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It's very very unclear to me why he bought it. He said it was about free speech but Twitter is already about as free as it's possible to be without permitting

It's very very unclear to me why he bought it. He said it was about free speech but Twitter is already about as free as it's possible to be without permitting a whole bunch of content that is NOT protected under the first amendment (CP, calls to violence etc). And if it is about free speech then it cannot be an automated moderation play, because there is nothing to moderate if you're a pure free speech platform. The best I can guess, is it's a political play? Turn down politicians who he dislikes? Or he just had a drunk/high/bipolar period and did it without a plan.

paulpauper 4y ago
It was a joke. He didn't want to buy it.
yreg 4y ago
>Twitter is already about as free as it's possible E.g. in Trump's case they could have deleted the few tweets which they considered calls to violence instead of handing out a permanent ban. (I'm not saying they should have done that.)
Chris2048 4y ago
You are suggesting the only people banned from twitter are those posting "CP, calls to violence etc" - not true. Also, other than bans there are suspensions such as the New York Post for a story on Hunter Biden. Plus there are plenty posting call to violence who are not banned, but are suspiciously on the "right" side of politics.
bpodgursky 4y ago
> Twitter is already about as free as it's possible to be without permitting a whole bunch of content that is NOT protected under the first amendment This is just wildly untrue. There is a huge range of gender-critical views, vaccine skepticism, any combination of race/gender/genetics/IQ discourse, and a ton of other topics that will get you banned, that come nowhere near first amendment protections. You might think that's a good thing, that's a valid argument, but it's simply untrue to imply that the limit is similar to 1A protections.
bluehatbrit 4y ago
I've just assumed this is the new version of buying media outlets. Bezos bought the Washington Post, Musk decided to buy Twitter. I'm sure it won't be long before Musk hating gets you kicked off the platform.
- colinmhayes 4y ago
  bezos bought the post, not hte times.
- timmb 4y ago
  Washington Post not the NYT no?
  - bluehatbrit 4y ago
    Thanks yes, you're right the Washing Post. Edited my comment.
memish 4y ago
- jmopp 4y ago
  People didn't get banned for saying men are not women, they got banned for harassing people and inciting violence. That's how Libs of TikTok avoids the banhammer, by going as close as she can to the line without crossing it.
  - memish 4y ago
    That's the same as a flat earther saying it's harassment when someone says "the earth is not flat". Meghan Murphy was banned for saying the earth is not flat. "Men are not women tho". https://twitter.com/SwipeWright/status/1585838039397707777 https://twitter.com/SwipeWright/status/1585838039397707777 It's ridiculous gaslighting enforced that was being enforced by the platform.
    - jmopp 4y ago
      If people are getting banned for saying 'men are not women' I would not expect Colin Wright to be able to tweet it and get over 3000 likes. A single reported tweet does not lead to a suspension.
      - memish 4y ago
        He just posted that last night under new ownership.
    - happytoexplain 4y ago
      I frankly find it hard to believe the accusation of "gaslighting" is honest here (and the many other places it appears in this context) - sorry. You may find it disagreeable for political reasons that there are multiple colloquial definitions of the words "man" and "woman" (genetic, sexual identity, whatever), and you may disagree that she was implying we should hate or disrespect people for sex identity related stuff (and you may be right! I have no idea because the context of her post wasn't posted for some reason). But neither of those things are what you expressed. You're choosing to avoid them.
ultra_nick 4y ago
Twitter censors legal mainstream political opinions. Society can't discuss or resolve issues because half of every argument gets blocked. I'm convinced half the polarization in America comes from neither side understanding the other side's basic arguments.
- convolvatron 4y ago
  it would help a lot if either side actually articulated any arguments
  - zo1 4y ago
    - convolvatron 4y ago
      this is the problem. the arguments are the point. they aren't just weapons one picks up to defend ones beliefs
- LatteLazy 4y ago
  People claim this but apart from banning trump and the "no-deadnaming" thing no one can give me an example...
  - hirundo 4y ago
    A lot of people hvae been banned for violating Twitter's COVID disinformation rules, perhaps most prominently Alex Berenson. https://www.thedailybeast.com/covid-truther-alex-berenson-finally-banned-from-twitter https://www.thedailybeast.com/covid-truther-alex-berenson-fi... It will be particularly telling to see how Elon handles this category of moderation.
    - LatteLazy 4y ago
      Fair enough, I didn't know that. Thanks!
maxsilver 4y ago
> Or he just had a drunk/high/bipolar period and did it without a plan. I'm still convinced this is how he makes more than half of all of his decisions (see for example, him 'building a submarine' or 'boring/loop'). His success seems to be because he sometimes takes already-known-obvious-good bets that no other person could take first because they aren't billionaires. > The best I can guess, is it's a political play? I don't think it's a political play, so much as he got angry and impulsive and jumped in without thinking, couldn't back out, and desperately needs to ret-con this into making any sense, so is pivoting in into a political play.
TexanFeller 4y ago
< He said it was about free speech but Twitter is already about as free as it's possible to be without permitting a whole bunch of content that is NOT protected under the first amendment (CP, calls to violence etc). There are plenty of things that are nothing of the sort, merely “sins against wokeism” that will get you instantly banned until you repent. Look, I would prefer conservative people treat feminists and trans people with more sensitivity, but examples that come up over and over are people getting banned for making jokes about there actually being innate differences between men and women, or the ways that slogans like “trans women ARE women” might be a bit too strongly worded.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
qualudeheart 4y ago
Politics. He gets to use it as a giant media machine to support himself, his businesses and political goals.

paulpauper 4y ago

It was a joke. He didn't want to buy it.

yreg 4y ago

>Twitter is already about as free as it's possible E.g. in Trump's case they could have deleted the few tweets which they considered calls to violence instead of handing out a permanent ban. (I'm not saying they should have done that.)

Chris2048 4y ago

You are suggesting the only people banned from twitter are those posting "CP, calls to violence etc" - not true. Also, other than bans there are suspensions such as the New York Post for a story on Hunter Biden. Plus there are plenty posting call to violence who are not banned, but are suspiciously on the "right" side of politics.

bpodgursky 4y ago

> Twitter is already about as free as it's possible to be without permitting a whole bunch of content that is NOT protected under the first amendment This is just wildly untrue. There is a huge range of gender-critical views, vaccine skepticism, any combination of race/gender/genetics/IQ discourse, and a ton of other topics that will get you banned, that come nowhere near first amendment protections. You might think that's a good thing, that's a valid argument, but it's simply untrue to imply that the limit is similar to 1A protections.

bluehatbrit 4y ago

I've just assumed this is the new version of buying media outlets. Bezos bought the Washington Post, Musk decided to buy Twitter. I'm sure it won't be long before Musk hating gets you kicked off the platform.

colinmhayes 4y ago
bezos bought the post, not hte times.
timmb 4y ago
Washington Post not the NYT no?
- bluehatbrit 4y ago
  Thanks yes, you're right the Washing Post. Edited my comment.

memish 4y ago

jmopp 4y ago
People didn't get banned for saying men are not women, they got banned for harassing people and inciting violence. That's how Libs of TikTok avoids the banhammer, by going as close as she can to the line without crossing it.
- memish 4y ago
  That's the same as a flat earther saying it's harassment when someone says "the earth is not flat". Meghan Murphy was banned for saying the earth is not flat. "Men are not women tho". https://twitter.com/SwipeWright/status/1585838039397707777 https://twitter.com/SwipeWright/status/1585838039397707777 It's ridiculous gaslighting enforced that was being enforced by the platform.
  - jmopp 4y ago
    If people are getting banned for saying 'men are not women' I would not expect Colin Wright to be able to tweet it and get over 3000 likes. A single reported tweet does not lead to a suspension.
    - memish 4y ago
      He just posted that last night under new ownership.
  - happytoexplain 4y ago
    I frankly find it hard to believe the accusation of "gaslighting" is honest here (and the many other places it appears in this context) - sorry. You may find it disagreeable for political reasons that there are multiple colloquial definitions of the words "man" and "woman" (genetic, sexual identity, whatever), and you may disagree that she was implying we should hate or disrespect people for sex identity related stuff (and you may be right! I have no idea because the context of her post wasn't posted for some reason). But neither of those things are what you expressed. You're choosing to avoid them.

ultra_nick 4y ago

Twitter censors legal mainstream political opinions. Society can't discuss or resolve issues because half of every argument gets blocked. I'm convinced half the polarization in America comes from neither side understanding the other side's basic arguments.

convolvatron 4y ago
it would help a lot if either side actually articulated any arguments
- zo1 4y ago
  - convolvatron 4y ago
    this is the problem. the arguments are the point. they aren't just weapons one picks up to defend ones beliefs
LatteLazy 4y ago
People claim this but apart from banning trump and the "no-deadnaming" thing no one can give me an example...
- hirundo 4y ago
  A lot of people hvae been banned for violating Twitter's COVID disinformation rules, perhaps most prominently Alex Berenson. https://www.thedailybeast.com/covid-truther-alex-berenson-finally-banned-from-twitter https://www.thedailybeast.com/covid-truther-alex-berenson-fi... It will be particularly telling to see how Elon handles this category of moderation.
  - LatteLazy 4y ago
    Fair enough, I didn't know that. Thanks!

maxsilver 4y ago

> Or he just had a drunk/high/bipolar period and did it without a plan. I'm still convinced this is how he makes more than half of all of his decisions (see for example, him 'building a submarine' or 'boring/loop'). His success seems to be because he sometimes takes already-known-obvious-good bets that no other person could take first because they aren't billionaires. > The best I can guess, is it's a political play? I don't think it's a political play, so much as he got angry and impulsive and jumped in without thinking, couldn't back out, and desperately needs to ret-con this into making any sense, so is pivoting in into a political play.

TexanFeller 4y ago

< He said it was about free speech but Twitter is already about as free as it's possible to be without permitting a whole bunch of content that is NOT protected under the first amendment (CP, calls to violence etc). There are plenty of things that are nothing of the sort, merely “sins against wokeism” that will get you instantly banned until you repent. Look, I would prefer conservative people treat feminists and trans people with more sensitivity, but examples that come up over and over are people getting banned for making jokes about there actually being innate differences between men and women, or the ways that slogans like “trans women ARE women” might be a bit too strongly worded.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

qualudeheart 4y ago

Politics. He gets to use it as a giant media machine to support himself, his businesses and political goals.