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[Sober, well-researched article about the dangers of pervasive social media that calls for strong government regulation] “This link has been associated with ha

[Sober, well-researched article about the dangers of pervasive social media that calls for strong government regulation] “This link has been associated with harmful extremist content. Are you sure you wish to proceed?”

Closi 5y ago
100% agree - let’s not forget that at the start of the pandemic the social media platforms called the lab leak theory an extreme conspiracy and some social platforms blocked links, now it’s one of the leading theories, so clearly and unsurprisingly these policies have already resulted in legitimate discourse being blocked.
- redis_mlc 5y ago
  Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US military, is a CRT proponent, so social media is kind of late to warn our society. Can you believe our military has adopted Communist ideology? The US has been in a Cold War with Russia and China since 1945, yet here we are. https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/general-milley-critical-race-theory-why-gop-s-woke-military-ncna1272558 https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/general-milley-critica...
- peakaboo 5y ago
  That's just one out of many more events the mainstream media has been disregarding or lying about. It may be extreme to call the mainstream media propaganda but then again, it may not.
  - herbst 5y ago
    When people say mainstream media what do they mean? Our Swiss media houses never really excluded any Theorie that could get milked for clicks. I mean why would they? Facebook did censor a lot, but Facebook can't be considered media. Edit:// isn't it more the lack of willingness to explore outside your bubble before you form an opinion?
  - brandonmenc 5y ago
    > It may be extreme to call the mainstream media propaganda but then again, it may not. Warranted or not, they have duck-typed themselves into it.
- bellyfullofbac 5y ago
  I think I use the scientific method a lot, and dismissing a possible theory as "extremist conspiracy" before having all the answers is very unscientific, especially if the other theory (zoonotic spread) doesn't have bulletproof evidence yet. The fact that some scientists signed up to the zoonotic theory and dismissed the lab leak theory is weird, and the fact that social media banned the links means their censorship is flawed. Then again, too many idiots think proof means "The CCP notoriously likes to hide stuff, therefore they're hiding the lab leak, therefore the lab leak theory is real, QED". That sort of disinformation does deserve a ban. Now watch this comment get downvoted for... not following the herd?
  - AussieWog93 5y ago
    >Now watch this comment get downvoted for... not following the herd? Come on man, don't be like that. You're basically asking people to give you upvotes.
  - skissane 5y ago
    > Then again, too many idiots think proof means "The CCP notoriously likes to hide stuff, therefore they're hiding the lab leak, therefore the lab leak theory is real, QED". That sort of disinformation does deserve a ban. "The CCP notoriously likes to hide stuff, which makes it more likely that they're hiding the lab leak, which makes it more likely that the lab leak theory is true" isn't that far off but seems much more reasonable. Should we ban people for making strawman arguments, or should we steelman their argument in response?
    - bellyfullofbac 5y ago
      > which makes it more likely that they're hiding the lab leak, which makes it more likely that the lab leak theory is true. Geezus Christ, just as I'm talking about scientific thinking and lack of it. No and no! It's possible, but they're not more likely! Why they don't want Western investigators free reign investigating the lab? Imagine if the WHO asked the US to let in Chinese investigators in their virology labs. Maybe they're hiding bio-weapons research, or cancer research that they want bragging rights for, but it doesn't automatically mean there's the "Covid smoking gun" being hidden there. It's possible, but them being cagey doesn't make it more possible.
- mschuster91 5y ago
  > let’s not forget that at the start of the pandemic the social media platforms called the lab leak theory an extreme conspiracy and some social platforms blocked links That was because back then the people spreading the lab leak theory were almost exclusively Alex Jones-level or worse crackpots.
  - paul_f 5y ago
    Great example of a ad hominem fallacy. Well done. :-)
    - josefresco 5y ago
      Pretty sure Alex Jones has stated in court, in his own defense that everything he says is for "entertainment" has has no basis in truth or reality. So by his own admission, you can't trust what he says. You can be entertained though and apparently that's enough for many Americans.
      - RegBarclay 5y ago
        Rachel Maddow has done the same, but I know way too many people who trust what she says.
        josefresco 5y ago
        I don't watch Rachel Maddow but I certainly wouldn't trust her opinion (being a TV news personality) on such important topics as COVID where she (and every other news personality) has zero qualifications. Can you share the link to her testimony?
        RegBarclay 5y ago
        Her defense in a defamation lawsuit was that she was using hyperbole in offering an opinion. She's not the only commentary show host to use that defense, but she's the most notable one on the left that a lot of people like to overlook when pointing out the exaggerations and hyperbole on the right. https://timesofsandiego.com/business/2019/10/21/rachel-maddow-asks-san-diego-judge-to-throw-out-oan-defamation-suit/ https://timesofsandiego.com/business/2019/10/21/rachel-maddo...
- azangru 5y ago
  > now it’s one of the leading theories I think the consensus is yet to move on this one. In a recent text I saw by someone who was trying to channel the majority opinion of the scientific community, they were calling it the less likely possibility, or something to that effect. I believe it's only in the public opinion that it became one of the leading theories, because the media suddenly decided that it was going to allow people to talk about it, and Jon Stewart went on Stephen Colbert...
darthrupert 5y ago
Does this actually happen?
- ttt0 5y ago
  Considering the fact that they're fact-checking stupid memes, I wouldn't be surprised.
- pydry 5y ago
  If you try to apply ML to this problem.
bbrree66 5y ago
It's amazing with concrete examples like this people are still hoping that they will be moderated to "save" people. It's truly insanity.

Closi 5y ago

100% agree - let’s not forget that at the start of the pandemic the social media platforms called the lab leak theory an extreme conspiracy and some social platforms blocked links, now it’s one of the leading theories, so clearly and unsurprisingly these policies have already resulted in legitimate discourse being blocked.

redis_mlc 5y ago
Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US military, is a CRT proponent, so social media is kind of late to warn our society. Can you believe our military has adopted Communist ideology? The US has been in a Cold War with Russia and China since 1945, yet here we are. https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/general-milley-critical-race-theory-why-gop-s-woke-military-ncna1272558 https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/general-milley-critica...
peakaboo 5y ago
That's just one out of many more events the mainstream media has been disregarding or lying about. It may be extreme to call the mainstream media propaganda but then again, it may not.
- herbst 5y ago
  When people say mainstream media what do they mean? Our Swiss media houses never really excluded any Theorie that could get milked for clicks. I mean why would they? Facebook did censor a lot, but Facebook can't be considered media. Edit:// isn't it more the lack of willingness to explore outside your bubble before you form an opinion?
- brandonmenc 5y ago
  > It may be extreme to call the mainstream media propaganda but then again, it may not. Warranted or not, they have duck-typed themselves into it.
bellyfullofbac 5y ago
I think I use the scientific method a lot, and dismissing a possible theory as "extremist conspiracy" before having all the answers is very unscientific, especially if the other theory (zoonotic spread) doesn't have bulletproof evidence yet. The fact that some scientists signed up to the zoonotic theory and dismissed the lab leak theory is weird, and the fact that social media banned the links means their censorship is flawed. Then again, too many idiots think proof means "The CCP notoriously likes to hide stuff, therefore they're hiding the lab leak, therefore the lab leak theory is real, QED". That sort of disinformation does deserve a ban. Now watch this comment get downvoted for... not following the herd?
- AussieWog93 5y ago
  >Now watch this comment get downvoted for... not following the herd? Come on man, don't be like that. You're basically asking people to give you upvotes.
- skissane 5y ago
  > Then again, too many idiots think proof means "The CCP notoriously likes to hide stuff, therefore they're hiding the lab leak, therefore the lab leak theory is real, QED". That sort of disinformation does deserve a ban. "The CCP notoriously likes to hide stuff, which makes it more likely that they're hiding the lab leak, which makes it more likely that the lab leak theory is true" isn't that far off but seems much more reasonable. Should we ban people for making strawman arguments, or should we steelman their argument in response?
  - bellyfullofbac 5y ago
    > which makes it more likely that they're hiding the lab leak, which makes it more likely that the lab leak theory is true. Geezus Christ, just as I'm talking about scientific thinking and lack of it. No and no! It's possible, but they're not more likely! Why they don't want Western investigators free reign investigating the lab? Imagine if the WHO asked the US to let in Chinese investigators in their virology labs. Maybe they're hiding bio-weapons research, or cancer research that they want bragging rights for, but it doesn't automatically mean there's the "Covid smoking gun" being hidden there. It's possible, but them being cagey doesn't make it more possible.
mschuster91 5y ago
> let’s not forget that at the start of the pandemic the social media platforms called the lab leak theory an extreme conspiracy and some social platforms blocked links That was because back then the people spreading the lab leak theory were almost exclusively Alex Jones-level or worse crackpots.
- paul_f 5y ago
  Great example of a ad hominem fallacy. Well done. :-)
  - josefresco 5y ago
    Pretty sure Alex Jones has stated in court, in his own defense that everything he says is for "entertainment" has has no basis in truth or reality. So by his own admission, you can't trust what he says. You can be entertained though and apparently that's enough for many Americans.
    - RegBarclay 5y ago
      Rachel Maddow has done the same, but I know way too many people who trust what she says.
      - josefresco 5y ago
        I don't watch Rachel Maddow but I certainly wouldn't trust her opinion (being a TV news personality) on such important topics as COVID where she (and every other news personality) has zero qualifications. Can you share the link to her testimony?
        RegBarclay 5y ago
        Her defense in a defamation lawsuit was that she was using hyperbole in offering an opinion. She's not the only commentary show host to use that defense, but she's the most notable one on the left that a lot of people like to overlook when pointing out the exaggerations and hyperbole on the right. https://timesofsandiego.com/business/2019/10/21/rachel-maddow-asks-san-diego-judge-to-throw-out-oan-defamation-suit/ https://timesofsandiego.com/business/2019/10/21/rachel-maddo...
azangru 5y ago
> now it’s one of the leading theories I think the consensus is yet to move on this one. In a recent text I saw by someone who was trying to channel the majority opinion of the scientific community, they were calling it the less likely possibility, or something to that effect. I believe it's only in the public opinion that it became one of the leading theories, because the media suddenly decided that it was going to allow people to talk about it, and Jon Stewart went on Stephen Colbert...

darthrupert 5y ago

Does this actually happen?

ttt0 5y ago
Considering the fact that they're fact-checking stupid memes, I wouldn't be surprised.
pydry 5y ago
If you try to apply ML to this problem.

bbrree66 5y ago

It's amazing with concrete examples like this people are still hoping that they will be moderated to "save" people. It's truly insanity.