3 ms·

One of Masnick's best columns in years. As I've said many times before (although most people rejected my message), the phrase 'free speech' is often deployed to

One of Masnick's best columns in years. As I've said many times before (although most people rejected my message), the phrase 'free speech' is often deployed to shut down discussion rather than open it up. When you inquire into the speech sort of speech thet people claim is being suppressed, it frequently turns out to be about banning pornography, curtailing the organic spread of unwelcome ideas, or proposals for the suppression of people making the unwelcome speech, by means ranging from deportation to elimination.

bediger4000 2y ago
We saw your observations on the phrase "free speech" in action when Mr Musk purchased Twitter. One of his stated goals as a "free speech absolutist" was to bring "free speech" back to Twitter. Now, Mr Musk boosts his own tweets, sells blue checks to bots, which boosts their tweets. All to virtually "shout down" any opposing opinions
- anon291 2y ago
  And yet according to cnns analysis, Mr Musks platform is more representative of the electorate than every other site.
  - bediger4000 2y ago
    I thought that we broadly disagreed with mainstream media, and generally viewed it with suspicion. Gell-Mann amnesia, anyone?
    - anon291 2y ago
      While I think the editorial take of most mainstream media is crap, I'm not sure I believe their data is made up.
      - chowchowchow 2y ago
        how credulous of you.
        anon291 2y ago
        Believe it or not .. we can all agree on the facts but have different conclusions. Such things make life interesting
        bediger4000 2y ago
        With all due respect, I don't think that's true. And when we do agree on facts, one side or the other legislates against collecting the data. The Dickey Amendment has been very effective at eliminating fact based discussion on guns. Project 2025 explicitly advocates against collecting weather data. Lots of state governments, Florida notably, quit collecting COVID mortality data.
        anon291 2y ago
        > Lots of state governments, Florida notably, quit collecting COVID mortality data. And lots of state governments counted deaths with COVID as deaths from COVID... what is the point? As long as the data is presented correctly and represented properly, it remains as it is. In the discussion above, there's no reason to disbelieve the data. The collection and meaning is clear.
        bediger4000 2y ago
        We record all rear-ending automobile accidents as the fault of the car behind. We record all auto accidents where someone has blood alcohol above a certain percentage as "drunk driving" or some synonym. The distinction of "from" and "with" here is one of those. The other examples may be better or worse, and the point stands.
        anon291 2y ago
  - joegibbs 2y ago
    I think this is a kind of falling knife-type thing: the makeup of Twitter was far more liberal than conservative a few years ago and it's currently about equal, but in two more years I predict that the trend will continue and it will be far more conservative than liberal.
    - rahimnathwani 2y ago
      [flagged]
      - orwin 2y ago
        CrimethInc. This was pure and simple censorship. Not saying that Twitter was better with their censorship of Occupy, but crimethInc was probably the one of the last US influencial left wing org on twitter, and didn't last a month. I think John Brown Gun club was also banned, but reinstated, and redneck revolution don't have such an online presence (and is quieter than the gun club about protecting LGBT rights). This calmed down recently, but still.
      - deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
      - hn_acker 2y ago
        > It's currently about equal because conservatives are no longer being deplatformed under pressure from the government. The federal government did not intentionally or unintentionally target conservatives whenever coercing Twitter to remove content (to the extent that the government did any coercing or pressuring, which was very little if at all) [1][2]. [1] Twitter Admits in Court Filing: Elon Musk Is Simply Wrong About Government Interference At Twitter https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/05/twitter-admits-in-court-filing-elon-musk-is-simply-wrong-about-government-interference-at-twitter/ https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/05/twitter-admits-in-court-... [2] Internal Twitter Video Reveals Twitter Bent Over Backwards To Protect Trump And Pro-Trump Insurrectionists https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/29/internal-twitter-video-reveals-twitter-bent-over-backwards-to-protect-trump-and-pro-trump-insurrectionists/ https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/29/internal-twitter-video-r...
    - 2y ago

bediger4000 2y ago

We saw your observations on the phrase "free speech" in action when Mr Musk purchased Twitter. One of his stated goals as a "free speech absolutist" was to bring "free speech" back to Twitter. Now, Mr Musk boosts his own tweets, sells blue checks to bots, which boosts their tweets. All to virtually "shout down" any opposing opinions

anon291 2y ago
And yet according to cnns analysis, Mr Musks platform is more representative of the electorate than every other site.
- bediger4000 2y ago
  I thought that we broadly disagreed with mainstream media, and generally viewed it with suspicion. Gell-Mann amnesia, anyone?
  - anon291 2y ago
    While I think the editorial take of most mainstream media is crap, I'm not sure I believe their data is made up.
    - chowchowchow 2y ago
      how credulous of you.
      - anon291 2y ago
        Believe it or not .. we can all agree on the facts but have different conclusions. Such things make life interesting
        bediger4000 2y ago
        With all due respect, I don't think that's true. And when we do agree on facts, one side or the other legislates against collecting the data. The Dickey Amendment has been very effective at eliminating fact based discussion on guns. Project 2025 explicitly advocates against collecting weather data. Lots of state governments, Florida notably, quit collecting COVID mortality data.
        anon291 2y ago
        > Lots of state governments, Florida notably, quit collecting COVID mortality data. And lots of state governments counted deaths with COVID as deaths from COVID... what is the point? As long as the data is presented correctly and represented properly, it remains as it is. In the discussion above, there's no reason to disbelieve the data. The collection and meaning is clear.
        bediger4000 2y ago
        We record all rear-ending automobile accidents as the fault of the car behind. We record all auto accidents where someone has blood alcohol above a certain percentage as "drunk driving" or some synonym. The distinction of "from" and "with" here is one of those. The other examples may be better or worse, and the point stands.
        anon291 2y ago
- joegibbs 2y ago
  I think this is a kind of falling knife-type thing: the makeup of Twitter was far more liberal than conservative a few years ago and it's currently about equal, but in two more years I predict that the trend will continue and it will be far more conservative than liberal.
  - rahimnathwani 2y ago
    [flagged]
    - orwin 2y ago
      CrimethInc. This was pure and simple censorship. Not saying that Twitter was better with their censorship of Occupy, but crimethInc was probably the one of the last US influencial left wing org on twitter, and didn't last a month. I think John Brown Gun club was also banned, but reinstated, and redneck revolution don't have such an online presence (and is quieter than the gun club about protecting LGBT rights). This calmed down recently, but still.
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
    - hn_acker 2y ago
      > It's currently about equal because conservatives are no longer being deplatformed under pressure from the government. The federal government did not intentionally or unintentionally target conservatives whenever coercing Twitter to remove content (to the extent that the government did any coercing or pressuring, which was very little if at all) [1][2]. [1] Twitter Admits in Court Filing: Elon Musk Is Simply Wrong About Government Interference At Twitter https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/05/twitter-admits-in-court-filing-elon-musk-is-simply-wrong-about-government-interference-at-twitter/ https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/05/twitter-admits-in-court-... [2] Internal Twitter Video Reveals Twitter Bent Over Backwards To Protect Trump And Pro-Trump Insurrectionists https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/29/internal-twitter-video-reveals-twitter-bent-over-backwards-to-protect-trump-and-pro-trump-insurrectionists/ https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/29/internal-twitter-video-r...
  - 2y ago