Apparently, Twitter suspended at least six journalists for Doxxing over the past day or two.
At first the journalists in question said they had no idea why their blue checked accounts had been suspended.
All I thought was, “Yeah, now you know what it feels like.”
It’s later come out that Twitter has updated its user policy forbidding real time Doxxing. This on the surface seems to be related to something Elon Mush hasn’t been happy about for a while. There is or was a site where you could track his private jet’s location in real time.
Elon Musk had at one time offered to buy the site and associated Twitter account from its creator but it’s unclear if they were able to reach an agreement on the price. At the time I thought that Musk’s offer was far too low. But that was just my opinion.
If Musk offered me cash for this site, I’d sell it to him for a reasonable offer. Hey I’m a capitalist! So sue me.
I think that the whole mess went to court but I’m not entirely sure, and don’t know the outcome.
Now the Musk owns Twitter, and has amended the user agreement. He is well within his right to control Doxxing of his information and that of other people.
This too is capitalism Comrade Journalists.
Ultimately I think the move is a good one. It has broader implications than just a handful of journalists being suspended.
For example, Twitter was instrumental in the disruption of Justice Kavenaugh’s meal at a Washington restaurant. Twitter was used during the BLM riots across the nation to coordinate wanton destruction and looting while avoiding the police.
Musk is right, if a bit heavy handed. There is no reason to broadcast real time information about the location of anyone. Particularly, about people who may have controversial views or opinions, or public figures.
It’s one thing for an entertainer to tweet out information about a concert or event to their fans. It’s quite another to use Twitter to coordinate violence or a “Flash” protest of hundreds. We’ve seen the latter with speakers at various venues from college campuses to rented halls for speaking engagements.
Jordan Peterson, Dave Rubin, Dave Chappell, and Pamela Geller, have all been “mobbed” at speaking engagements, Pamela Geller had two armed gunmen roll up in Garland TX. They miscalculated. They were in TX and were “put down” like rabid dogs.
I just pulled these people off the top of my head. These people and others, were being paid for their appearance, or their appearance had been paid for by ticket sales to rent the venue. Their livelihoods were impacted by a mob using Twitter to coordinate a protest. The people who purchased tickets were placed in danger by the mob, and the venue lost money when the appearance or lecture was shut down. The loss was real and comes in the form of refunding ticket sales, damage done to the building or grounds, and salaries for security and staff.
Many of the Twitterati who showed up for the protests did so because they had nothing better to do that night. Most of them didn’t know about the speaking engagement or where it was being held.
Having walked through a line of foul mouthed aggressive protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church with my Mother on the way to a performance of The Gay Men’s Chorus. I can tell you that it degraded our enjoyment of the evening. Neither I or my Mother gave two shits about the sexuality of the performers, we were there because this particular chorus was excellent that year. I didn’t appreciate one little bit that we had our evening out tarnished by a bunch of moronic assholes.
We won’t even discuss what one jackass called my Mother, or the tightness of her grip on my arm. You can call a man almost anything, but call his mother a slutty whore to her face in that man’s presence… In elder times that would get you beat to a pulp, shot, or run through.
Truthfully, had my Mom not been so terrified I’d have made that jackass eat his words and then eat the rest of his meals through a straw. He had the right to protest the performance, he didn’t have the right to speak like that to my mother. I’m old school that way.
This event occurred prior to Twitter and cellphones. The number of protestors was relatively small but they were vile nonetheless.
The ubiquity of Twitter and cellphones has only amplified the reach of jackasses who believe that they have the right not only to free speech, but also the right to prevent someone from expressing an opinion counter to their own. I got news for them, that is not free speech. That is oppression.
The irony is not lost on me. These people use numbers and mob rule in the guise of free speech to oppress anyone they disagree with.
Free Speech is a tough thing. You’ve got to be capable of recognizing that people holding a different view have that right just as you do. You’ve got to be responsible with the right of free speech, and mature enough to draw a line between a protest and an out of control mob.
I wonder if this is, at least in part, the philosophy that Musk is working from. Sure he’s trying to insure his safety and that of his family. I wonder how much of the overarching issue is Musk also committed to?
If he’s applying the new rules in an egalitarian way then I’m totally in.
If Twitter is suspending anyone and everyone who is providing real time information about public figures unilaterally then good. I’ll be interested to see how that works out.
This has the potential to limit the incitement of violence and collateral damage or disruption to innocent bystanders just going about their business.
Do you or anyone you love want to be trapped in a restaurant by protesters just because Dave Chappell happens to want dinner at the same place?
You’d think that these journalists above all would understand the concept of free speech.
The jury is still out on that.