3 ms·

> are dragging Google and Facebook into the role of judge and jury of what is or isn't acceptable speech. I couldn't have said any better. Later people might h

> are dragging Google and Facebook into the role of judge and jury of what is or isn't acceptable speech. I couldn't have said any better. Later people might have an issue on why a "public" company is now moderating free speech.

ChrisSD 9y ago
Eh? "Public" companies have always moderated speech. I can't think of a time when they haven't. Even if you restrict that to internet companies then even Facebook already does moderation (although it seems wildly inconsistent). Heck 4chan has some moderation albeit of a very limited kind.
ehnto 9y ago
Any successfully productive and civil online community has in my experience been community moderated. If you want to participate then you follow some simple guidlines and contribute in a positive way, which can include differences of opinion. All of the platforms failing to provide productive and civil discourse are those that have no community moderation, or worse, are just personal soapboxes with an effortless virtue signal button. I think the platforms are broken by design, and humanity figured out a long time ago that there are limits to uncivil discourse and you need to recognise them. The great thing about the internet is if you feel passionate enough about your idea, you have probably thought hard about it and you can go make your own community. The issue with effortless virtue signalling and the no-consequences soapbox is that you don't have to think that hard about something so long as it sounds like it's up your alley, and you can be led very far astray before realising you're in a toxic conversation, potentially one with a subtext you didn't recognise.
- thisisit 9y ago
  The no-consequences soapbox has existed for a long time even before Facebook. In South Asia there has been a history of people spreading false information via SMS and MMS too. Here's one recent malicious campaign, if not exactly a toxic one, from last year November in Sri Lanka: http://www.ceylontoday.lk/print20170401CT20170630.php?id=34536 http://www.ceylontoday.lk/print20170401CT20170630.php?id=345... A malicious and scurrilous countrywide sms (short messaging service) campaign over mobile phones, by unknown unruly elements, led to panic buying of both petrol and diesel and long queues in the Kandy District last night.

ChrisSD 9y ago

Eh? "Public" companies have always moderated speech. I can't think of a time when they haven't. Even if you restrict that to internet companies then even Facebook already does moderation (although it seems wildly inconsistent). Heck 4chan has some moderation albeit of a very limited kind.

ehnto 9y ago

Any successfully productive and civil online community has in my experience been community moderated. If you want to participate then you follow some simple guidlines and contribute in a positive way, which can include differences of opinion. All of the platforms failing to provide productive and civil discourse are those that have no community moderation, or worse, are just personal soapboxes with an effortless virtue signal button. I think the platforms are broken by design, and humanity figured out a long time ago that there are limits to uncivil discourse and you need to recognise them. The great thing about the internet is if you feel passionate enough about your idea, you have probably thought hard about it and you can go make your own community. The issue with effortless virtue signalling and the no-consequences soapbox is that you don't have to think that hard about something so long as it sounds like it's up your alley, and you can be led very far astray before realising you're in a toxic conversation, potentially one with a subtext you didn't recognise.

thisisit 9y ago
The no-consequences soapbox has existed for a long time even before Facebook. In South Asia there has been a history of people spreading false information via SMS and MMS too. Here's one recent malicious campaign, if not exactly a toxic one, from last year November in Sri Lanka: http://www.ceylontoday.lk/print20170401CT20170630.php?id=34536 http://www.ceylontoday.lk/print20170401CT20170630.php?id=345... A malicious and scurrilous countrywide sms (short messaging service) campaign over mobile phones, by unknown unruly elements, led to panic buying of both petrol and diesel and long queues in the Kandy District last night.