4 ms·

This whole ordeal is a good example how f'd up the current internet infrastructure is. For a decade or so it just seems like the beginnings of a megacorp-ruled

This whole ordeal is a good example how f'd up the current internet infrastructure is. For a decade or so it just seems like the beginnings of a megacorp-ruled Blade Runner-ish world. While companies have all the right to have control over whatever on their platforms, there just isn't a well known unfiltered, unmoderated, "real" spot on the internet anymore that is known to all - just some niche spots requiring technical or insider knowledge. It's sickening to look at all the stock-footage-showing happy-go-lucky feeds - comments, articles, posts disappearing without a trace, individuals banned, search results removed. I'm rather sure that the more this continues, the sooner a breakout moment happens, creating p2p-ish network not needing direct corporate support for content delivery. To note: in no way do I support Jones, and as said, companies have the right to censor.

pjc50 8y ago
> stock-footage-showing happy-go-lucky feeds - comments, articles, posts disappearing without a trace, individuals banned, search results removed. Could you explain what you're referring to here?
- poisonborz 8y ago
  Just the obvious: all the social media feeds you see are heavily moderated and shaped to ignite actions that are beneficial to advertisers/the platform. Comments, posts are removed without notice (except maybe the poster). Major search engines filter according to police warrants, media corp inquiries, "privacy rights" (eg. EU's "right to disappear" law). As separated cases they don't seem like much - but knowing how few major platforms there are (covering like 90% of what most internet users see) this is catastrophic. What someone should see shouldn't be decided in some Middle-European FB contractor's moderator sweatshop.
empath75 8y ago
Who is going to quit Facebook so they have access to more nazis and whack job conspiracy theorists?
- nailer 8y ago
  Some people find Alex Jones entertaining. I don't (not that that should be relevant).
- dragonwriter 8y ago
  Nazis and whack job conspiracy theorists.
beberlei 8y ago
In the 90s and early 2000s you had to search for the nieche content as well or know where it was located. Hundrets of different phpBBs or other forums hidden from "uninitated" people. The simplicity of central platform just has all the users going there, because they don't want to search for hours to find communities to participate in. infowars is still available at infowars.com, they just can't use the platform and distribution effects of fb, twitter, spotify, etc anymore, so they are precisely back in 1999.
- poisonborz 8y ago
  The majority of people only access these distribution platforms. The "they still have a website" argument equals to "in a dictatorship, you still have a home and you can say anything between its walls, people can come to you and listen". The internet is / should be much more than that. I always found "disapproval by removal/banning" to be absurd. The true way of them not gaining ground is by educating people. Yes, it's a much, much harder way. Yet it's infinitely more fair, and probably the only way to a healthy society.
  - loriverkutya 8y ago
    You never lived in a dictatorship, do you? If people comes to your home and you say something against the "system", they will come and take you, the people who were listening to you and probably your family too. And you are probably not coming back. I really wondering, how would you educate somebody who is shouting and threatening other people. Also, can you imagine how you would feel, if your child was killed in a school shooting and then somebody is telling everybody, that you are lying? If you want to educate this idiot, go ahead, and before you try to do it, stop him from hurting people, who are already having the worst time of their life...
    - poisonborz 8y ago
      There are many forms of dictatorships. The stalinist police state you allude to is just one, very outdated variant. It was easy to hate it, and thus it didn't live long. Far more dangerous forms are emerging now. It's not just him you should educate. It's more about the people who listen to him. As for shouting lies: is it a better alternative to silence that man because you are right? On one hand, argue back, and accept that he has a voice even if it hurts you, on the other, it's the task of all the people standing around to dismiss and ignore and that guy.

pjc50 8y ago

> stock-footage-showing happy-go-lucky feeds - comments, articles, posts disappearing without a trace, individuals banned, search results removed. Could you explain what you're referring to here?

poisonborz 8y ago
Just the obvious: all the social media feeds you see are heavily moderated and shaped to ignite actions that are beneficial to advertisers/the platform. Comments, posts are removed without notice (except maybe the poster). Major search engines filter according to police warrants, media corp inquiries, "privacy rights" (eg. EU's "right to disappear" law). As separated cases they don't seem like much - but knowing how few major platforms there are (covering like 90% of what most internet users see) this is catastrophic. What someone should see shouldn't be decided in some Middle-European FB contractor's moderator sweatshop.

empath75 8y ago

Who is going to quit Facebook so they have access to more nazis and whack job conspiracy theorists?

nailer 8y ago
Some people find Alex Jones entertaining. I don't (not that that should be relevant).
dragonwriter 8y ago
Nazis and whack job conspiracy theorists.

beberlei 8y ago

In the 90s and early 2000s you had to search for the nieche content as well or know where it was located. Hundrets of different phpBBs or other forums hidden from "uninitated" people. The simplicity of central platform just has all the users going there, because they don't want to search for hours to find communities to participate in. infowars is still available at infowars.com, they just can't use the platform and distribution effects of fb, twitter, spotify, etc anymore, so they are precisely back in 1999.

poisonborz 8y ago
The majority of people only access these distribution platforms. The "they still have a website" argument equals to "in a dictatorship, you still have a home and you can say anything between its walls, people can come to you and listen". The internet is / should be much more than that. I always found "disapproval by removal/banning" to be absurd. The true way of them not gaining ground is by educating people. Yes, it's a much, much harder way. Yet it's infinitely more fair, and probably the only way to a healthy society.
- loriverkutya 8y ago
  You never lived in a dictatorship, do you? If people comes to your home and you say something against the "system", they will come and take you, the people who were listening to you and probably your family too. And you are probably not coming back. I really wondering, how would you educate somebody who is shouting and threatening other people. Also, can you imagine how you would feel, if your child was killed in a school shooting and then somebody is telling everybody, that you are lying? If you want to educate this idiot, go ahead, and before you try to do it, stop him from hurting people, who are already having the worst time of their life...
  - poisonborz 8y ago
    There are many forms of dictatorships. The stalinist police state you allude to is just one, very outdated variant. It was easy to hate it, and thus it didn't live long. Far more dangerous forms are emerging now. It's not just him you should educate. It's more about the people who listen to him. As for shouting lies: is it a better alternative to silence that man because you are right? On one hand, argue back, and accept that he has a voice even if it hurts you, on the other, it's the task of all the people standing around to dismiss and ignore and that guy.