5 ms·

This is kinda how I feel about Elon. As a person, I really don't care about his personal opinion on most things. I really don't want him in charge of Twitter e

This is kinda how I feel about Elon. As a person, I really don't care about his personal opinion on most things. I really don't want him in charge of Twitter especially since I can see the first thing he does is unban Trump. So I am hoping if this does go through an alternative quickly springs up and gains dominance. But when it comes to Space... I am a strong believer in SpaceX. The facts with how they are performing. Especially after how bad the SLS is going. We basically needed SpaceX. Tesla? I mean I am glad he did it when he did it. Thankfully we are now seeing most (if not all?) car companies working on electric and I don't think that would have happened without Tesla.

jhugo 5y ago
Regardless of what you think of Trump, it is absurd that a major medium of public communication has banned a former president. I'll concede that a big part of the absurdity is the fact that Trump was president, but the idea that people need protecting from someone's words, and that Twitter's leadership are the appropriate people to make that call, really doesn't sit right with me.
- nerdjon 5y ago
  I wish Twitter would ban more people and stop being so hesitant. I don't care that Trump is no longer president, he continuously took actions that would have banned him many times over if he had not been president. He then tried to circumvent those bans. Anyone else would be banned for life. Twitter is a private company and do whatever they want to do. It is their platform.
  - jhugo 5y ago
    > Twitter is a private company and do whatever they want to do. It is their platform. They actually aren't a private company, yet, but it sounds like they probably will be soon. Just because they can do something doesn't mean they should. A huge amount of our public discourse flows through platforms controlled by companies. If you want those platforms to start to ban everyone who disobeys some set of rules, who would you like writing those rules? Are you comfortable with them making them up as they go along?
    - nerdjon 5y ago
      Splitting hairs, I will assume you knew what I meant because them being public as far as having shares out does not change anything about this argument. They are not a government system. To answer your question, yes. Rules (like laws in government) change overtime. Twitter helpfully has a section outlining their rules https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/twitter-rules https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/twitter-rules . It also clearly states that they can update these rules at any point. As far as who sets the rules, Twitter. It is their platform. How is that a question?
      - jhugo 5y ago
        The point is that when a social network is large enough to become significant in the way people communicate, the way thought evolves in society, etc, it becomes a societal issue that the owners of that network can (and, as you keep pointing out, are completely within their rights to) arbitrarily restrict what people can say. In case it's not clear, I don't claim that Twitter doesn't have the legal right to moderate their platform. I claim that it is a problem for society that more and more of our public discourse happens on platforms with this type of arbitrary moderation.
        nerdjon 5y ago
        You don't have to use twitter, Facebook, or any other platform. If you are dissatisfied with the rules then make your own. Just because something has become a major player in communication, doesn't meant these companies should be obligated to turn a blind eye to content that they find disagreeable. Also, I have yet to see a case where anyone has been "arbitrarily" restricted. They conform to the rules as clearly stated on their website. If anything I have seen that they are not doing as well as I wish they were at enforcing their rules. But it largely makes sense that the bigger you are the more scrutiny you will have on your tweets. It isn't like just because you have an account on twitter you can't have an account on some alternative.
        jhugo 5y ago
minusf 5y ago
> I don't think that would have happened without Tesla. why? what would the other car manufacturers do when there is no more oil to put into the combustion engines? just lie down and die? everybody can see the writing on the wall. sure, tesla might have sped it up a bit. but to be solely responsible for that? tesla is not even the first EV company or the first prototype.
- nerdjon 5y ago
  I should have been more clear about that. I more meant the timing of it, I think if it wasn't for Tesla we may be looking at another 5-10 years for electric vehicles. It is entirely possible another company would have come out and taken Tesla's place. But I just don't see the main car companies having tried it yet if it wasn't for Tesla (or another well funded EV that was that bullish).

jhugo 5y ago

Regardless of what you think of Trump, it is absurd that a major medium of public communication has banned a former president. I'll concede that a big part of the absurdity is the fact that Trump was president, but the idea that people need protecting from someone's words, and that Twitter's leadership are the appropriate people to make that call, really doesn't sit right with me.

nerdjon 5y ago
I wish Twitter would ban more people and stop being so hesitant. I don't care that Trump is no longer president, he continuously took actions that would have banned him many times over if he had not been president. He then tried to circumvent those bans. Anyone else would be banned for life. Twitter is a private company and do whatever they want to do. It is their platform.
- jhugo 5y ago
  > Twitter is a private company and do whatever they want to do. It is their platform. They actually aren't a private company, yet, but it sounds like they probably will be soon. Just because they can do something doesn't mean they should. A huge amount of our public discourse flows through platforms controlled by companies. If you want those platforms to start to ban everyone who disobeys some set of rules, who would you like writing those rules? Are you comfortable with them making them up as they go along?
  - nerdjon 5y ago
    Splitting hairs, I will assume you knew what I meant because them being public as far as having shares out does not change anything about this argument. They are not a government system. To answer your question, yes. Rules (like laws in government) change overtime. Twitter helpfully has a section outlining their rules https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/twitter-rules https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/twitter-rules . It also clearly states that they can update these rules at any point. As far as who sets the rules, Twitter. It is their platform. How is that a question?
    - jhugo 5y ago
      The point is that when a social network is large enough to become significant in the way people communicate, the way thought evolves in society, etc, it becomes a societal issue that the owners of that network can (and, as you keep pointing out, are completely within their rights to) arbitrarily restrict what people can say. In case it's not clear, I don't claim that Twitter doesn't have the legal right to moderate their platform. I claim that it is a problem for society that more and more of our public discourse happens on platforms with this type of arbitrary moderation.
      - nerdjon 5y ago
        You don't have to use twitter, Facebook, or any other platform. If you are dissatisfied with the rules then make your own. Just because something has become a major player in communication, doesn't meant these companies should be obligated to turn a blind eye to content that they find disagreeable. Also, I have yet to see a case where anyone has been "arbitrarily" restricted. They conform to the rules as clearly stated on their website. If anything I have seen that they are not doing as well as I wish they were at enforcing their rules. But it largely makes sense that the bigger you are the more scrutiny you will have on your tweets. It isn't like just because you have an account on twitter you can't have an account on some alternative.
        jhugo 5y ago

minusf 5y ago

> I don't think that would have happened without Tesla. why? what would the other car manufacturers do when there is no more oil to put into the combustion engines? just lie down and die? everybody can see the writing on the wall. sure, tesla might have sped it up a bit. but to be solely responsible for that? tesla is not even the first EV company or the first prototype.

nerdjon 5y ago
I should have been more clear about that. I more meant the timing of it, I think if it wasn't for Tesla we may be looking at another 5-10 years for electric vehicles. It is entirely possible another company would have come out and taken Tesla's place. But I just don't see the main car companies having tried it yet if it wasn't for Tesla (or another well funded EV that was that bullish).