As much as I loathe walled gardens, and disagree with Twitter 90% of the time ... This is a good instance of why some degree of regulation is important. In un

As much as I loathe walled gardens, and disagree with Twitter 90% of the time ... This is a good instance of why some degree of regulation is important. In unregulated systems, it's entirely possible that corporate and state actors can basically control election outcomes, utterly lie and mislead people towards some pretty crazy consequences. The Rawandan genocide was largely propagated by guess who -> Radio Hosts. 'Mass Media' in Rwanda was Radio, and hosts calling the other side 'cockroaches that need to be exterminated' was a critical factor that led to the tipping point. So much so that General Dallaire (Head of UN mission) left a bunch of Belgian soldiers in a building that was being attacked, in an attempt to get to the stations. The idea that 'decentralized networks' will be 'free' is not quite right - they will still be controlled, but just in a different way, by anyone who has the means. This is our fault as humans. I know a lot of educated professionals who believe some crazy stuff, and it's very easy to misinform. I don't like that Twitter has this control, but I don't see any reasonable alternative on the horizon yet. When there is 'true decentralization' - you will have some groups calling for mass murder of others pretty quickly. And they will create all sorts of Hollywood style propaganda in support of it. ISIS would not exist without social media. There would be a few ISIS-like groups in every civilized country if they were allowed to exist - sadly. It's not a simple situation we have, unfortunately. --- "i.e. you're too stupid to do your own research so let's tell you what to think" Nobody (including you) has enough time and wherewithal to 'do their own research' - that's the whole point of a free press. Do you have access to White House aids to find out 'what Trump said'? Do you have time to read 100's of papers on Climate Change? Etc.. ---- "yes we'd have a lot more garbage .. but we'd have a more unfiltered equal playing field where you'd also have much more of everything." We'd have - and we already kind of do have - 99% garbage. Even the mainstream press is kind of crap - why? Attention. CNN would devote more time to specific issues if it were up to them, but Americans just 'tune out'. Major news outlets have to keep it a little light and America focused or else nobody will watch. Anyhow. A big, fat existential issue ...