adroit balloon

saw this on mastodon just now…

Ok so isn’t the issue at hand whether the sites are to blame?

let’s break this down so I can answer you in what I think is an honest way:

1. Are the sites legally responsible for the content they host, generally speaking and/or in this context of radicalization and such subsequent results as these?

and

2. Do these sites bear any social/moral responsibility to moderate their more extreme content in good faith to try to prevent this sort of result?

and

3. Is there an overlap of 1 and 2?

1 - this is for a court to decide. I’m not familiar enough with the very specifics of case law or with the suits being brought to know exactly what is being alleged, etc. I can’t opine on this other that to say that, from what I do know, it’s unlikely that a court would hold these sites legally responsible.

2 - I fully believe that, yes, sites like these, massive, general-use public sites have a social and moral responsibility to keep their platforms safe. How and what that means is a matter for much debate, and I’m sure people here will do just that.

3 - is there overlap? again, legally, I’m not sure, but there might be, and in the near future, there might be much more. also, should there be more? another subject for debate.

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Trump and his supporters complained that the 2016 election was rigged even after he won.

They’ll say anything to claim victimhood, most often when the opposite is true.

right, but “everybody” aren’t the ones committing mass shootings all the time. that’s an alt-right crazies problem.

I think this is more of an official acknowledgment and them exploring how it works, not so much “breaking news” for those of us in the know. I’d imagine most people are probably unaware of this.

yeah, but progressives and liberals and all other “crazies and normal people” aren’t the ones committing mass shootings all the time.

interesting… whether the sites will be found liable…. it’s pretty unlikely, but it sure does shine a spotlight on how each are magnets for alt-right crazies. I wonder if that will have any effect on their moderation?

I doubt it.

I’ve been under huge amounts of stress and have been mismanaged, but it never turned me into a grabass bully.

systemic issues like this don’t just come from nowhere. likewise, they didn’t just appear, either. nor will they simply disappear now that they’ve been exposed or with some glib promise to “do better”.

workplace atmospheres like this take time to develop and… fester. From what Madison described, it’s been this what from, at least, the time she started, which means these behaviors, these patterns, were existing, likely for some time.

What Linus knew, when, etc. may important in a civil case, but it’s not to me— He failed at his job, and didn’t ask for help/hire help to fix the problems until faaaar too late. If it was this bad for Madison, it had to be at least as bad if not worse for others before her who simply did not (or could not) speak out, as well as other who are still there.

Systemic issues do not affect only one person, and they don’t appear out of nowhere. Expect more bad news and expect that any resolution/fixes will take time and major change. If you don’t see any major changes over a reasonable amount of time, don’t trust claims that they’re “working on it."

because you are sane