4 ms·

Is Twitter censoring #flotilla?

58 points by ertug 16y ago

TimH 16y ago
I don't think they would do this. Care to explain?
- ertug 16y ago
  I don't want to think they would this too but this is too weird. The hashtag is about the humanitarian aid to Gaza: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10195838.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10195838.stm
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
- greendestiny 16y ago
  The search worked fine for me.
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]
yigit 16y ago
Also true for the word "İsrail" which is Israel in Turkish.
- stfp 16y ago
  Indeed - both fail for me when searching, typing directly in the URL or when clicking in tweets.
liedra 16y ago
"Aid Flotilla" is trending in the UK. Screenshot: http://grab.by/4Fiy http://grab.by/4Fiy
- stfp 16y ago
  but try clicking on it
  - liedra 16y ago
    Oh, I see. I thought it was just about how #flotilla wasn't being reported in the trending topics. How odd, indeed!
  - stdan27 16y ago
    Doesn't work for me.. I really hope this is a technical issue and not something else.
Emore 16y ago
This could be either because: 1) Israel is pushing Twitter to censor these terms 2) Someone at Twitter HQ blindly supports Israel Either way it completely destroys perhaps the most important usage for Twitter: a voice for those in the epicenter of something happening.
- dagw 16y ago
  3) Some sort of technical issue or bug.
  - lsc 16y ago
    Considering the interests of all involved, this seems to me like the most likely answer. There is no way that people at twitter rationally weighed their self interest and decided to start censoring things. There is zero upside, and a rather large downside for twitter. It's just not in their financial best interest. Israel isn't going to block them or take other action that would financially harm twitter for simply publishing text messages from people. And the publicity fallout from censorship is so obviously bad that there is no way that any rational owner of twitter would approve a move like this. My money is on a haywire spamfiltering system... but we will see. If the people running twitter are not morons, we'll see an explanation shortly.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
rriepe 16y ago
Please be a technical error. They could undo a lot of good will (Iran elections, etc) just by censoring this one thing.
- lsc 16y ago
  Regardless of the root cause, I think twitter just took one to the face. This looks pretty bad, even if they come out and say "oh, our spamfilter system malfunctioned." I sympathise, though. I've run email spamfilters before, and boy, people get /pissed/ when false positives happen.
mattwdelong 16y ago
It`s trending in Canada: http://imgur.com/XaeuJ.png http://imgur.com/XaeuJ.png But wtf? I click it, and I can't access the search? edit: I can report that clicking on #flotilla in trending topics is now functional.
TimH 16y ago
I see people here agreeing, but when I visit http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23flotilla http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23flotilla it appears fine? Here's what I see: http://twitpic.com/1spne4 http://twitpic.com/1spne4
- pieter 16y ago
  I agree, I'd like to see a screenshot on how it is censored.
  - ComputerGuru 16y ago
    http://neosmart.net/blog/2010/twitter-actively-censoring-flotilla/ http://neosmart.net/blog/2010/twitter-actively-censoring-flo...
- stdan27 16y ago
  When I click that link I get "Something is technically wrong."
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
TimH 16y ago
Ahh - wait - I see if you search from the main site, it fails for me now too. http://search.twitter.com http://search.twitter.com works though. Weird. I expect it's due to a some bug/performance failure rather than an intentional censorship. Otherwise search.twitter.com would be censored too.
- dasil003 16y ago
  Both work for me. I have to assume there was just some technical issue (due to unusual volume?) and they have it resolved now.
- RuadhanMc 16y ago
  I hope so.
silversmith 16y ago
The posted link shows fresh results. Clicking on the hashtag works too. Where's the problem? Edit: Safari on iPhone, located in Latvia.
- mattwdelong 16y ago
  There WAS a problem. I think it`s purely technical.
gojomo 16y ago
Headline draws controversial conclusion from incomplete data and should be changed. For example, this could be the result of automated measures to prevent spamming the trending topics gone haywire. Or not. But accusing censorship without knowing the whole story is just hair-trigger indignation.
- ertug 16y ago
  Changed the headline to a question.
  - three14 16y ago
    When did you stop beating your wife? I understand that you actually mean well, and mean the question seriously, but in "Internet discussion" the question mark only protects the reputation of the asker, but does nothing to protect the reputation of Twitter.
    - rriepe 16y ago
      An analogous question would be "Are you beating your wife?" "Is Twitter censoring?" isn't assuming anything in the question.
      - three14 16y ago
        You're right, of course. But I still think that someone skimming the HN headlines thinks, "Oh, Twitter probably censoring something or it wouldn't be on HN" unless they read the comments.
        davidw 16y ago
        Isn't that more of a comment on the state of the readership than anything else?
        three14 16y ago
TimH 16y ago
I just flagged this story. Does that mean an op will review it? I think it's wrong to state that Twitter is censoring, and is harmful. It should have been posted as a question instead. [edit: The poster's reviewed it.]
helium 16y ago
The search works for me, but only when I'm signed out. This leads me to believe that this is some sort of technical issue. Besides, I don't think they are stupid enough to do something like censoring this.
rriepe 16y ago
People are now using #freedomflotilla instead of #flotilla, for those of you who wanted to participate.
- rriepe 16y ago
  And for that matter, #flotilla now works for me, when it wasn't working before. Anyone else? EDIT: And now it's not. This is too weird.
ertug 16y ago
The hashtags #flotilla and #israil still gives "Something is technically wrong." error in Turkey. I confirmed it with many people here.
nhebb 16y ago
I don't get the technical error message for #flotilla, but a search on the tag acts like it's being ignored. However, http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23freedomflotilla http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23freedomflotilla is a trending topic and yields results.
j_baker 16y ago
Never attribute to malice that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
- rbanffy 16y ago
  Or automated procedures. You can't call your immune system stupid when you have a severe allergy. It's just doing what it evolved to do.
ErrantX 16y ago
Works for me intermittently; technical error.
msy 16y ago
I note the generally less controversial Stephen Fry is complaining about unrelated Trending Topic oddness this morning, looks like they've screwed up their system somehow and the #flotilla thing is a coincidence. http://twitter.com/stephenfry/status/15064838816 http://twitter.com/stephenfry/status/15064838816
spif 16y ago
No, it's not: http://search.twitter.com/search?q=flotilla http://search.twitter.com/search?q=flotilla
fwez 16y ago
It probably tripped an anti-spam filter. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/may/31/twitter-censoring-flotilla-questions http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/may/31/twitte...

58 points by ertug 16y ago

TimH 16y ago

I don't think they would do this. Care to explain?

ertug 16y ago
I don't want to think they would this too but this is too weird. The hashtag is about the humanitarian aid to Gaza: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10195838.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10195838.stm

deleted 16y ago

[deleted]

greendestiny 16y ago
The search worked fine for me.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]

yigit 16y ago

Also true for the word "İsrail" which is Israel in Turkish.

stfp 16y ago
Indeed - both fail for me when searching, typing directly in the URL or when clicking in tweets.

liedra 16y ago

"Aid Flotilla" is trending in the UK. Screenshot: http://grab.by/4Fiy http://grab.by/4Fiy

stfp 16y ago
but try clicking on it
- liedra 16y ago
  Oh, I see. I thought it was just about how #flotilla wasn't being reported in the trending topics. How odd, indeed!
- stdan27 16y ago
  Doesn't work for me.. I really hope this is a technical issue and not something else.

Emore 16y ago

This could be either because: 1) Israel is pushing Twitter to censor these terms 2) Someone at Twitter HQ blindly supports Israel Either way it completely destroys perhaps the most important usage for Twitter: a voice for those in the epicenter of something happening.

dagw 16y ago
3) Some sort of technical issue or bug.
- lsc 16y ago
  Considering the interests of all involved, this seems to me like the most likely answer. There is no way that people at twitter rationally weighed their self interest and decided to start censoring things. There is zero upside, and a rather large downside for twitter. It's just not in their financial best interest. Israel isn't going to block them or take other action that would financially harm twitter for simply publishing text messages from people. And the publicity fallout from censorship is so obviously bad that there is no way that any rational owner of twitter would approve a move like this. My money is on a haywire spamfiltering system... but we will see. If the people running twitter are not morons, we'll see an explanation shortly.
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]

rriepe 16y ago

Please be a technical error. They could undo a lot of good will (Iran elections, etc) just by censoring this one thing.

lsc 16y ago
Regardless of the root cause, I think twitter just took one to the face. This looks pretty bad, even if they come out and say "oh, our spamfilter system malfunctioned." I sympathise, though. I've run email spamfilters before, and boy, people get /pissed/ when false positives happen.

mattwdelong 16y ago

It`s trending in Canada: http://imgur.com/XaeuJ.png http://imgur.com/XaeuJ.png But wtf? I click it, and I can't access the search? edit: I can report that clicking on #flotilla in trending topics is now functional.

TimH 16y ago

I see people here agreeing, but when I visit http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23flotilla http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23flotilla it appears fine? Here's what I see: http://twitpic.com/1spne4 http://twitpic.com/1spne4

pieter 16y ago
I agree, I'd like to see a screenshot on how it is censored.
- ComputerGuru 16y ago
  http://neosmart.net/blog/2010/twitter-actively-censoring-flotilla/ http://neosmart.net/blog/2010/twitter-actively-censoring-flo...
stdan27 16y ago
When I click that link I get "Something is technically wrong."

deleted 16y ago

[deleted]

TimH 16y ago

Ahh - wait - I see if you search from the main site, it fails for me now too. http://search.twitter.com http://search.twitter.com works though. Weird. I expect it's due to a some bug/performance failure rather than an intentional censorship. Otherwise search.twitter.com would be censored too.

dasil003 16y ago
Both work for me. I have to assume there was just some technical issue (due to unusual volume?) and they have it resolved now.
RuadhanMc 16y ago
I hope so.

silversmith 16y ago

The posted link shows fresh results. Clicking on the hashtag works too. Where's the problem? Edit: Safari on iPhone, located in Latvia.

mattwdelong 16y ago
There WAS a problem. I think it`s purely technical.

gojomo 16y ago

Headline draws controversial conclusion from incomplete data and should be changed. For example, this could be the result of automated measures to prevent spamming the trending topics gone haywire. Or not. But accusing censorship without knowing the whole story is just hair-trigger indignation.

ertug 16y ago
Changed the headline to a question.
- three14 16y ago
  When did you stop beating your wife? I understand that you actually mean well, and mean the question seriously, but in "Internet discussion" the question mark only protects the reputation of the asker, but does nothing to protect the reputation of Twitter.
  - rriepe 16y ago
    An analogous question would be "Are you beating your wife?" "Is Twitter censoring?" isn't assuming anything in the question.
    - three14 16y ago
      You're right, of course. But I still think that someone skimming the HN headlines thinks, "Oh, Twitter probably censoring something or it wouldn't be on HN" unless they read the comments.
      - davidw 16y ago
        Isn't that more of a comment on the state of the readership than anything else?
        three14 16y ago

TimH 16y ago

I just flagged this story. Does that mean an op will review it? I think it's wrong to state that Twitter is censoring, and is harmful. It should have been posted as a question instead. [edit: The poster's reviewed it.]

helium 16y ago

The search works for me, but only when I'm signed out. This leads me to believe that this is some sort of technical issue. Besides, I don't think they are stupid enough to do something like censoring this.

rriepe 16y ago

People are now using #freedomflotilla instead of #flotilla, for those of you who wanted to participate.

rriepe 16y ago
And for that matter, #flotilla now works for me, when it wasn't working before. Anyone else? EDIT: And now it's not. This is too weird.

ertug 16y ago

The hashtags #flotilla and #israil still gives "Something is technically wrong." error in Turkey. I confirmed it with many people here.

nhebb 16y ago

I don't get the technical error message for #flotilla, but a search on the tag acts like it's being ignored. However, http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23freedomflotilla http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23freedomflotilla is a trending topic and yields results.

j_baker 16y ago

Never attribute to malice that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.

rbanffy 16y ago
Or automated procedures. You can't call your immune system stupid when you have a severe allergy. It's just doing what it evolved to do.

ErrantX 16y ago

Works for me intermittently; technical error.

msy 16y ago

I note the generally less controversial Stephen Fry is complaining about unrelated Trending Topic oddness this morning, looks like they've screwed up their system somehow and the #flotilla thing is a coincidence. http://twitter.com/stephenfry/status/15064838816 http://twitter.com/stephenfry/status/15064838816

spif 16y ago

No, it's not: http://search.twitter.com/search?q=flotilla http://search.twitter.com/search?q=flotilla

fwez 16y ago

It probably tripped an anti-spam filter. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/may/31/twitter-censoring-flotilla-questions http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/may/31/twitte...