..Including Moderation
This might be an odd time to discuss this, (my current Facebook jailing for 7 days), but I actually do understand why social media platforms need to be moderated. If you have ever spent any time among the sort of folks who have absolutely no filter at all, you understand how ugly things can get online. We moderate debate because if we didn’t there would actually be no freedom of expression at all. If you didn’t get your four uninterrupted minutes, neither would your opponent, and sooner or later we would all be throwing spears at each other.
I understand why we don’t allow Jihadists to post hydrogen bomb plans online and I understand why you might not want to be online at work when a correspondent posts a picture of Hillary Clinton’s head superimposed on a plus-sized intimates model.
But, please, folks — the people getting banned from Facebook, and jailed, aren’t just posting animated boobs memes. They are people talking about genuine issues of social and political concern. Do you want your daughter to suffer FGM in some post-Christian Sharia world? Does everyone really need to pretend that a 6’6″ guy in heels, with a beard, and fishnet stockings is a chic, with rights to share the potty with your daughter?
When the debate is narrowed that drastically, we don’t have a first amendment.
Play it safe, folks, but we are all going to miss each other when we’re gone.
We need another platform, and we need it soon.
As always Jim, you are speaking wisdom… Too sadly too many are oblivious to what has been lost already and how very soon we will no longer enjoy any freedom of speech. There will only be the trendy and cool, latest zany pushing the social and sexual boundaries stuff. Any one who questions will be banished and ridiculed. Not too far down the road they may be arrested and charged thought crimes. Lives and speech and means to make a living wil be taken from us or at least restricted. You and I see the writing on the wall, but the majority of our fellow citizens see nothing… whatsoever. I would like to believe that the potential exists for a new platform where we can once again engage with open and unrestricted dialogue. But… I have yet to find one that has the depth and breadth to actually make it work. The ones I have seen are woefully inadaquate and lack the reach of FaceBook. MeWe was a big let down. If there is something on the horizon, let me know! God bless you my friend!
I was warn that my post violated “community standards” and was removed. I’m not in jail, but DAMN! I called that Omar woman something vile that fit her Jew and Christian, America hating self.
Their standards are consistently inconsistent.
The opposition is never required to make any sense. They make up their own rules.