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It's been a while since I've found myself disagreeing with something so strongly. I think that the absolute last thing we need is government-funded social medi
by thosakwe 7y ago
It's been a while since I've found myself disagreeing with something so strongly.
I think that the absolute last thing we need is government-funded social media. If YouTube "spreads propaganda," what do you expect from a platform that a massive government has its hands directly on? I don't understand. It's as dystopian-sounding as any idea I have ever heard.
> In other words, it should be built to prioritize sharing things you love over getting attention by simply being loud online.
This is an over-trivialization of Twitter. At risk of sounding snarky: if you think Twitter is all about getting attention, you're using the app wrong, and maybe you only follow celebrities.
Also, I think the question "Will people use it, and how many?" is the wrong question ask. Why will people use it? Can I get news updates? Can I find funny/entertaining content? Can I reasonably expect organic engagement, and potential virality? Can I get private life updates from my friends, without the government's eyes peering in? People don't typically go to PBS for most of these things (news is one thing they do), so I can't imagine how a "PBS" for social media would be very different.
Yet another question: "Why would I be on a social media app with my parents?"
I can understand the reasoning behind this, but I don't see it realistically gaining any traction or significant usage, ever.
All this being said, Mr. Mark Coatney is a former director of Tumblr, so obviously there's a big gulf in social media experience between us, and I could be egregiously wrong on some of what I have said above. Who knows?
- tomglynch 7y agoAs a counterpoint, many publicly funded TV stations run without bias.
- lone_haxx0r 7y agoCare to give any examples? Have you thought that maybe their biases align with your ideology so you just don't notice them?
- mike741 7y agoAs a counter-counterpoint, every TV station runs with some form of bias.
- qtplatypus 7y agoI actually think that the worry about government censorship isn't as strong as you think. The US government unlike a private corporation can't legally engage in viewpoint based censorship.
- thosakwe 7y agoIt's not about censorship, so much about it just being that there's nothing appealing about a government social media site. At all. The majority of conversations that happen on sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat would just not happen.
- qtplatypus 7y agoWhy wouldn't it happen? In democratic countries like the US, UK and Australia there have been a long tradition of independence from the state broadcasters; often hosting forums where guests antithetical to the views of the reining government have taken place. Can you explain what types of conversations that you think would not happen and why being government run would result in this.
- wolfgke 7y ago> I actually think that the worry about government censorship isn't as strong as you think. The US government unlike a private corporation can't legally engage in viewpoint based censorship. Copyright is also a form a censorship.
- qtplatypus 7y agoTrue. Hence why I said "viewpoint based".