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Twitter Appears to Censor Wikileaks-Related Trends

31 points by fiaz 16y ago

jacquesm 16y ago
The answers from the twitter guy are here, I'd say this has been solidly debunked: http://studentactivism.net/2010/12/05/wikileaks-twitter-3/#comment-11633 http://studentactivism.net/2010/12/05/wikileaks-twitter-3/#c... Scan for 'Josh Elman' (twitter) and 'Angus Johnston' the guy that originally raised the issue.
- ggordan 16y ago
  I have no idea how the Twitter algorithm works, but looking at two current trending topics and wikileaks, it doesn't look right. http://www.trendistic.com/naughtie/wikileaks/thingsimiss http://www.trendistic.com/naughtie/wikileaks/thingsimiss
  - gyardley 16y ago
    I've seen a lot of people pointing at 'trending tools' lately but no one questioning whether the tools themselves are valid. What's Trendistic? Where does it get its data? It seems unlikely that it's got a firehose subscription...
- middayc 16y ago
  did you read the questions and debate further down the comments? I am not sure it he was so persuasive.
  - jacquesm 16y ago
    The guy is on the record about a whole bunch of details that make it plausible that this is the case short of inspecting the input data to the algorithm as well as the algorithm itself (or by using different datasets and the algorithm as a black box) I don't think you're going to get much proof that this is anything other than what they say it is. I would assume that if someone did order a wikileaks specific change that it would be leaked in no time. If I worked at twitter I'd file a ticket because it appears to be a bug. Maybe they use 16 bits to store their counters ;)
tptacek 16y ago
Idle speculation, all but disproved the day before this superficial piece was even written. Flagged.
- wlievens 16y ago
  That's interesting and relevant, but should in no way mean this post needs to be flagged. I wasn't aware of any of this (post nor rebuttal) for instance.
  - tptacek 16y ago
    Being wrong isn't flag-worthy. Being a nearly content-free addition to a topic already discussed on HN, and inviting yet another pointless argument about Wikileaks: that's flag-worthy.
middayc 16y ago
more analysis here: http://bubbloy.wordpress.com/2010/12/05/twitter-is-censoring-the-discussion-of-wikileaks/ http://bubbloy.wordpress.com/2010/12/05/twitter-is-censoring... the "manual" test: http://swizec.com/blog/twitter-censoring-the-wikileaks-debate/swizec/1519 http://swizec.com/blog/twitter-censoring-the-wikileaks-debat...
wglb 16y ago
Enough wikileaks already.
ck2 16y ago
It looks very much like something is "smacking it down". http://studentactivism.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/sundays-180.jpg http://studentactivism.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/sundays-1... Either an algorithm or human trigger. Are we reaching the point where the only "honest" sites are offshore and away from political influence?

31 points by fiaz 16y ago

The answers from the twitter guy are here, I'd say this has been solidly debunked: http://studentactivism.net/2010/12/05/wikileaks-twitter-3/#comment-11633 http://studentactivism.net/2010/12/05/wikileaks-twitter-3/#c... Scan for 'Josh Elman' (twitter) and 'Angus Johnston' the guy that originally raised the issue.

ggordan 16y ago
I have no idea how the Twitter algorithm works, but looking at two current trending topics and wikileaks, it doesn't look right. http://www.trendistic.com/naughtie/wikileaks/thingsimiss http://www.trendistic.com/naughtie/wikileaks/thingsimiss
- gyardley 16y ago
  I've seen a lot of people pointing at 'trending tools' lately but no one questioning whether the tools themselves are valid. What's Trendistic? Where does it get its data? It seems unlikely that it's got a firehose subscription...
middayc 16y ago
did you read the questions and debate further down the comments? I am not sure it he was so persuasive.
- jacquesm 16y ago
  The guy is on the record about a whole bunch of details that make it plausible that this is the case short of inspecting the input data to the algorithm as well as the algorithm itself (or by using different datasets and the algorithm as a black box) I don't think you're going to get much proof that this is anything other than what they say it is. I would assume that if someone did order a wikileaks specific change that it would be leaked in no time. If I worked at twitter I'd file a ticket because it appears to be a bug. Maybe they use 16 bits to store their counters ;)

tptacek 16y ago

Idle speculation, all but disproved the day before this superficial piece was even written. Flagged.

wlievens 16y ago
That's interesting and relevant, but should in no way mean this post needs to be flagged. I wasn't aware of any of this (post nor rebuttal) for instance.
- tptacek 16y ago
  Being wrong isn't flag-worthy. Being a nearly content-free addition to a topic already discussed on HN, and inviting yet another pointless argument about Wikileaks: that's flag-worthy.

middayc 16y ago

more analysis here: http://bubbloy.wordpress.com/2010/12/05/twitter-is-censoring-the-discussion-of-wikileaks/ http://bubbloy.wordpress.com/2010/12/05/twitter-is-censoring... the "manual" test: http://swizec.com/blog/twitter-censoring-the-wikileaks-debate/swizec/1519 http://swizec.com/blog/twitter-censoring-the-wikileaks-debat...

wglb 16y ago

Enough wikileaks already.

ck2 16y ago

It looks very much like something is "smacking it down". http://studentactivism.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/sundays-180.jpg http://studentactivism.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/sundays-1... Either an algorithm or human trigger. Are we reaching the point where the only "honest" sites are offshore and away from political influence?