5 ms·

Every time I see a new episode of this saga, I remember this[0] thread from Yishan, predicting these troubles. [0] https://twitter.com/yishan/status/1514938507

Every time I see a new episode of this saga, I remember this[0] thread from Yishan, predicting these troubles. [0] https://twitter.com/yishan/status/1514938507407421440?s=46&t=xALO8q6S8FrUX5BmqNARrg https://twitter.com/yishan/status/1514938507407421440?s=46&t...

jeanloolz 4y ago
Thanks for sharing this. First time I read it, and the accuracy of Yishan's predictions, made back in April, are incredibly spot on. Phenomenal analysis as well on the difference between censoring ideas versus censoring behaviours. Great read.
chrisbaker98 4y ago
The problem with Yishan's analysis... > Both sides think the platform is institutionally biased against them. ... is that it could still be true that the platform is institutionally biased in one direction. Both sides could think it, but one could be right and the other could be wrong. Of course, if I try to stick up for one side then I'm playing into Yishan's hand. He's rigged the game so that if you try to argue back then he can just say you're proving his point: "no, you just think it's biased against you, but other side thinks that too! See what I mean?" But considering the revelations we've seen in the recent leaks, the "both sides" rhetoric now rings pretty damn hollow.
- lanternfish 4y ago
  I think this is a pretty significant misreading. The basic argument of Yishan's thread (external to the 'all tech companies want to do is tech, not politics' angle which is honestly kinda tangential) is that social media is hard because it's social, not because it's media. The part you're pointing to is meant to develop this because it's a fundamentally social effect which causes both sides of the aisle to feel marginalized by the institution - something I think we can agree is pretty empirically true. All that's needed for the (increasingly accurate) predictions of Musk's difficulties piloting the ship to stick is the intractability of _calm social discourse_ in what Yishan is calling the new 'culture'. I don't think Twitter having a political bias is relevant there.
- NaturalPhallacy 4y ago
  >> Both sides think the platform is institutionally biased against them. But it was proven that one side was correct in the case of twitter: Part 1: Matt Taibbi: https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1598822959866683394 https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1598822959866683394 Part 2: Bari Weiss: https://twitter.com/bariweiss/status/1601007575633305600 https://twitter.com/bariweiss/status/1601007575633305600 Part 3: Matt Taibbi: https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1601352083617505281 https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1601352083617505281 Part 4: Michael Shellenberger: https://twitter.com/shellenbergermd/status/1601720455005511680 https://twitter.com/shellenbergermd/status/16017204550055116... Part 5: Bari Weiss: https://twitter.com/bariweiss/status/1602364197194432515 https://twitter.com/bariweiss/status/1602364197194432515 Even Greenwald agreed with their assessment. Disagreeing with four of the best journalists alive today seems to me like someone drank some Kool-Aid.

jeanloolz 4y ago

Thanks for sharing this. First time I read it, and the accuracy of Yishan's predictions, made back in April, are incredibly spot on. Phenomenal analysis as well on the difference between censoring ideas versus censoring behaviours. Great read.

chrisbaker98 4y ago

The problem with Yishan's analysis... > Both sides think the platform is institutionally biased against them. ... is that it could still be true that the platform is institutionally biased in one direction. Both sides could think it, but one could be right and the other could be wrong. Of course, if I try to stick up for one side then I'm playing into Yishan's hand. He's rigged the game so that if you try to argue back then he can just say you're proving his point: "no, you just think it's biased against you, but other side thinks that too! See what I mean?" But considering the revelations we've seen in the recent leaks, the "both sides" rhetoric now rings pretty damn hollow.

lanternfish 4y ago
I think this is a pretty significant misreading. The basic argument of Yishan's thread (external to the 'all tech companies want to do is tech, not politics' angle which is honestly kinda tangential) is that social media is hard because it's social, not because it's media. The part you're pointing to is meant to develop this because it's a fundamentally social effect which causes both sides of the aisle to feel marginalized by the institution - something I think we can agree is pretty empirically true. All that's needed for the (increasingly accurate) predictions of Musk's difficulties piloting the ship to stick is the intractability of _calm social discourse_ in what Yishan is calling the new 'culture'. I don't think Twitter having a political bias is relevant there.
NaturalPhallacy 4y ago
>> Both sides think the platform is institutionally biased against them. But it was proven that one side was correct in the case of twitter: Part 1: Matt Taibbi: https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1598822959866683394 https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1598822959866683394 Part 2: Bari Weiss: https://twitter.com/bariweiss/status/1601007575633305600 https://twitter.com/bariweiss/status/1601007575633305600 Part 3: Matt Taibbi: https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1601352083617505281 https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1601352083617505281 Part 4: Michael Shellenberger: https://twitter.com/shellenbergermd/status/1601720455005511680 https://twitter.com/shellenbergermd/status/16017204550055116... Part 5: Bari Weiss: https://twitter.com/bariweiss/status/1602364197194432515 https://twitter.com/bariweiss/status/1602364197194432515 Even Greenwald agreed with their assessment. Disagreeing with four of the best journalists alive today seems to me like someone drank some Kool-Aid.