Elon Musk Buys Twitter

[XDurionX]

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...e-robert-reich

Elon Musk wants to own Twitter to protect his ‘freedom’, not everyone else’s.

[Dezerte]

I don't care much for Twitter, it's not a platform that interests me. But I always thought that Twitter was far too lenient when it came to spreading of hate (be it ISIS, neo-Nazis or fascist-lite speech). I would not say that Elon Musk is a "good guy" nor a "free speech champion". There are numerous links and sources to support this, I've seen some linked in this thread already.

If he has his way I expect we'll see more neo-nazism and fascism spreading on Twitter and into our societies, possibly more censorship of posts that are critical of Musk (since he does have a history of this).

Free speech absolutism necessarily invites hate and the most vile and dangerous posts you can think of - times eleven. I don't think this is good for society.

[s_bushido]

Free speech absolutism necessarily invites hate and the most vile and dangerous posts you can think of - times eleven.

Free speech absolutism doesn't even exist. Everyone who claims to be a champion of free speech has their limit. Especially these right-wingnuts who push the narrative that it's conservatism that's being censored on these platforms, rather than the bigotry and conspiracy-mongering that their brand of conservatism breeds.

[Orby]

As someone who doesn't use twitter and left back in 2016, seeing people mad at this news makes me laugh. The funny thing is the same people moaning and bitching about this news will still continue to use twitter like the addicts they are.

twitter is and has always been a toxic platform and it deserves Elon Musk.

I am just waiting for Elon to unban Trump, that will be hilarious, I wanna be a fly on the twitter wall when that happens, but alas once again I value my mental health xD

[KrayZ33]

As someone who doesn't use twitter and left back in 2016, seeing people mad at this news makes me laugh. The funny thing is the same people moaning and bitching about this news will still continue to use twitter like the addicts they are.

twitter is and has always been a toxic platform and it deserves Elon Musk.

Meanwhile I am over here living my best life.

?

Are people "mad"?
As far as I can tell, some people just don't buy his dung about "free speech" or whatever that troll came up with and dislike the fact that he tries to look like a "good guy" when he isn't.

[Orby]

?

Are people "mad"?
As far as I can tell, some people just don't buy his dung about "free speech" or whatever that troll came up with and dislike the fact that he tries to look like a "good guy" when he isn't.

Are they not mad? I been told people were mad, if not then whatever :P

[Dezerte]

Free speech absolutism doesn't even exist.

No doubt it's used as a way to virtue signal in this instance.

[Ophenia]

Are they not mad? I been told people were mad, if not then whatever :P

Yeah some people are "mad". To the point they say they'll leave Twitter (as if anyone cares) and go to another social media platform - very likely for a whole 2 weeks then come back as if nothing happened (as basically nothing happened though)

[infinitemeridian]

What a giant shame. Let's ignore that he's not really on Truth Social if he isn't actively even using it lol

He'll be back, especially once the election cycle picks up.

[Grapemask]

People seem to be more worried and apprehensive.

Exactly. There is in fact an entire range of thought and emotion between joygasm and "u mad bro."

It's worrying because Elon Musk is 1), an idiot, 2), a liar who absolutely is not a "free speech absolutist" as evidenced by literally his entire life of responding to the speech of people who aren't paying him, 3) still an idiot, because he doesn't or likely pretends not to understand that this particular idea of "free speech" is just "free extremism" and "free misinformation."

The majority of people who voted for one of the candidates in the last US election cited things that weren't true as primary reasons for either their vote or their ideology. These things were spread on social media. And even that wouldn't be so bad if the liars at least wanted good things for society, but oh hey totally unexpected but they're also the people who beat and gas peaceful protestors to get a photo holding a bible like a dirty diaper, or ironically (but unironically) say we should hang people who say mean things about them on the internet.

Musk will probably learn that platforms like Twitter made their decisions for a reason, and then make the same decisions. But I wouldn't be surprised if we have to go through a phase similar to every single WoW expansion, where the devs make the same mistake again so they can write a 30 page blog explaining their wisdom when they fix it (again).

[NED funded]

The part ppl ignore abt this purchase is the board is admitting to their uselessnes at delivering value to both the platform and shareholders. Incompetent fucks B)

[Hammerfest]

Hmmm... maybe I should buy MMO-Champion...

So you can spam Mark Dice videos or...?

That's not a bad idea, now that you mention it... hmmm...

[Kaleredar]

Exactly. There is in fact an entire range of thought and emotion between joygasm and "u mad bro."

It's worrying because Elon Musk is 1), an idiot, 2), a liar who absolutely is not a "free speech absolutist" as evidenced by literally his entire life of responding to the speech of people who aren't paying him, 3) still an idiot, because he doesn't or likely pretends not to understand that this particular idea of "free speech" is just "free extremism" and "free misinformation."

The majority of people who voted for one of the candidates in the last US election cited things that weren't true as primary reasons for either their vote or their ideology. These things were spread on social media. And even that wouldn't be so bad if the liars at least wanted good things for society, but oh hey totally unexpected but they're also the people who beat and gas peaceful protestors to get a photo holding a bible like a dirty diaper, or ironically (but unironically) say we should hang people who say mean things about them on the internet.

Musk will probably learn that platforms like Twitter made their decisions for a reason, and then make the same decisions. But I wouldn't be surprised if we have to go through a phase similar to every single WoW expansion, where the devs make the same mistake again so they can write a 30 page blog explaining their wisdom when they fix it (again).

Your hopes for musk’s moral compass are higher than mine.

He has no reason to care about any sort of blowback; why should he? He’s got billions of dollars, and I assume they hands-off approach to billionaires is exactly the kind of things he politically supports above all else. What they say, misinformation they spread and who they demonize is immaterial so long as they support sweet tax brakes and anti-union legislation.

[Hammerfest]

It is funny hearing the Left parrot the kinds of things the non-Left have been saying about social media all of the sudden... when a billionaire they don't like suddenly gets control.
-snip-

[Endus]

I am going to laugh and use this argument exactly when people start getting furious over what Elon Musk did.

This whole thing is just delicious irony, because the very people that advocated and argued in favor of Twitter being able to do whatever it wanted are the very ones furious over what Musk could do.

It's almost like the issue was never "should a company have the legal right to be able to control the use of its own services, within legal limits like protected classes and so on". We've always agreed with that basic principle.

The issue with Musk in particular is "is this particular individual going to make ethically defensible decisions that are good for the users of the service, or is he going to be unethical and do what's good for himself and people he considers cronies/allies".

You've got the legal right to be an asshole by, say, flipping off a random toddler and calling them a "motherfucking shitball". You're still an asshole, though, for choosing to do so.

"Within your legal rights" /= "morally and ethically justifiable and good". There's no "irony" here, just you missing that pretty wild difference.

Perhaps the solution is not to allow such incredibly powerful social media platforms that have an incredible influence over our lives be governed in what is and isn't allowed be control by private actors: Certainly we in Europe refuse this bullshit argument.

If I'm gonna have an issue with it, the issue's gonna boil down to "capitalism", and I feel that's a wholly different discussion. The only issues with massive corporations boil down to capitalist systems and outcomes; the predatory actions, the attenuation of wealth inequality, the exploitation of a customer base rather than service to said same, etc. All emergent properties of capitalist theory.

- - - Updated - - -

It is funny hearing the Left parrot the kinds of things the non-Left have been saying about social media all of the sudden... when a billionaire they don't like suddenly gets control.

Oh look, someone else who fails to grasp the difference between "within their legal rights" and "actually ethical and good".

There's no discrepancy in position, just you failing to understand the difference between those two standards.

[Hammerfest]

Honestly, I do think this is actually an attempt to sabotage Trump's own social media platform, Truthsocial, before it can get out of beta testing and go live... but we'll wait and see.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh look, someone else who fails to grasp the difference between "within their legal rights" and "actually ethical and good".

There's no discrepancy in position, just you failing to understand the difference between those two standards.

Wow, you're really agitated. Sorry to see that.

And you're failing to see the self evident on this topic... but that's nothing new, is it?

[Doctor Amadeus]

People tend to forget Disney at one point was going to buy Twitter, part of the reason they didn't was due to the issue over ad revenue and content. Jack and Twitter had no problems then like now selling.

Of course Disney never came back regardless to whatever censorship or comments people claim because as I already stated Twitter is basically a dying platform. As to realizing their potential like what bringing back idiots and conspiracy alt-right nut jobs that never left.

Honestly people freaking out on one end or calibrating on the other have no clue.

If you don't believe me look at Twitter stock price over the years, it's been slow growth for a while, not because of Twitter censorship, but because of boredom.

There is a reason 4Chan/8Chan never really have grown

The part ppl ignore abt this purchase is the board is admitting to their uselessnes at delivering value to both the platform and shareholders. Incompetent fucks B)

That really has nothing to do with Twitter

[ParanoiD84]

Good stuff dont use twitter myself though, nice guy is he not providing internet to ukraine too during wartime? Starlink i think its called pretty damn important to have that.

[Hammerfest]

I think the first thing I'll do after I buy MMO-C from Magic Find is rededicate more of the site's assets to covering Elder Scrolls Online.

[Edge-]

So, is Twitter on the dogecoin blockchain yet?