6 ms·

Parler partially reappears with support from Russian technology firm

40 points by kamyarg 6y ago

Bucephalus355 6y ago
The most incredible thing about all this is that Parler was built on top of ... WordPress. Robert Mercer put $10,000,000 into Parler, and they build out a WordPress app. I don't mean to be harsh, and I actually have a special affection for PHP (the first programming language I studied), but that is engineering malpractice. Also FYI per the New Yorker story in 2018, Robert Mercer is the largest private owner of machine guns in the US. He runs them through the armory Centre Firearms [1]. [1] - https://CentreFirearms.com https://CentreFirearms.com
- shishy 6y ago
  What does the last bit have to do with the discussion?
  - Craighead 6y ago
    If you had any experience with WP you'd see the connection
- flagrant 6y ago
  I've seen no reliable sources make the claim that Parler was built on WordPress. To the best of my knowledge this stems from a misunderstanding, and Parler had a WordPress blog which was compromised, but that is a completely separate system to the main social media site, which is not WordPress.
mtmail 6y ago
Related disuccsion https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25829794 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25829794 The Russian firm is providing DDoS protection, it's not clear where, or by whom, the website is hosted.
2Gkashmiri 6y ago
soooo. they are going to host censorship free content in a country accused of censorship itself against a govt which is supposedly most democratic and against censorship and for free speech... phew that was a mouthful... /s. edit. DDOS protection against free speech activists aiming to instill the values of free and uncensored speech on the rest of the ungrateful world
- 5560675260 6y ago
  It absolutely makes sense to host outside of sphere of influence of people that want to shut you down. China would be a good candidate too (Russia is better, though, since there is 0 chance of good relationships with new admin), unless Parler's uses will become way too involved in China's internal affairs.
- zionic 6y ago
  You don't find it ironic that a company in a "free" country has to go to a "not free" country to get hosting that won't cancel them for promoting freedom?
  - 2Gkashmiri 6y ago
    the point i am trying to make and this person is defending it while my comment is getting down votes. wow
  - avmich 6y ago
    For promoting "freedom". I think it's in practice an open question between free speech and propaganda - we really like free speech - 1st amendment, and we really dislike propaganda - Germany, 1930-s - and we really don't know how to deal with this.
throwawaymanbot 6y ago
of course it got more Russian help.... Disgusting.
jl2718 6y ago
Let’s ask the naive question here. Why would an American company go to Russia to exercise their American right to free speech?
- netsharc 6y ago
  To play devil's advocate, imagine a chat app for Iranians that faces an attack from their government, and asks an EU-based company to host them... Sadly in the alternate reality, people believe tomorrow the "Deep State" will install a regime to take over the country of the "true patriots"...
- gurleen_s 6y ago
  No government body was restricting their free speech. It was only the free market refusing to do business with them.
  - trident5000 6y ago
    "free market" aka 2 coordinating app stores with complete dominance. Server hosting is a step down in oligopoly behavior but its consolidating fast.
    - IOT_Apprentice 6y ago
      Parler does not need a app, they can be a fully functioning site for conservative hate speech by using the latest in web technology. They don't need a app.
    - FireBeyond 6y ago
      Android devices allow side loading, and as noted, you don't need an app to use Parler. Server hosting is still entirely a commodity. "Cloud Providers" are also a (smaller) commodity. Vendor tie-in (to things like AWS) is a problem for a number of businesses entirely less controversial than Parler.
      - trident5000 6y ago
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
born_a_skeptic 6y ago
Why does this need to be a news headline on Reuters?

40 points by kamyarg 6y ago

The most incredible thing about all this is that Parler was built on top of ... WordPress. Robert Mercer put $10,000,000 into Parler, and they build out a WordPress app. I don't mean to be harsh, and I actually have a special affection for PHP (the first programming language I studied), but that is engineering malpractice. Also FYI per the New Yorker story in 2018, Robert Mercer is the largest private owner of machine guns in the US. He runs them through the armory Centre Firearms [1]. [1] - https://CentreFirearms.com https://CentreFirearms.com

shishy 6y ago
What does the last bit have to do with the discussion?
- Craighead 6y ago
  If you had any experience with WP you'd see the connection
flagrant 6y ago
I've seen no reliable sources make the claim that Parler was built on WordPress. To the best of my knowledge this stems from a misunderstanding, and Parler had a WordPress blog which was compromised, but that is a completely separate system to the main social media site, which is not WordPress.

mtmail 6y ago

Related disuccsion https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25829794 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25829794 The Russian firm is providing DDoS protection, it's not clear where, or by whom, the website is hosted.

2Gkashmiri 6y ago

soooo. they are going to host censorship free content in a country accused of censorship itself against a govt which is supposedly most democratic and against censorship and for free speech... phew that was a mouthful... /s. edit. DDOS protection against free speech activists aiming to instill the values of free and uncensored speech on the rest of the ungrateful world

5560675260 6y ago
It absolutely makes sense to host outside of sphere of influence of people that want to shut you down. China would be a good candidate too (Russia is better, though, since there is 0 chance of good relationships with new admin), unless Parler's uses will become way too involved in China's internal affairs.
zionic 6y ago
You don't find it ironic that a company in a "free" country has to go to a "not free" country to get hosting that won't cancel them for promoting freedom?
- 2Gkashmiri 6y ago
  the point i am trying to make and this person is defending it while my comment is getting down votes. wow
- avmich 6y ago
  For promoting "freedom". I think it's in practice an open question between free speech and propaganda - we really like free speech - 1st amendment, and we really dislike propaganda - Germany, 1930-s - and we really don't know how to deal with this.

throwawaymanbot 6y ago

of course it got more Russian help.... Disgusting.

jl2718 6y ago

Let’s ask the naive question here. Why would an American company go to Russia to exercise their American right to free speech?

netsharc 6y ago
To play devil's advocate, imagine a chat app for Iranians that faces an attack from their government, and asks an EU-based company to host them... Sadly in the alternate reality, people believe tomorrow the "Deep State" will install a regime to take over the country of the "true patriots"...
gurleen_s 6y ago
No government body was restricting their free speech. It was only the free market refusing to do business with them.
- trident5000 6y ago
  "free market" aka 2 coordinating app stores with complete dominance. Server hosting is a step down in oligopoly behavior but its consolidating fast.
  - IOT_Apprentice 6y ago
    Parler does not need a app, they can be a fully functioning site for conservative hate speech by using the latest in web technology. They don't need a app.
  - FireBeyond 6y ago
    Android devices allow side loading, and as noted, you don't need an app to use Parler. Server hosting is still entirely a commodity. "Cloud Providers" are also a (smaller) commodity. Vendor tie-in (to things like AWS) is a problem for a number of businesses entirely less controversial than Parler.
    - trident5000 6y ago

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

born_a_skeptic 6y ago

Why does this need to be a news headline on Reuters?