Facebook Indefinitely Suspends Trump

#916

Post by foldr » Thu, Jan 07, 2021, 10:11 PM UTC

tdons wrote: post #512

ArnoVW wrote: post #312

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Personally I always feel that the "fire in a crowded theater" is too specific to convince people. Why not use more "every day" examples? * I can't say I earned $0 last year --> tax fraud * I can't say "fuck you" to a judge --> contempt of court * I can't say my software will make you pretty --> advertising fraud * I can't say you robbed me yesterday --> libel I know this is a very European attitude, and always gets A…

Christopher Hitchens (a Brit, can we still call them European?) would disagree with you. If you have a few minutes, check the beginning of this talk [1] about free speech. He treats the exact "fire" example at the very start of the talk :-) [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z2uzEM0ugY

Hitchens isn't exactly covering himself with glory here. On multiple occasions he defended David Irving's historical work (and not merely his right to publish it).

Re: Facebook Indefinitely Suspends Trump

#917

Post by stx » Thu, Jan 07, 2021, 10:20 PM UTC

technofiend wrote: post #241

I know Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit and all the rest don't count as broadcast media but I feel like we got here in part because the 1987 elimination of FCC's fairness doctrine slowly allowed a shift in how we communicate with each other. We went from specious claims and conspiracy theories being the subject matter of newsletters to their public broadcast to millions via talk radio ~and Fox News~, thus allowin…

>It'll be interesting to see if whoever replaces Ajit Pai holds a different view on public intercourse over the airwaves.

I think the word you mean is discourse not intercourse.

Re: Facebook Indefinitely Suspends Trump

#918

Post by hermitcrab » Thu, Jan 07, 2021, 10:32 PM UTC

jstanley wrote: post #122

hermitcrab wrote: post #80

"indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks" What the hell does that mean?

They don't know how long, but it will be at least two weeks.

So why didn't they say that?

Re: Facebook Indefinitely Suspends Trump

#919

Post by pluc » Thu, Jan 07, 2021, 10:35 PM UTC

pluc wrote: post #905

TT3351 wrote: post #787

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By what definition is this silencing

He can't talk on those platforms anymore? The opposite of talking is silence

I have no love for Trump but does that not scare anyone else?

Re: Facebook Indefinitely Suspends Trump

#920

Post by fIagged » Thu, Jan 07, 2021, 10:37 PM UTC

2OEH8eoCRo0 wrote: post #906

Every post on this topic goes like this: You can't cry fire in a theater! But we don't want Facebook being arbiters of truth! But we must do something! But you can't cry fire...

Facebook suppresses crying fire in a burning theater.

Downvoted and flagged, but no replies.