10 ms·

Why Isn't Susan Wojcicki Getting Grilled by Congress?

25 points by elsewhen 6y ago

psmithsfhn 6y ago
optics
lawnchair_larry 6y ago
> ”The platform is playing host to, and is an important vector for, spreading false claims of election victory and attempts to delegitimize Biden’s win.” This whole debate seems extremely disingenuous to me. What does it matter if people say Biden didn’t win? It changes nothing. People say all kinds of nonsense, a lot of it way more harmful than arguing over who won an election. I can’t believe the left are advocating censorship and the right are advocating letting people decide for themselves.
- solipsism 6y ago
  Disinformation, especially political disinformation, has been shown to be extremely harmful and an existential threat to democracy. Have you been under a rock the past 4+ years?
  - joejerryronnie 6y ago
    Why is political and economic disinformation allowed from the left then?
    - lefrenchy 6y ago
      Genuinely curious if you have examples you can provide here
      - lawnchair_larry 6y ago
        finepeoplehoax.org
  - 0xy 6y ago
    Most disinformation comes from mainstream media, especially the harmful stuff. For example, Washington Post falsely claimed Russia hacked into critical US energy infrastructure. The story was fabricated. The New York Times falsely claimed, repeatedly, that there were WMDs in Iraq. The story was fabricated, thousands died. Hence why not a single media organisation in the US is trusted by more than 50% of Americans, including "neutral" (self proclaimed but false) organisations like the Associated Press.
- ThePreacherMan 6y ago
  Are you brain-damaged?
- rualca 6y ago
  > What does it matter if people say Biden didn’t win? You're asking if rejecting the result of free and democratic elections and pushing for the subversion of a democratic regime by arguing in favour of installing an illegitimate ruler at the highest position in government matters. Well, it does matter if you intend in continue living in a democracy. In the past it didn't matter to those who pushed to overthrow democracies in favor of a dictatorship.
  - crowf 6y ago
    > rejecting the result of free and democratic elections Source that the past US election was free and democratic? You don't need to answer. I admit, it is a bit of a troll question. I, and most Americans, believe that the reason that Biden appears to have won is because he won the most delegates who where selected based on a majority of the legal votes in their corresponding states. One of the reason that I trust the result of the election is because throughout history people have questioned the results, passed laws allowing many observers from all sides, kept a paper trail, and preformed recounts when the result was close and questioned. If, however, we are no longer allowed to question if the election is free and democratic, then I will no longer trust the results.
    - rualca 6y ago
      > Source that the past US election was free and democratic? I'm not sure you're being serious. In case you are, can you provide me with any example which supports the assertion that US voters haven't freely expressed their will in their vote, and that the winners of these elections don't reflect the will of the american people? > I, and most Americans, believe that Biden appears to win is because he won the most delegates who where selected based on a majority of the legal votes in their corresponding states. That's how your system has been working for a couple centuries, yes. > One of the reason that I trust the result of the election is because throughout history people have questioned the results, passed laws allowing many observers from all sides, kept a paper trail, and preformed recounts when the result was close and questioned. But that's not what's happening, isn't it? I mean, the world is witnessing a candidate who lost the election insisting that he should continue in power, insisting in overriding the results of free and democratic elections to preserve himself in power, and meanwhile appealing to his supporters to use violence to push his goals. Does it feel normal to you, let alone the hallmark of free and democratic elections, to have top military brass feeling the need to address the public to make it clear that they aren't tasked to obey the president, but the constitution?
- Barrin92 6y ago
  >a lot of it way more harmful than arguing over who won an election. there's not much that is more harmful than questioning the legitimate outcome of a democratic election. It can, and is very likely to be a precursor for violence and destabilisation of fundamental institutions. This is not a matter of left and right, it's a matter of truthfulness and peaceful transition of power, which is the most fundamental mechanism in any functioning state.
  - rualca 6y ago
    > This is not a matter of left and right, it's a matter of truthfulness and peaceful transition of power, which is the most fundamental mechanism in any functioning state. Truth be told, in the current US panorama it also doesn't seem to be a "left vs right" issue. Even in the Republican party there are elements who distanced themselves away from this dumpster fire. Libertarians, who in the US political landscape pretty much fall on the right side of the spectrum, were never in the bandwagon to begin with. They might not be numerous, but they are large enough to have been attacked for not supporting the losing candidate, thus for some reason being held responsible for his loss. What the world is witnessing is a political movement headed by a demagogue that's fuelled by populist propaganda, and just because he used right-wing tropes to snare up a following that doesn't mean he represents "the right".
  - ulucs 6y ago
    You have it backwards. You don't think that dictators don't meddle with their election results and then silence anyone who questions the integrity of it? Being able to question the system is what supports democracy. Else you'll get a hundred years more of DNC screwing over candidates like Bernie or Tulsi in favor of candidates like Hillary or Joe. (This claim is disputed. Learn more about how DNC upholds integrity)
    - Barrin92 6y ago
      >Being able to question the system is what supports democracy Questing processes when there is legitimate doubt supports democracy, "Questioning" the system when there is no evidence of wrong-doing undermines trust in a functioning system and improves democracy about as much as creationism or Flat-Eartherism improves science.
- cannedslime 6y ago
  > I can’t believe the left are advocating censorship and the right are advocating letting people decide for themselves. Why? Show me a "leftist" regime that is pro free speech and exchange of information. The greatest examples of communist regimes all had secret police and strictly controlled borders. Modern leftism is basically just corporatism and globalism. Sure the leftists say they want healthcare and all, but do they also want to work and pay for it? Its easy to say you just want something and not regard the hard work and sacrifice it will require. Edit: Its so easy to down vote, but apparently not so easy to list just ONE "leftist" regime that didn't turn out to become a censored shithole :-) I love you HN!
  - jgwil2 6y ago
    Define "leftist." There are plenty of Western European democracies that have been governed by center-left coalitions at various times without descending into whatever you're describing. You're clearly begging the question by making censorship a defining characteristic of "leftist" government. I'm not surprised nobody else has bothered responding to such an obviously bad faith comment.
    - cannedslime 6y ago
      How is that any more bad faith than opposing the opposite? Its an honest observation.
root_axis 6y ago
So YouTube is social media now? It's a video entertainment website with comments. Is netflix social media too? What about reddit? HN? Pornhub? What isn't social media.
- 0172 6y ago
  Non user-generated content?
  - tgv 6y ago
    I would also think that the "social" in "social media" refers to human interaction and conversation.
  - root_axis 6y ago
    So any site with a comment section is social media? You would consider pornhub and HN to be social media?
    - vizzier 6y ago
      Social media from wikipedia [1]: - Social media are interactive Web 2.0 Internet-based applications. - User-generated content such as text posts or comments, digital photos or videos, and data generated through all online interactions, is the lifeblood of social media. - Users create service-specific profiles for the website or app that are designed and maintained by the social media organization. - Social media facilitate the development of online social networks by connecting a user's profile with those of other individuals or groups. By these definitions, though in their own niches, pornhub and HN are certainly social media along with youtube.
      - root_axis 6y ago
        Wikipedia itself is a social media site too I guess. To me, these definitions seem way too broad, I don't think comments and profiles are sufficient to make something social media, and I think if social media includes sites like pornhub and HN then we need a more meaningful classification.
ponker 6y ago
Susan Wojcicki isn't getting grilled by Congress because she has a manager, and he's getting grilled by Congress instead. When Alphabet's CEO was Larry Page the Senate was furious that he didn't show up: https://www.businessinsider.com/us-senate-tears-into-google-for-refusing-to-send-top-executive-to-testify-2018-9 https://www.businessinsider.com/us-senate-tears-into-google-...

25 points by elsewhen 6y ago

optics

> ”The platform is playing host to, and is an important vector for, spreading false claims of election victory and attempts to delegitimize Biden’s win.” This whole debate seems extremely disingenuous to me. What does it matter if people say Biden didn’t win? It changes nothing. People say all kinds of nonsense, a lot of it way more harmful than arguing over who won an election. I can’t believe the left are advocating censorship and the right are advocating letting people decide for themselves.

solipsism 6y ago
Disinformation, especially political disinformation, has been shown to be extremely harmful and an existential threat to democracy. Have you been under a rock the past 4+ years?
- joejerryronnie 6y ago
  Why is political and economic disinformation allowed from the left then?
  - lefrenchy 6y ago
    Genuinely curious if you have examples you can provide here
    - lawnchair_larry 6y ago
      finepeoplehoax.org
- 0xy 6y ago
  Most disinformation comes from mainstream media, especially the harmful stuff. For example, Washington Post falsely claimed Russia hacked into critical US energy infrastructure. The story was fabricated. The New York Times falsely claimed, repeatedly, that there were WMDs in Iraq. The story was fabricated, thousands died. Hence why not a single media organisation in the US is trusted by more than 50% of Americans, including "neutral" (self proclaimed but false) organisations like the Associated Press.
ThePreacherMan 6y ago
Are you brain-damaged?
rualca 6y ago
> What does it matter if people say Biden didn’t win? You're asking if rejecting the result of free and democratic elections and pushing for the subversion of a democratic regime by arguing in favour of installing an illegitimate ruler at the highest position in government matters. Well, it does matter if you intend in continue living in a democracy. In the past it didn't matter to those who pushed to overthrow democracies in favor of a dictatorship.
- crowf 6y ago
  > rejecting the result of free and democratic elections Source that the past US election was free and democratic? You don't need to answer. I admit, it is a bit of a troll question. I, and most Americans, believe that the reason that Biden appears to have won is because he won the most delegates who where selected based on a majority of the legal votes in their corresponding states. One of the reason that I trust the result of the election is because throughout history people have questioned the results, passed laws allowing many observers from all sides, kept a paper trail, and preformed recounts when the result was close and questioned. If, however, we are no longer allowed to question if the election is free and democratic, then I will no longer trust the results.
  - rualca 6y ago
    > Source that the past US election was free and democratic? I'm not sure you're being serious. In case you are, can you provide me with any example which supports the assertion that US voters haven't freely expressed their will in their vote, and that the winners of these elections don't reflect the will of the american people? > I, and most Americans, believe that Biden appears to win is because he won the most delegates who where selected based on a majority of the legal votes in their corresponding states. That's how your system has been working for a couple centuries, yes. > One of the reason that I trust the result of the election is because throughout history people have questioned the results, passed laws allowing many observers from all sides, kept a paper trail, and preformed recounts when the result was close and questioned. But that's not what's happening, isn't it? I mean, the world is witnessing a candidate who lost the election insisting that he should continue in power, insisting in overriding the results of free and democratic elections to preserve himself in power, and meanwhile appealing to his supporters to use violence to push his goals. Does it feel normal to you, let alone the hallmark of free and democratic elections, to have top military brass feeling the need to address the public to make it clear that they aren't tasked to obey the president, but the constitution?
Barrin92 6y ago
>a lot of it way more harmful than arguing over who won an election. there's not much that is more harmful than questioning the legitimate outcome of a democratic election. It can, and is very likely to be a precursor for violence and destabilisation of fundamental institutions. This is not a matter of left and right, it's a matter of truthfulness and peaceful transition of power, which is the most fundamental mechanism in any functioning state.
- rualca 6y ago
  > This is not a matter of left and right, it's a matter of truthfulness and peaceful transition of power, which is the most fundamental mechanism in any functioning state. Truth be told, in the current US panorama it also doesn't seem to be a "left vs right" issue. Even in the Republican party there are elements who distanced themselves away from this dumpster fire. Libertarians, who in the US political landscape pretty much fall on the right side of the spectrum, were never in the bandwagon to begin with. They might not be numerous, but they are large enough to have been attacked for not supporting the losing candidate, thus for some reason being held responsible for his loss. What the world is witnessing is a political movement headed by a demagogue that's fuelled by populist propaganda, and just because he used right-wing tropes to snare up a following that doesn't mean he represents "the right".
- ulucs 6y ago
  You have it backwards. You don't think that dictators don't meddle with their election results and then silence anyone who questions the integrity of it? Being able to question the system is what supports democracy. Else you'll get a hundred years more of DNC screwing over candidates like Bernie or Tulsi in favor of candidates like Hillary or Joe. (This claim is disputed. Learn more about how DNC upholds integrity)
  - Barrin92 6y ago
    >Being able to question the system is what supports democracy Questing processes when there is legitimate doubt supports democracy, "Questioning" the system when there is no evidence of wrong-doing undermines trust in a functioning system and improves democracy about as much as creationism or Flat-Eartherism improves science.
cannedslime 6y ago
> I can’t believe the left are advocating censorship and the right are advocating letting people decide for themselves. Why? Show me a "leftist" regime that is pro free speech and exchange of information. The greatest examples of communist regimes all had secret police and strictly controlled borders. Modern leftism is basically just corporatism and globalism. Sure the leftists say they want healthcare and all, but do they also want to work and pay for it? Its easy to say you just want something and not regard the hard work and sacrifice it will require. Edit: Its so easy to down vote, but apparently not so easy to list just ONE "leftist" regime that didn't turn out to become a censored shithole :-) I love you HN!
- jgwil2 6y ago
  Define "leftist." There are plenty of Western European democracies that have been governed by center-left coalitions at various times without descending into whatever you're describing. You're clearly begging the question by making censorship a defining characteristic of "leftist" government. I'm not surprised nobody else has bothered responding to such an obviously bad faith comment.
  - cannedslime 6y ago
    How is that any more bad faith than opposing the opposite? Its an honest observation.

root_axis 6y ago

So YouTube is social media now? It's a video entertainment website with comments. Is netflix social media too? What about reddit? HN? Pornhub? What isn't social media.

0172 6y ago
Non user-generated content?
- tgv 6y ago
  I would also think that the "social" in "social media" refers to human interaction and conversation.
- root_axis 6y ago
  So any site with a comment section is social media? You would consider pornhub and HN to be social media?
  - vizzier 6y ago
    Social media from wikipedia [1]: - Social media are interactive Web 2.0 Internet-based applications. - User-generated content such as text posts or comments, digital photos or videos, and data generated through all online interactions, is the lifeblood of social media. - Users create service-specific profiles for the website or app that are designed and maintained by the social media organization. - Social media facilitate the development of online social networks by connecting a user's profile with those of other individuals or groups. By these definitions, though in their own niches, pornhub and HN are certainly social media along with youtube.
    - root_axis 6y ago
      Wikipedia itself is a social media site too I guess. To me, these definitions seem way too broad, I don't think comments and profiles are sufficient to make something social media, and I think if social media includes sites like pornhub and HN then we need a more meaningful classification.

ponker 6y ago

Susan Wojcicki isn't getting grilled by Congress because she has a manager, and he's getting grilled by Congress instead. When Alphabet's CEO was Larry Page the Senate was furious that he didn't show up: https://www.businessinsider.com/us-senate-tears-into-google-for-refusing-to-send-top-executive-to-testify-2018-9 https://www.businessinsider.com/us-senate-tears-into-google-...