[ExI] I salute Elon Musk, Captain of Spaceship Earth!

Tue Apr 26 16:05:43 UTC 2022

.> On Behalf Of BillK via extropy-chat
...

> Thanks for that Giulio.

> 

>>... Here is a challenge to all who have a public speech platform: you 

> don't need to be non-partisan, you don't even need to be fair.  Just be
transparent.

> Let everyone see how you roll.  Be open.  It's what we always did here 

> on this forum: transparency.  Keeping a filtering algorithm secret is 

> unaccountable power, which always leads to corruption.  So... wield 

> the power, accept the accountability that goes with it, be transparent.

> 

<snip>

> spike

> _______________________________________________

>...Transparency is a two-edged sword.

I don't use Twitter and I suspect you don't either.

But nowadays, we are dealing with the 'Cancel' generation who are very
easily offended if someone doesn't use the latest Newspeak terminology and
support the latest trending opinions.

When the Twitter crowd of trolls decide to pile on someone, the volume of
tweets containing hatred and prejudice is unbelievable.

It has driven some people to suicide.

Surely you have read about this despicable behaviour?

Twitter and Facebook moderators make little attempt to stop such hatred
campaigns.

>.Fortunately some old-fashioned email lists (like Exi-chat) are still able
to allow free speech that doesn't menace other list members or ruin the list
atmosphere.

BillK.

_______________________________________________

Ja to all.  We have always made it clear what is allowed and what is not.
In an email group, we are among friends.  We should never abuse each other
or abuse the forum, and the moderators shouldn't allow it.  

A platform can be partisan, I have no problem with that.  We live in an age
when businesses, mass media and even government, is dividing into two and
becoming openly partisan.  I am OK with that, so long as they don't pretend
to be otherwise.  (In the states, our own federal law enforcement has become
openly partisan.  I am not OK with that, because we help pay for it.)

Let the public see how the media platform filtering algorithm works, let
them download the filtering algorithm and test their posts before they post
to Twitter or other publisher pretending to be a platform.  The publishers
pretending to be platforms can right ahead and do that, just don't be sneaky
about it.  Google used to be the Don't Be Evil company, well, they should
all be the Don't Be Sneaky companies.  Be partisan if you wish, just be
transparent.  Tell us where you stand on libertarians and free speech
please.

Regarding hate speech on Twitter: I am not a user.  I signed up a month ago
to follow Elon Musk (because I am a fan of him) then it took me eleven tries
to get thru an apparently defective bot filter.  Eventually got thru.  

The lead software engineer posted something that might have been a joke but
I don't know: he said he had "proactively banned" Elon Musk.  I interpreted
that as he banned Musk based not on what he posted but rather on what they
were afraid he would post.

Apparently it is genuine.  I just went to Jay Holler's own Twitter site and
here it is:

OK so. we have people who are opposed to Musk buying Twitter in order to
free speech, but not wanting to appear to oppose free speech.  No matter how
skilled the commentator, defending that position is just a very difficult
task.  It's harder than being the defense attorney for Charles Manson.  I
haven't yet seen anyone do it effectively.  Anyone seen a reasonable
argument for why Musk owning Twitter is really a bad thing?  Do share
please.  They all come across as saying "I am OK with unaccountable power so
long as I am the one wielding it."

spike

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