I have been listening to these three great minds (below) for quite some time. These are three advocates of free speech and three self-proclaimed journalists, who think that Twitter is a cesspool and *needs to close, and Redditt needs to grow up and trash the “bad” subreddits. Facebook is fine because Zuckerberg, a man obsessed with profit, already unilaterally decided that on his site, home to billions of people, a kid in flip flops, all alone will decide what you can say.
In 1980 you would be shunned if you said gays should be allowed to marry. In 1960 you could be lynched if you screamed blacks should use the same toilet as whites. In 1940 Germany you could be shot for advocating hiding a Jew in your home. In 1520 you went to jail for proposing that the Earth is flat.
Sometimes the majority is wrong: true that.
Maybe free speech has some draw backs, like trolling, but it is still kinda important, heck it’s even in some documents in famous museums.
We can either let hipsters with beards running websites determine what is allowed and what isn’t, or we can just like, sorta allow all free speech, like how the founding patriarchs of America intended. Jeff Jarvis or Thomas Jefferson? Lance Ullanoff or John Adams? Sometimes, once in while, here and there, the unpopular opinions are even right. Some of those opinions even change the world. (Albeit, not the ones about the TWiT CEO)
I can cut them some slack when curtailing opinions on a small medium like an irc, but don’t these intellectuals realize that if the pillars of the internet, Facebook, Twitter and Reddit, disallow free speech, it sorta creates a problem. Kinda like if all the TV stations refused to air what they don’t like. Yea, I kinda sorta make sense sorta.
Just to be clear douche-bags; having the pillars of the internet prohibit free speech is effectively prohibiting free speech.
Perhaps Jeff Jarvis should have to deal with someone calling him a shill on Twitter and Leo should have to deal with someone calling him fat. There is a reason lady justice holds a scale, some issues are more important than others. Lastly, whenever you take “haters” and put them in a ghetto away from normal people you excasserbate the problem. If you’re a lone racist in a crowd of normal people you will be quieted. If you are a racist amongst racists you create peer pressure to be even racist-ier.
Full disclosure I could not care less about Free Speech, it’s just the hypocrisy I can’t stomach.
UPDATE: This is in response to a comment: I am well aware that these are public companies and they are not bound by law to comply with any Free Speech doctrines. Yet, I feel that companies of their size should voluntarily adhere to these Free Speech principals in order to retain credibility as a platform.
* Per Jason Cortez – they never said “it needs to close” that was an assumption by the author regarding the critique of these sites for allowing trolls
**Please alert me in comments for spelling and grammar mistakes
***Sorry for America centric notions but that’s my hometown. And all you other countries like California copied us anyway.
Great article. Keep up the great work!
lkalif» Quote comment
Oh, please. Everyone can easily see how full of shit you are.
Please show us the clip where any of these three said Twitter needs to close. They never said it. You’re lying as always.
But the biggest steaming pile of bullshit is how you’re trying to say your petty, racist, sexist, sociopathic trolling is somehow equivalent to the civil rights movement or the plight of Jews in Nazi Germany.
This site is a bullshit troll site. You’re a troll. A fucking coward troll hiding beyond anonymity like a pussy while taking pot-shots at people who live in public.
Did I mention that you’re a coward pussy troll?
Jason Cortez» Quote comment
So “Jason” is a fan of TotalDrama’s “petty, racist, sexist, sociopathic ” style. So much so that he uses his time and energy to comment on it. Now that that is trully petty.
lkalif» Quote comment
He’s a Nazi against free speech like Herr Beatmaster, that fucking Kraut. And he secretly loves this site! That’s why he posts so often. I heard he’s looking for a boyfriend!
Holden» Quote comment
Now that there’s anything wrong with being gay, it’s just his real reason he’s here to talk of his crushes on the fat priest, gummo and soup.
Holden» Quote comment
We loooooove Jason Cortez here in the TotalDrama comment dungeons!
Ken Sintek» Quote comment
if this is a troll site why are u here? who cares if there trolling .its the internet there’s trolls everywhere moron. maybe they hide behind anonymity because they don’t want people visiting there homes for voicing there opinions. the old saying is true for this if u cant take the heat get out of the kitchen. the part about civil rights , ect was to point out the need for free speech. they were not saying it was the equivalent of those topics. this site and others are free speech like it or not. now go back to editing amateurs failing at p reading a teleprompter.
really» Quote comment
Really, Cortez is too far up Leo’s arse to understand you wonderful explanation. He’s blinded by his love of soup, gummo, and the fat fraud priest.
Holden» Quote comment
Jason What he is saying us that speech – no matter how uncomfortable as long as it doesn’t threaten violence – should always be allowed. If you don’t like the Reddit subs, don’t go there.
And his Nazi comparison is apt, as the first thing Hitler did was take over the media.
I’m sure that fucking Nazi Kraut Beatmaster will be happy to explain it to you. Then again, maybe you’re a Nazi, too,
Talk about anonymity? Fine. Let’s hear ur real name, genius. But that’ll be never happen since you are balls deep up Leo’s arse.
Finally, you’re trolling us, get it? You’re invading our site to start trouble. That us the definition of a troll.
So fuck off, loser. Your don’t like it here? Then leave. Cause whenever you post an inflammatory comment, you fire us,all.
And now go suck Leo’s dick and leave us alone.
Holden» Quote comment
And any man who uses the word sexist should wear a dress, which u probably do.
Holden» Quote comment
“Please show us the clip where any of these three said Twitter needs to close. They never said it. You’re lying as always.”
Mike has said at least 20 times that twitter needs to stamp out trolls. Mike has said that reddit has to shut down the racist subreddits. So has Leo, do you really want me to link it. Just ask them. It has also been quoted in many TD videos. if you want me to link them I will but if you ask Mike he will admit it. Furthermore TWiT is the king of getting twitter accounts closed.
“But the biggest steaming pile of bullshit is how you’re trying to say your petty, racist, sexist, sociopathic trolling is somehow equivalent to the civil rights movement”
No I wasn’t. I was saying you cant limit bad free speech on the pillars of the internet because you will limit other (good free speech) things as well once you start limiting. I was pointing out why you can’t let people determine what is good and bad free speech because people are often wrong.
“This site is a bullshit troll site. You’re a troll. A fucking coward troll hiding beyond anonymity like a pussy while taking pot-shots at people who live in public. ”
Maybe I am a coward, but that doesn’t change the argument, its just you calling me names. Can you link the names I called them that were anywhere equal to what you just called me? I assume your name is Cortez too. But I am the hypocrite?
Richard Yes» Quote comment
Richard, Cortez is way too far up Leo’s arse to understand this well thought out and reasoned post.
And, Cortez, let’s have ur real name# After all , if you’re calling us out on anonymity, you don’t want to be a hypocrite. Do you ?
Holden» Quote comment
Also, that paragon of virtue, the dying Jeff Jarvis, also called for twitter to ban hate speech.
By the way, peeps, don’t be impressed that he’s a Journalism professor. Does he teach at Harvard? No. Yale? No. Columbia? No. He teaches at a COMMUNITY college in NYC..
Holden» Quote comment
Jarvis shouldn’t even be taken seriously by this site. He doesn’t understand the basic idea of conflict pf interest.
This piece of turd with rotten teeth travels dozens of times a year on Google’s dime. How can anyone think he can be objective in anything?
Can’t even call him an apologist, he’s straight up Google’s asshole.
Jimmy Jam» Quote comment
+1 Jimmy.
Holden» Quote comment
Jarvis is an associate professor at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. The C stands for City, not Community.
The Corrector» Quote comment
Still a shit hole if it hires non-PhDs as professors.
Jimmy Jam» Quote comment
epecially if the dickhole is a post cancerous Jeff Jarvis.
Ken Sintek» Quote comment
You’re a gut maggot without guts, a cum slinging piece of simian excrement. Nobody cares about your political correctness bullshit here ass munch, go away.
Why comes here if you don’t like it? And don’t ask why we watch TWiT if we hate it. It’s fun to see idiots with no filters repeatedly make an ass if themselves.
Jimmy Jam» Quote comment
Cortez = Troll.
Another desperate, frustrated, helpless & afraid sociopathic troll boy projecting his trollness upon the good people who post here. Leo and company = Disease. TotalDrama = The Cure.
And finally lets not forget. Eat a dick.
Steve James» Quote comment
No, Jason C nor I are trolls, you hateful assholes who have nothing better to do than watch TWiT while you’re in your mommy’ basements collecting welfare. You should get out more.
Before anyone says anything, I don’t spend all day online. I have a life and in over a month I’ll be back to college so I won’t have time for this shitty place.
MollyFa» Quote comment
The real question is:
Why do you have time at all?
Digital Dynamic» Quote comment
I’m a 59 year old tech tycoon, live in a penthouse in Houston. I never had a mom either, I was the first test tube baby.
So stop generalizing based on false information you fartbag.
Jimmy Jam» Quote comment
agreed 100%
proof» Quote comment
Go Dine on Male Genitalia…
Digital Dynamic» Quote comment
These 3 clowns only accept free speech, if it reflects their point of view and if it’s not negative towards them. All 3 forget that they are public figures spouting their opinion and don’t like the critique they receive.
They used to like Twitter ages a go but since the feedback
is not all this positive anymore they hate it, hypocrisy indeed.
Joe Shoe» Quote comment
Bait them and the trolls will come.
Good article by the way.
Harkonnen Mentat» Quote comment
They are a bunch of old white men on their way out. They have little influence, they’re the Internet equivalent of the old dude yelling damn kids get off my lawn while the world passes them by.
They label anything they don’t like as bad, because they are too stupid to hold a genuine discussion where their opinions might be changed.
Jimmy Jam» Quote comment
A racist you are.
Ex-Fan» Quote comment
Nice post. Welcome back. My few recent visits to live.twit.tv have been instigated by some of the great posts here. If TD goes away then TWiT loses another viewer. Who cares. Leo doesn’t. His only care is how much he can take in. He has lost any interest in producing a quality product a long time ago.
He realized that he get the same number of downloads with Mike gumming his platitudes and Jarvis ranting about nothing. Quality won’t pay for his river cruises and sex swings.
Wowser» Quote comment
Great post HelloWorld
I watch these 3 stooges preach and spu their venom & biased views on just about every fucking podcast on Twat and wonder how fucking stupid are the guest hosts or the viewers or the sponsors not to call these 3 clowns out ??????
Are they scared of Leo???
Fucking Leo is a washed up DJ,
Mike is a arrogant “wanna a be ” journalist who tries to force his ideas on his guests
and Jeff is a Google bum boy being shipped around the world by Google to smooth over countries who voice they’re concerns over Googles dominance
I’ve been in the tech industry since 1980 seen a lot of assholes like Leo Mike and Jeff come and go , I have to admit it’s taking a lot longer for regular folks to wake up to these 3 stooges and their bullshit , stop sponsoring Leo!!!! , you can still get the sponsors product but use another name when entering the code, use a podcast or company that creates great podcasts or products , not the shit Leo and his band of merry haters create without research or accuracy
Since Mr. FatAss Leo visits and reads and posts TD everyday ..
Salutations to you, you fucking Fat arrogant perverse Pig.
Just Like Bill Cosby your day is coming.
OhNoYetAnotherTroll» Quote comment
Thanks, OhNo! But I didn’t write this post. My posts are always clearly labelled with a liberal dose of “cunts” sprinkled throughout. 😉
HelloWorld» Quote comment
It’s an interesting rite of passage that everyone goes through once they’ve obtained some measure of power.
The equation seems to work out as this:
The less power you have the more you value individual freedoms such as the freedom of speech. Along with it comes more vitriol for the so-called “establishment.”
In spite of claims to the contrary, these 3 have become the “establishment” at least in their tiny little niche on the Internet.
That means they’re going to jealously protect their power and things like free expression and contrary opinion are far too dangerous to entertain.
…and that my friends, is why they fail.
Leo is about as Liberal as Gerorge W. Bush, Elgan is about as objective as the Spanish Inquisition and Jarvis is little more than a babbling fool seeking to supplement his tenure at CUNY.
None of them journalists, none of them credible and all of them too far removed from their roots by inflated self-opinion to be taken seriously.
Digital Dynamic» Quote comment
Digital
Well said. We should keep this guy around.
He’s got good grammar. lol There are some interesting stories on his blog.
Thanks for posting.
Harkonnen Mentat» Quote comment
There is no free speech. It’s a concept not a reality. Never has been never will be. The state controls what you can say, and where you can say it. Some countries control it more than others, but al nations control speech because they have to. Society would be fucking chaos otherwise.
And… Facebook, Twitter, etc are not the public square. They are commercial enterprises designed to make money for their investors. They can do what they like with the content that punters types into their computer systems. I admin several FB groups and we censor stupid people and stupid comments all the time. It’s the only way to keep things on track.
Now for the three Mouseketeers:
Leo is simply an angry little dick. An emotional pile of shit that doesn’t know whether is coming or going intellectually. Changes his mind and contradicts himself all the time gets pissed off at the drop of a hat and slags off friends live on air. He has no filter and no control.
Jarvis is a New York City bully boy and blowhard who makes no sense most of the time. Read his blog if you want to see the depths of his insanity. How he keeps a job is beyond me.
Gum is simply stupid. A self important twat who should stick to technology and his wife’s cooking. Everytime he wanders into public policy he embarrasses himself.
These guys are third tier media performers and we (myself included) are dopes for wasting our time listening to them.
Ex-Fan» Quote comment
The TV Stations in the US are private companies and they are required by law to give equal airtime to Republicans and Democrats in elections. That is law. However, if there was no law they should still do it in my opinion.
That is my point regarding the big websites. If they want to retain credibility they should allow it. W ether or not it should be law or not is another matter. But in order to retain credibility as a platform they should allow it, in my opinion.
Richard Yes» Quote comment
Hooray! I only had to eat three dicks while waiting for this worthwhile post.
Fake Account» Quote comment
Ex-fan. Great points. You don’t get to say what you want on a private company service if they choose not to let you. Not valid platform for free speech or first amendment argument. That being said all three of these tools are idiots, can’t decide who is the biggest asshat.
Thebff» Quote comment
Free speech? http://i.imgur.com/MVTYuJp.png
cybik» Quote comment