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posted by janrinok on Thursday February 22 2018, @07:33PM   Printer-friendly
from the death-of-the-bot dept.

According to Ars Technica

A number of "alt-right," pro-Trump, and self-described conservative social media personalities awoke this morning to find that they had a lot fewer followers on Twitter than they had the night before. The apparent cause was the latest culling by Twitter of accounts that in some way violated the company's terms of service, a Twitter spokesperson told Ars, including "behaviors that indicate automated activity or violations of our policies around having multiple accounts, or abuse." The sweep has some on the right accusing Twitter of politically motivated censorship.

"Twitter's tools are apolitical, and we enforce our rules without political bias," a Twitter spokesperson said in a statement emailed to Ars. The accounts were targeted as part of "our ongoing work in safety," the spokesperson said. "We also take action on any accounts we find that violate our terms of service, including asking account owners to confirm a phone number so we can confirm a human is behind it. That's why some people may be experiencing suspensions or locks. This is part of our ongoing, comprehensive efforts to make Twitter safer and healthier for everyone."

And at Vanity Fair:

Renewed fears of censorship have once again led some users to talk about leaving to join Gab, the so-called free-speech social network that cropped up in 2016 as an alternative to Twitter. And Gab couldn't be more pleased. Utsav Sanduja, the company's chief operating officer, told me on Wednesday that the company had seen "a surge of donations, Gab memberships, [and] user sign-ups" since Tuesday night.


Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday February 23 2018, @06:04AM (7 children)

    by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday February 23 2018, @06:04AM (#642237) Journal

    What pisses me off, is when one of my submissions is accepted, and then deep-sixed for some arcane reason, such as that is bothers TMB that he may in fact be a racist and Nazi sympathizer. None of that is here nor there. See my journals on disappearing approved submissions.

    I have explained to you - again on numerous occasions - what happens during the editing process. All the subs that you claimed 'disappeared' are still to be found in the database. To an editor, the reason for their rejection is clear to see and I would argue that most people on this site would have agreed with the decision taken. One submission was actually referred to the Board and the deliberation was done in public on IRC. It was rejected. Every submission gets looked at by several editors (of which TMB does not get involved) and we can pitch in our comments on views regarding running a story. If nobody picks it up within a reasonable timescale the subs usually get deleted because the news is now old and nobody is interested in it.

    You are not being victimised. Write unbiased and neutral submissions on topics of interest and they will probably hit the front page. Write your usual stuff, and it will probably be rejected.

    There is no alt-right bias - I'm not even an American and I have probably rejected as many of your stories as anyone around here.

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  • (Score: 2) by aristarchus on Friday February 23 2018, @07:16AM (3 children)

    by aristarchus (2645) on Friday February 23 2018, @07:16AM (#642251) Journal

    jarnrinok, it truly is always your fault. Well, just let me quote a bit:

    All the subs that you claimed 'disappeared' are still to be found in the database.

    Oh, yes, just as much as all the subs I have not claimed have disappeared, because they were outright rejected. No bias? When it was an explicit objection by a well know alt-right sympathizer that got the first submission I complained about disappeared, AFTER it had been accepted? Janrinok, I respect you, I appreciate your attempts to moderate the entire issue, but you have to admit you are sitting on top of an alt-right sympathizing news aggregating website. There really in no other way to look at it, that is not delusional.

    More points: You recently (yesterday) spit one of my submissions back at me in the form you seems to think editors want it. What do you want me to do with this? Is if did not think the way I submitted it was the way it should properly be submitted, I would not have submitted it like that. Do you think I do not know that what I say is truth and will piss of the alt-right? Please grant more more charity, jarninok, assume that I do know what I am doing.

    Not even a American! Congratulations! Does that mean, or not mean, that you are a Russian bot? Inquiring minds, some of the American, want to know! I am not an American, either. I am a philosopher. Philosophers are those rare beasts that are not citizens of any nation, but speak for all humanity. So when I see a Nativist, or Fascist faction raise its ugly head anywhere, as a lover of wisdom, I have to oppose it. Is this so hard to understand? Is my adamant opposition to ignorance and prejudice so wrong as not to be appropriate for SoylnetNews? That, if it is what you are admitting, is more damning that anything anyone could say. To Hell? Do you know what the greatest suffering is of those who are in Hell? Hades, if you stick to my cultural upbringing. It is that they do not know why they are there. If they did, of course they would renounce their actions! But they do not realize that what they do is wrong.

    Duning-Kroger? Or SoylentNews Ed? I leave the judgment to you, oh wise and editorial jarninok! And, as usual, this is offtopic for the thread it is posted in. My apologies, for all you non-ed Soylentils! Carry on, and troll mod jmorris, just for me, and for justice.

    • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday February 23 2018, @07:32AM (2 children)

      by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday February 23 2018, @07:32AM (#642253) Journal
      You need to up your meds - I'll not bother trying to wade through that drivel.
      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by aristarchus on Friday February 23 2018, @07:47AM (1 child)

        by aristarchus (2645) on Friday February 23 2018, @07:47AM (#642255) Journal

        One ed's drivel, is another's carefully argued case that there is bias on this site? You disappoint me, janrinock! You sound like a less than mighty Buzzard. I can provide more, later, if you are up to it. Argument over editorial policy is always a good thing, no? Unless we are an alt-right sucking site. Let me know. I will not wade through your lack of drivel, though, it does intrigue me: How can you hold to position you do, without being a willing Nazi sympathizer? I really want to know! But, I will not wade through drivel, or ed talks in private messages that allow no response from mere Soylentils who try their best to contribute to the site with submission of Fine Articles that Other Soylentils May find interesting, if they are not total Alt-right Proud Boys who are White and Single and can't get a date, because they are losers and scumbags and, why would you live in a house with a room-mate, if you are successful and financially independant? Am I reading the signals wrong? Where do you live, janrinok?

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 23 2018, @04:11PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 23 2018, @04:11PM (#642436)

          Does Aristarchus go overboard? Yes. Is he wrong about alt-right losers around here? No.

          This site has been teetering on the edge of the alt-right poop cliff.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 23 2018, @03:38PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 23 2018, @03:38PM (#642415)

    As a casual onlooker this seems like a very high bar

    Write unbiased and neutral submissions on topics of interest and they will probably hit the front page.

    I think it's hypocritical for pretty much anybody to claim their point of view is unbiased and neutral.

    Obviously the topic was interesting as proven by this accepted submission we're commenting here.

    • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday February 23 2018, @04:14PM

      by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday February 23 2018, @04:14PM (#642439) Journal

      The story as printed is not the same as the story that was submitted. Please compare it with the Original Submission. The story, as opposed to comments, should be as neutral and unbiased as the submitter can make it. Sometimes we have to go searching for the opposite point of view to try to give a story some balance. And, of course, we always attribute the source material to make it obvious that it is NOT our point of view but that of the writer of the original source. SoylentNews is not here to tell you what to think or what views you should hold, but to encourage a discussion where everyone can give their point of view and an intelligent exchange of ideas can take place. SN remains entirely neutral in this regard although we are also free to express our own opinions in the comments.

      There are clear guidelines regarding submitting a story [soylentnews.org].

      The submitter of this story has the unfortunate habit of including his own views in his submissions - the place for personal views is either in the comments to a story or in one's journal. The latter is provided to enable everyone in our community to have a discussion on any topic that they wish whilst letting them express their own personal views. He sometimes also over-eggs the story to make it more sensational.

    • (Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Friday February 23 2018, @05:35PM

      by tangomargarine (667) on Friday February 23 2018, @05:35PM (#642477)

      There's a difference between reporting the idiocy that some party is undertaking, and posting a rant calling them names in the process. The evidence given should speak for itself; we shouldn't be spoon-fed the opinion the article submitter wants us to share.

      Thanks for what you guys do, janrinok. I'm on your side of this.

      --
      "Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"