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Twitter isn't obligated to allow anyone to use their platform, but as a user, I don't want Twitter to curate what ideas and speakers I'm exposed to, in the same

Twitter isn't obligated to allow anyone to use their platform, but as a user, I don't want Twitter to curate what ideas and speakers I'm exposed to, in the same way that I don't want my local library to ban certain books or Google to delist websites that it decides are bad. Twitter is within its right to do whatever it wants, but I don't want it curating my feed anymore than I want my phone to decide who I can and can't text message. And while I'm resigned to the fact that there will be some moderation on Twitter, to remove a longstanding newspaper for publishing a dubious story is an absurd overreach. They can do it, but it's a silly, foolish way to run a social network.

JohnBooty 6y ago
I don't want Twitter to curate what ideas and speakers I'm exposed to, in the same way that I don't want my local library to ban certain books or Google to delist websites that it decides are bad Those analogies are flawed, so I'll just address the issue directly. I do want Twitter to curate things, by filtering out news from biased sources with questionable alliances and borderline journalistic practices. I want them to be transparent about it, and if I don't like the way they do it I'll go elsewhere. To me, that is the free market -- not forcing Twitter to amplify all voices indiscriminately. If Twitter was the only game in town I'd feel differently, but that is far from the case. I think most really do want some level of curation. Do you want child porn on your feed? Endless ads for fake Viagra? Animal abuse? I cannot imagine a platform like Twitter being useful without some kind of curation. I realize that blocking the NYPost is an opinionated move in some ways. They were transparent about the reason, and I agreed with their move. That's all I ask. There are plenty of other places with more relaxed standards, and they're still available to me when I really want to drink from the firehose. They can do it, but it's a silly, foolish way to run a social network. Should HN stop being "silly" and moderating submissions?
- dionian 6y ago
  I've not heard any claims of dissenting opinions censored by the mods here, but im sure its possible.
- LifeIsThermal 6y ago
  Wouldn´t it be better to have two options when you log in to Twitter? Safe space Twitter and wild west Twitter. Then all sensitive people can log into a pink bubble and the rest of us can enjoy uncensored reality. Most people should realize that very few would choose the pink bubble. The line should be drawn at illegal content in the wild west Twitter. You should trust other people to have the same ability as yourself to evaluate information.
  - robertlagrant 6y ago
    Ironically, Twitter is already like this with follows and likes allowing people to construct their own bubbles.
  - JohnBooty 6y ago
    Wouldn´t it be better to have two options when you log in to Twitter? Safe space Twitter and wild west Twitter. Then all sensitive people can log into a pink bubble and the rest of us can enjoy uncensored reality. Most people should realize that very few would choose the pink bubble. Even the name would be... problematic. I think they would be more accurately named "sane Twitter" and "ram malicious conspiracy disinformation from suspect sources and fake Viagra ad Twitter."
- Fjolsvith 6y ago
  >I think most really do want some level of curation. Do you want child porn on your feed? Endless ads for fake Viagra? Animal abuse? >I cannot imagine a platform like Twitter being useful without some kind of curation. I realize that blocking the NYPost is an opinionated move in some ways. Blocking NYPost is not curating the extreme content you state. Your argument is an attempt to imply that wanting the NYPost is akin to wanting the other.
- istjohn 6y ago
  No, I don't want child porn on my feed, in my library, or in my Google results. Illegal material aside, if someone posts something on Twitter that really disturbs me, I can block them. Twitter could create custom filters and let people opt in to them, too. But I want my technology to empower me, not infantalize me with paternalistic "protections." I'm all for moderated communities. It's important for people to be able to create and define communities with their own rules and norms. But Twitter should be the value-neutral technology on which those communities are built. Empower us to create the world we want, don't force your vision on us. Unfortunately, I think they feel responsible for the content now that they are actively picking what we see in our algorithmic feeds. The algorithmic feed was the first step in disempowering their users, and it logically leads to increasing censorship.
dionian 6y ago
Not to mention their rules are suspiciously narrowly enforced.

JohnBooty 6y ago

I don't want Twitter to curate what ideas and speakers I'm exposed to, in the same way that I don't want my local library to ban certain books or Google to delist websites that it decides are bad Those analogies are flawed, so I'll just address the issue directly. I do want Twitter to curate things, by filtering out news from biased sources with questionable alliances and borderline journalistic practices. I want them to be transparent about it, and if I don't like the way they do it I'll go elsewhere. To me, that is the free market -- not forcing Twitter to amplify all voices indiscriminately. If Twitter was the only game in town I'd feel differently, but that is far from the case. I think most really do want some level of curation. Do you want child porn on your feed? Endless ads for fake Viagra? Animal abuse? I cannot imagine a platform like Twitter being useful without some kind of curation. I realize that blocking the NYPost is an opinionated move in some ways. They were transparent about the reason, and I agreed with their move. That's all I ask. There are plenty of other places with more relaxed standards, and they're still available to me when I really want to drink from the firehose. They can do it, but it's a silly, foolish way to run a social network. Should HN stop being "silly" and moderating submissions?

dionian 6y ago
I've not heard any claims of dissenting opinions censored by the mods here, but im sure its possible.
LifeIsThermal 6y ago
Wouldn´t it be better to have two options when you log in to Twitter? Safe space Twitter and wild west Twitter. Then all sensitive people can log into a pink bubble and the rest of us can enjoy uncensored reality. Most people should realize that very few would choose the pink bubble. The line should be drawn at illegal content in the wild west Twitter. You should trust other people to have the same ability as yourself to evaluate information.
- robertlagrant 6y ago
  Ironically, Twitter is already like this with follows and likes allowing people to construct their own bubbles.
- JohnBooty 6y ago
  Wouldn´t it be better to have two options when you log in to Twitter? Safe space Twitter and wild west Twitter. Then all sensitive people can log into a pink bubble and the rest of us can enjoy uncensored reality. Most people should realize that very few would choose the pink bubble. Even the name would be... problematic. I think they would be more accurately named "sane Twitter" and "ram malicious conspiracy disinformation from suspect sources and fake Viagra ad Twitter."
Fjolsvith 6y ago
>I think most really do want some level of curation. Do you want child porn on your feed? Endless ads for fake Viagra? Animal abuse? >I cannot imagine a platform like Twitter being useful without some kind of curation. I realize that blocking the NYPost is an opinionated move in some ways. Blocking NYPost is not curating the extreme content you state. Your argument is an attempt to imply that wanting the NYPost is akin to wanting the other.
istjohn 6y ago
No, I don't want child porn on my feed, in my library, or in my Google results. Illegal material aside, if someone posts something on Twitter that really disturbs me, I can block them. Twitter could create custom filters and let people opt in to them, too. But I want my technology to empower me, not infantalize me with paternalistic "protections." I'm all for moderated communities. It's important for people to be able to create and define communities with their own rules and norms. But Twitter should be the value-neutral technology on which those communities are built. Empower us to create the world we want, don't force your vision on us. Unfortunately, I think they feel responsible for the content now that they are actively picking what we see in our algorithmic feeds. The algorithmic feed was the first step in disempowering their users, and it logically leads to increasing censorship.

dionian 6y ago

Not to mention their rules are suspiciously narrowly enforced.