> To us programmers language and code and free speech sure seem like all the same thing, but as you zoom out it stops being language and it starts being technol

> To us programmers language and code and free speech sure seem like all the same thing, but as you zoom out it stops being language and it starts being technology. Excellent observation. You could claim a gun is just a metal sculpture and therefore protected by free speech, but that's not going to fly because it's an unreasonably expansive interpretation. There are a lot of pretty bizarre ideas tech people often have, because they're too focused on tech and too immersed in the tech subculture to see their blindspots. IMHO, it's pretty useful (especially as a tech person) to start with the assumption that any "techie" idea or attitude that intersects with any non-tech thing is majorly flawed (e.g. using "technical system" mental tools where they're inappropriate, a tendency towards oversimplification or over-consistency, engineer's syndrome and other kinds of ignorant arrogance, etc.).