4 ms·

Ask HN: Why Haven't We Solve Content Moderation Online?

4 points by jdcampolargo 3y ago

manuelabeledo 3y ago
We have. It's just not lucrative enough to widely implement the solution. Controversial content breeds engagement, which is, I would say, one of the most important metrics companies like Meta, Google, or Twitter (sorry, X) rely on. X would allow a literal nazi posting freely on their site, with the occasional post deletion, as long as it generates impressions. They could remove the content, they choose not to.
- sysadm1n 3y ago
  > Controversial content breeds engagement It also breeds censorship. I'm allowed to watch a 15-minute long video about Steve-O's experience with PCP, but can't post a picture of my cannabis nug that I just bought (Got an account warning for 15 days because of this). I also got suspended for 15 days for posting a meme I found on Facebook itself. This is why I'm considering switching to Tumblr for stuff like this. Although Tumblr censored a bunch of NSFW recently, and that's a slippery slope. I'm certain they can ban other types of content just for being slightly controversial.
  - dingosity 3y ago
    It's as if tumblr runs on other people's computers.
  - openthc 3y ago
    Well, from experience, all of the platforms are hit/miss on policing this type of content (drug use). For cannabis specifically, FB/IG(Meta) are inconsistent at best -- some stores have posts directly listing product and prices while others get blocked for a rather plain meme. Currently anything goes on Twitter but there is less response than before. Reddit allows all kinds of content; but the sub-reddits (even the cannabis oriented ones) have differing policy on posting things are pretty cleary CSA violations.
MattGaiser 3y ago
Probably one of the biggest reasons is a lack of agreement on what “solves” looks like.
archgoon 3y ago
[dead]
kpwags 3y ago
Because it's incredibly difficult and no one can agree on what the "right" solution is. https://www.techdirt.com/2019/11/20/masnicks-impossibility-theorem-content-moderation-scale-is-impossible-to-do-well/ https://www.techdirt.com/2019/11/20/masnicks-impossibility-t...
Gibbon1 3y ago
My experience with ravers back in the 90's was that events that were mostly social and less than 200 people would self moderate. The less social and the larger they were the more explicit moderation you needed. Problem with social media is they try hard to create false/non communities at scale to sell to advertisers. The social part is just pure manipulation to get people to look at ads. True social is problematic for them so they suppress it.
dotcoma 3y ago
Perhaps because it’s a political problem, and a business problem (engagement of any kind brings in money), and not a technical one ?

4 points by jdcampolargo 3y ago

We have. It's just not lucrative enough to widely implement the solution. Controversial content breeds engagement, which is, I would say, one of the most important metrics companies like Meta, Google, or Twitter (sorry, X) rely on. X would allow a literal nazi posting freely on their site, with the occasional post deletion, as long as it generates impressions. They could remove the content, they choose not to.

sysadm1n 3y ago
> Controversial content breeds engagement It also breeds censorship. I'm allowed to watch a 15-minute long video about Steve-O's experience with PCP, but can't post a picture of my cannabis nug that I just bought (Got an account warning for 15 days because of this). I also got suspended for 15 days for posting a meme I found on Facebook itself. This is why I'm considering switching to Tumblr for stuff like this. Although Tumblr censored a bunch of NSFW recently, and that's a slippery slope. I'm certain they can ban other types of content just for being slightly controversial.
- dingosity 3y ago
  It's as if tumblr runs on other people's computers.
- openthc 3y ago
  Well, from experience, all of the platforms are hit/miss on policing this type of content (drug use). For cannabis specifically, FB/IG(Meta) are inconsistent at best -- some stores have posts directly listing product and prices while others get blocked for a rather plain meme. Currently anything goes on Twitter but there is less response than before. Reddit allows all kinds of content; but the sub-reddits (even the cannabis oriented ones) have differing policy on posting things are pretty cleary CSA violations.

MattGaiser 3y ago

Probably one of the biggest reasons is a lack of agreement on what “solves” looks like.

archgoon 3y ago

[dead]

kpwags 3y ago

Because it's incredibly difficult and no one can agree on what the "right" solution is. https://www.techdirt.com/2019/11/20/masnicks-impossibility-theorem-content-moderation-scale-is-impossible-to-do-well/ https://www.techdirt.com/2019/11/20/masnicks-impossibility-t...

Gibbon1 3y ago

My experience with ravers back in the 90's was that events that were mostly social and less than 200 people would self moderate. The less social and the larger they were the more explicit moderation you needed. Problem with social media is they try hard to create false/non communities at scale to sell to advertisers. The social part is just pure manipulation to get people to look at ads. True social is problematic for them so they suppress it.

dotcoma 3y ago

Perhaps because it’s a political problem, and a business problem (engagement of any kind brings in money), and not a technical one ?