I struggle to see the link between the drama at Reddit and what you’re discussing.
I don’t think I agree it’s a dominant issue for Twitter either, although Elon has attempted to frame it as such.
I don’t think I agree it’s a dominant issue for Twitter either, although Elon has attempted to frame it as such.
Think of it like a seismograph [0]. A violent swing in one direction is proceeded by a violent swing in the other direction. We’re living through the big swings right now.
I think it’s reductive to blame a single person. The people at the top are usually vessels for the people’s energy anyways. That’s why running these institutions is so hard, because you constantly feel powerless even though you’re responsible for making all the decisions.
We should find ways to settle each other, and I think that starts with setting ourselves and those close to us like our family and friends.
The world is a bit shaky!
[0] https://www.mtu.edu/geo/community/seismology/learn/seismolog...
Reddit spent the last few years badgering mods into "combating misinformation". A war against an 'enemy' is an 'easy' way to get people in line.
For example, the science sub banned people for linking an official EU recommendation against more than 4 vaccines, or for questioning the natural origin theory. That's not science; it's antithetical to science.
Repeat this at scale, over millions of users, tens of thousands of subs, thousands of links, hundreds of concepts, over years; all powered and amplified by LLM powered bots and shadowy PR teams.
Complicit mods, those who didn't give much of a toss about free speech or independent thought, were selected for and elevated during this process.
Meanwhile, users and moderators who didn't like the idea of censoring alternate and legitimate viewpoints have been leaving / shadowbanned / marginalized for the past couple years.
Would the resistance of Reddit users and mods have been stronger without the above circumstances? I think it actually made a huge difference.
Reddit today is far worse than Reddit 4 years ago. Reddit tomorrow will be exponentially worse again, I have no doubt. The Corona "misinformation war" has been a large factor in that.