4 ms·

So today we had: * Reddit ban a number of pro trump subreddits (details at reddit.com/r/reclassified) * Twitter permanently bans Trump and a number of other i

So today we had: * Reddit ban a number of pro trump subreddits (details at reddit.com/r/reclassified) * Twitter permanently bans Trump and a number of other influential conservative accounts * Discord has banned the donald win discord * Google banned Parler from the Play Store * Apple is strongly considering to do the same This will go down as a very important day in American Internet history. A very important week in American history. I can only wonder what the next two weeks will have in store.

kumarvvr 6y ago
Important to remember, these companies did this not from an outpouring of ethical or moral considerations, but because the next president will not tolerate them. Edit: To be clear, I support the bans and would have loved to see them earlier. I am not lamenting them.
- alisonkisk 6y ago
  Can you share any evidence of that?
  - kumarvvr 6y ago
    Isn't it obvious. There are a number of time trump violated the terms and conditions of various platforms with his content. There are numerous instances where activists have pointed out glaring breach of T&C, nothing was ever done, because it was good for business
billylindeman 6y ago
And everyone cheers it on. :(
- maxerickson 6y ago
  Aren't there 75 million people that are very upset about it? (I mostly think it's hilarious that he's slowly rounded up from 74 million)
  - slivanes 6y ago
    If he was OK with numbers to begin with he'd see the folly in disputing the election result, Covid cases, tax returns, ...
    - jcranmer 6y ago
      But 11,780! If you can just find 11,780!
- lotsofpulp 6y ago
  I find it funny considering the people complaining about it claim to be “small government” anti regulations proponents.
rasengan 6y ago
Pizzagate is real.
valvar 6y ago
The most ominous thing is how well-coordinated the megacorps are. I would say that it's time to put some checks on those incredible powers, but realistically, that's like complaining about Christian theological dominance during the middle ages in Europe. It's a shame that action was not taken much, much earlier (that is, a decade ago or so).
- geofft 6y ago
  This sort of coordination is exactly what free markets do. There's no conspiracy or coordination other than that. You may as well imply that there was some sort of coordination between every marketing department releasing an ad saying "In these uncertain times..." last March. The coup failed, the dust settled, Biden will be inaugurated, and most importantly, the Democrats took control of the Senate for the next two years. Ajit Pai announced that he's dropping his plan to creatively reinterpret Section 230 because he won't get the rulemaking done in time. The consensus of the country and the world is that the far right has crossed a line, and there is significant public sentiment against the platforms that enabled them. It is suddenly no longer net profitable to keep them around. Every platform independently came to the same conclusion at the same time because they saw the same facts.
  - adnzzzzZ 6y ago
    Wrong. They came to the same conclusion at the same time because their side of the battle finally won and now they can punish their enemies safely. That's all there is to it. Anything else is a rationalization. In the future if the other side ever wins again it should act the same way and punish their enemies too, in a stronger and more vindictive manner. And this should escalate until one side seizes total control or a split happens in the country. This is the logical conclusion of this and thus it is what should happen and likely will happen.
    - getlawgdon 6y ago
      comical. destroy the right then.
    - 6y ago
ajross 6y ago
Seems like Wednesday was a very important day in plain old American History, so... I just can't understand this site, I really can't. Our legislative branch was attacked at the direction of our executive branch on Wednesday. But what people are really upset about is the president's ability to tweet? I mean... I get that it would be nice to have platforms that were politically neutral. But if that's not working out? Meh. There are plenty of places where conservatives can scream on the internet (including right here! I await my downvotes with resignation). You Just Can't Align Yourself With a Coup. Is that so terribly hard?
rzz3 6y ago
What other conservative accounts, just curious?
- pineapple_rice 6y ago
  Michael Flynn and Sidney Powell to name two well known ones.
shripadk 6y ago
> This will go down as a very important day in American Internet history. A very important week in American history. The day Censorship was made valid with hordes cheering them on. A very bad and sad precedent. This is going to backfire very, very badly. The Big Tech tested waters and realized they can behave like Supranational Powers and have support from the people. All it takes for Big Tech is for them to convince the popular masses on how to think. That is the last step to complete control. Elected Governments will be powerless against this kind of power. If they can do this to a sitting US President they can do it to anyone else and can influence elections and electorates in ways we have never imagined before.
- icedchai 6y ago
  Yes, definitely. I too find it incredibly sad. Give me the 90's Internet back.
  - awnird 6y ago
    Burning all your alt accounts to evade a forums ban is basically the 90s internet.
    - icedchai 6y ago
      I was thinking more like Usenet, which was fully distributed and difficult to censor. Individuals could establish "killfiles" to filter out people or threads they didn't want to see, etc.
Frost1x 6y ago
Not sure why this is being downvoted. It's a very valid point whether or not you agree with the messages going out on these platforms, the significance these platforms play in public and political discussion is quite apparent. These are serious issues people need to discuss and try to figure out. There is no longer a public square people gather and talk, even more so during this pandemic. Right now I support the effort given the context, but what happens if I'm on the other side of the table and in the right?
userbinator 6y ago
Perhaps slightly less politically, Twitter also hits Sci-Hub: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25684838 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25684838
TrackerFF 6y ago
Well, good riddance to Trump. But the only thing I'm really worried about, is that his most extreme followers will feel even more marginalized - which could make the echo chambers even more dangerous. I don't think these actions are as much coordinated, as they simply are a cascade of reactions. But from the outside, especially to those living in a bubble, it certainly would look like a surgical strike on Trump and his followers. That alone, could absolutely elevate the "deep state conspiracy" psychosis to even more dangerous heights. How long until some of the nutjobs actually start using their pipebombs and IED's?
- vecter 6y ago
  Let's be honest. His followers, especially the ones that stormed the Capitol, aren't living in reality. They believe the lies that this election was stolen. It wasn't. It was fair, free, secure, and accurate. But reality doesn't matter to them. We gain nothing but lose so much by pandering to these people for whom facts mean nothing. They will do what they will do, including an insurrection in the national's capital while a joint session of Congress is in order to enact the peaceful transition of power, one of the most sacred tenants of democracy, and nothing we can do will convince them otherwise.
- DonHopkins 6y ago
  They'll feel marginalized and play the victim no matter how we treat them, so it's about time to marginalize the fuck out of them.

kumarvvr 6y ago

Important to remember, these companies did this not from an outpouring of ethical or moral considerations, but because the next president will not tolerate them. Edit: To be clear, I support the bans and would have loved to see them earlier. I am not lamenting them.

alisonkisk 6y ago
Can you share any evidence of that?
- kumarvvr 6y ago
  Isn't it obvious. There are a number of time trump violated the terms and conditions of various platforms with his content. There are numerous instances where activists have pointed out glaring breach of T&C, nothing was ever done, because it was good for business

billylindeman 6y ago

And everyone cheers it on. :(

maxerickson 6y ago
Aren't there 75 million people that are very upset about it? (I mostly think it's hilarious that he's slowly rounded up from 74 million)
- slivanes 6y ago
  If he was OK with numbers to begin with he'd see the folly in disputing the election result, Covid cases, tax returns, ...
  - jcranmer 6y ago
    But 11,780! If you can just find 11,780!
lotsofpulp 6y ago
I find it funny considering the people complaining about it claim to be “small government” anti regulations proponents.

rasengan 6y ago

Pizzagate is real.

valvar 6y ago

The most ominous thing is how well-coordinated the megacorps are. I would say that it's time to put some checks on those incredible powers, but realistically, that's like complaining about Christian theological dominance during the middle ages in Europe. It's a shame that action was not taken much, much earlier (that is, a decade ago or so).

geofft 6y ago
This sort of coordination is exactly what free markets do. There's no conspiracy or coordination other than that. You may as well imply that there was some sort of coordination between every marketing department releasing an ad saying "In these uncertain times..." last March. The coup failed, the dust settled, Biden will be inaugurated, and most importantly, the Democrats took control of the Senate for the next two years. Ajit Pai announced that he's dropping his plan to creatively reinterpret Section 230 because he won't get the rulemaking done in time. The consensus of the country and the world is that the far right has crossed a line, and there is significant public sentiment against the platforms that enabled them. It is suddenly no longer net profitable to keep them around. Every platform independently came to the same conclusion at the same time because they saw the same facts.
- adnzzzzZ 6y ago
  Wrong. They came to the same conclusion at the same time because their side of the battle finally won and now they can punish their enemies safely. That's all there is to it. Anything else is a rationalization. In the future if the other side ever wins again it should act the same way and punish their enemies too, in a stronger and more vindictive manner. And this should escalate until one side seizes total control or a split happens in the country. This is the logical conclusion of this and thus it is what should happen and likely will happen.
  - getlawgdon 6y ago
    comical. destroy the right then.
  - 6y ago

ajross 6y ago

Seems like Wednesday was a very important day in plain old American History, so... I just can't understand this site, I really can't. Our legislative branch was attacked at the direction of our executive branch on Wednesday. But what people are really upset about is the president's ability to tweet? I mean... I get that it would be nice to have platforms that were politically neutral. But if that's not working out? Meh. There are plenty of places where conservatives can scream on the internet (including right here! I await my downvotes with resignation). You Just Can't Align Yourself With a Coup. Is that so terribly hard?

rzz3 6y ago

What other conservative accounts, just curious?

pineapple_rice 6y ago
Michael Flynn and Sidney Powell to name two well known ones.

shripadk 6y ago

> This will go down as a very important day in American Internet history. A very important week in American history. The day Censorship was made valid with hordes cheering them on. A very bad and sad precedent. This is going to backfire very, very badly. The Big Tech tested waters and realized they can behave like Supranational Powers and have support from the people. All it takes for Big Tech is for them to convince the popular masses on how to think. That is the last step to complete control. Elected Governments will be powerless against this kind of power. If they can do this to a sitting US President they can do it to anyone else and can influence elections and electorates in ways we have never imagined before.

icedchai 6y ago
Yes, definitely. I too find it incredibly sad. Give me the 90's Internet back.
- awnird 6y ago
  Burning all your alt accounts to evade a forums ban is basically the 90s internet.
  - icedchai 6y ago
    I was thinking more like Usenet, which was fully distributed and difficult to censor. Individuals could establish "killfiles" to filter out people or threads they didn't want to see, etc.

Frost1x 6y ago

Not sure why this is being downvoted. It's a very valid point whether or not you agree with the messages going out on these platforms, the significance these platforms play in public and political discussion is quite apparent. These are serious issues people need to discuss and try to figure out. There is no longer a public square people gather and talk, even more so during this pandemic. Right now I support the effort given the context, but what happens if I'm on the other side of the table and in the right?

userbinator 6y ago

Perhaps slightly less politically, Twitter also hits Sci-Hub: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25684838 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25684838

TrackerFF 6y ago

Well, good riddance to Trump. But the only thing I'm really worried about, is that his most extreme followers will feel even more marginalized - which could make the echo chambers even more dangerous. I don't think these actions are as much coordinated, as they simply are a cascade of reactions. But from the outside, especially to those living in a bubble, it certainly would look like a surgical strike on Trump and his followers. That alone, could absolutely elevate the "deep state conspiracy" psychosis to even more dangerous heights. How long until some of the nutjobs actually start using their pipebombs and IED's?

vecter 6y ago
Let's be honest. His followers, especially the ones that stormed the Capitol, aren't living in reality. They believe the lies that this election was stolen. It wasn't. It was fair, free, secure, and accurate. But reality doesn't matter to them. We gain nothing but lose so much by pandering to these people for whom facts mean nothing. They will do what they will do, including an insurrection in the national's capital while a joint session of Congress is in order to enact the peaceful transition of power, one of the most sacred tenants of democracy, and nothing we can do will convince them otherwise.
DonHopkins 6y ago
They'll feel marginalized and play the victim no matter how we treat them, so it's about time to marginalize the fuck out of them.