Free Speech in 2021 | Hacker News Reader

Free Speech in 2021

blog.nearlyfreespeech.net

20 pointsabrowne12 comments

I'm thankful for how straightforward this message is. The part about dog whistles is actually a relief. I'm happy to be their customer.

I'm a customer too, and the message was stupid.

Too often "dog whistles" are tantamount to psychic messages or seances. Only mind-readers can hear them and only the "woke", be it psychically or socially, can define them.

And those who don't hear the "whistles" can't argue with them, because they're entirely nebulous and present (or even need) and proof of their veracity.

I would respect these kind of virtual signaling messages if they provided any kind of balance. Maybe a throw away line like "whether you are in DC, or violently attempting to burn down the federal courthouse in Portland".

"Virtue signaling" is usually meant as an insult, implying that they either don't really believe what they are saying or wouldn't be saying it if they thought it wouldn't be a net benefit to business. I don't get any hint of either of those. Are you sure you're not just using the phrase for its negative connotation, because you don't like what they're saying?

That is exactly how I mean "virtue signaling". If they had a few people looking to use their services, which they hold themselves out to the public to offer, and they didn't want to, then they could just say no. To post a public message about it is just a way to say "look at me world! I am a good person, doing the things that will make people like me". Some people wear burkas to show their allegiance to a way of thinking, some people post things like this. It is all a way to showing fealty.

This isn't mere virtue signaling. If I owned a bar and it started attracting a racist, violent crowd, after having to kick a bunch out by force, I'd start putting up loud signals I don't want their business.

Even here you see the problem clearly: USA.

I don't live in America. I live in Europe. Trump, wrong US political correctness, nudity and nipples are not dangerous here but nevertheless the big US platforms dictate on a global level what is correct and what not to us. Big US companies say to rest of the world what is okay to censor and what not. Why should I care when I'm not living in the USA and I'm not an US citizen? I should not be affected but nevertheless I am affected.

“nevertheless the big US platforms dictate on a global level what is correct and what not to us”

This makes little sense to me.

Who is preventing you from saying what, to whom?

Arguably Visa and MasterCard for the parent's complaints. It is a pain in the arse to even think about accepting money for adult content even in Europe

Side note I'm glad to see NFSN is still about!

FB: Being against vaccine will be censored (although it's not censored by the state you are living in).

FB: Torrent links cannot be send by their messenger (although not censored by the state you are living ing) to other people.

FB: NSFW links cannot be send by their messenger.

FB: Nipples are dangerous and censored away, even from art (although no age restriction on that topic in the country you are living in)

Instagram: Nipples are super dangerous.

FB, Instagram, Twitter: Showing weapons, violence and sometimes dead people is not censored although forbidden by the country you live in!!

Apple Store: Pro Sex apps and sex education apps censored and banned globally although not forbidden in your country.

Google Play Store: Pro Sex apps and sex education apps censored and banned globally although not forbidden in your country.

Google Images: NSFW images cannot be found (although no problem in your country). By contrast no problem in Yandex Images.

And Trump censorship: Major US platforms decided to ban him and political related persons on social media platforms and I only scratch my head why they do that without any US jurisdictional order on a global level.

You see... there are countries which are sometimes more free in some topics and sometimes more restrictive than USA if you like it or not.

However the general worldview and political correctness of USA is applied above national laws to countries abroad through private US companies by their own rules.

I'm not anti US... I'm just hating this cultural copy&paste which is happening because of this companies.

Literally none of those are examples of anyone stopping you from saying want you want to anyone else.

Which of those platforms is dictating to the blog post's author what he should not host?

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