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posted by Fnord666 on Friday August 16 2019, @01:05AM   Printer-friendly
from the don't-not-do-evil dept.

[Ed note: This story was originally posted 2019-08-15 04:41 UTC but was lost when we had the site crash Thursday morning. Prior comments have, unfortunately, been lost. --martyb]

'Google Blocked TorrentFreak From Appearing in Search Feature'

Documents released by whistleblower Zachary Vorhies suggests that Google actively blocked hundreds of sites, including TorrentFreak, from its Google Now service. The blocklist doesn't provide a specific reason for the blockade, but other sites are flagged for having a high user block rate or for peddling hoax stories. Vorhies has shared the documents with the US Department of Justice.

At TorrentFreak, we have written hundreds of articles about website blocking and censorship. Today, we're featured in one ourselves.

Leaked Google documents reveal that TorrentFreak.com shows up in one of Google's previously unknown blocklists, which actively hides our domain from the Google Now service.

Google Now was a Google search feature that presented users with informational cards, to provide users with more details on subjects of interest to them. While the brand no longer exists, the feature is still present in the Google Android app and its feed.

The controversial blocklist is part of a treasure trove of files that were leaked by whistleblower Zachary Vorhies, who shared them with Project Veritas. The entire collection of files uncovers many previously unknown policies and actions from Google.

The story that broke SoylentNews™.

See also (Zachary Vorhies in the news): YouTube Software Engineer Describes Seeing Altercation In Building Courtyard
America's Greatest Makers is like American Idol for geeks, so we talked to one

Previously: Veritas Claims Leaked Internal E-Mails from Google Showing Political Bias of Results


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  • (Score: 3, Informative) by c0lo on Friday August 16 2019, @07:46AM (17 children)

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Friday August 16 2019, @07:46AM (#880937) Journal

    This has been moderated as a Troll for writing facts that someone didn't agree with?

    [Citation needed]

    --
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +1  
       Informative=1, Total=1
    Extra 'Informative' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   3  
  • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday August 16 2019, @08:19AM (16 children)

    by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday August 16 2019, @08:19AM (#880951) Journal

    So counter his opinion with facts that can persuade him to reconsider. You have now produced the medical examiner's report, why didn't you provide that as evidence to support your previous comments. You disagreed with what jmorris was saying - that is a 'Disagree' mod in my book.

    even the Guardian had to include Gorka's pretty compelling destruction of the timeline behind the story. Because The Guardian is under British law and they have libel laws with teeth.

    I can pull that reference up and read it and it does seem to support this part of one of his assertions.

    I'm am not saying that jmorris is correct, nor am I supporting his point of view, but IMHO moderating it as a troll is a simple way to suppress or hide his opinion. That is falling into the trap that others frequently fall into and you are capable of much better argument than that. I know, I have been on the receiving end of it.

    • (Score: 3, Informative) by c0lo on Friday August 16 2019, @08:49AM (15 children)

      by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Friday August 16 2019, @08:49AM (#880960) Journal

      You have now produced the medical examiner's report, why didn't you provide that as evidence to support your previous comments.

      Repeat after me, Jan: extraordinary claims requires extraordinary evidence and it is the burden of the claimant to provide the evidence.

      You disagreed with what jmorris was saying - that is a 'Dihsagree' mod in my book.

      I have more than disagreed with him.
      Signalling disagreement shows a willingness to debate, a thing that I long gave up in relation with jmorris. On the simple ground that arguing with him is an exercise of pure and unadulterated futility, for whatever reasons** he never showed any sign that an argument or citation will make him change his mind. A troll mod is a way to inform fellow soylenters about the danger of wasting their time too, especially when trying to argue against a mixture of blatant lies with fragments of truths.

      Is the explanation clear?

      ** I have doubts that 'reasons' is a term that go well in the same phrase with jmorris. I have this nagging feeling that 'conditions' is a more appropriate term, like in 'mental conditions'. I can't shake from my memory one of his past rants on the line of 'the time for the real patriots to clean the country of liberals is getting closer'.

      --
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
      • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday August 16 2019, @10:51AM (4 children)

        by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday August 16 2019, @10:51AM (#880986) Journal

        Signalling disagreement shows a willingness to debate, a thing that I long gave up in relation with jmorris.

        So ignore him if you feel he is not worth speaking to.

        • (Score: 3, Informative) by c0lo on Friday August 16 2019, @11:40AM (2 children)

          by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Friday August 16 2019, @11:40AM (#881002) Journal

          Explain this to me please, why should I stop expressing my opinion by the way of modding?
          More or less, everybody does it (so the final mod is an act of balancing by the community), and it's natural to be so - nobody has God-like knowledge to know the absolute truth, the mod is inherently subjective, an expression of personal opinion too.

          --
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
          • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday August 16 2019, @12:39PM (1 child)

            by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday August 16 2019, @12:39PM (#881020) Journal

            everybody does it

            Remember when you were young and your mother said something like 'if your friends put their hands in the fire, would you do it too?". That others abuse the moderation system does not make that abuse right. He wasn't trolling (IMHO), he was expressing an opinion with which you disagreed.

            • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday August 16 2019, @01:30PM

              by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Friday August 16 2019, @01:30PM (#881041) Journal

              Remember when you were young and your mother said something like 'if your friends put their hands in the fire, would you do it too?".

              Oh, Jan, are you doing it again? Didn't I explained well enough that you aren't quite in a position "to teach the kids a lesson"?
              What makes you think that you know better than all the soylenters?

              That others abuse the moderation system does not make that abuse right.

              What if that is how it should be and nobody is abusing anything but instead they are expressing their sincere opinions by modding?
              And your expectation of something better is an idealism that doesn't practically serves anyone?

              As small as it is, S/N is already a mature community, can you please make an effort of seeing it as such and not like a bunch of grandkids to be kept on a short leash?

              He wasn't trolling (IMHO), he was expressing an opinion with which you disagreed.

              No, mate, I suggest you stop believing it for even a moment (or stop trying to pull wool over soylenters eyes, in the eventuality that's your agenda).

              Someone expressing an opinion sounds like "I think... The way I see the things... I heard X, if that's true then..."
              But no, when it comes to certain topics**, he's using the more abject and refined disinformation techniques that I had the unfortunate occasion to be subjected for my first 25 years of life, under a communist regime in Eastern Europe.

              Now, he may be sincere what he is saying (being brainwashed and transformed in a useful idiot, he wouldn't be the first nor the last).
              Or he may be doing it on deliberately powered by whatever ideological agenda or material interest. Or any combination of the two.

              But... bottom line, do you really think it matters why is he doing it?
              I know it's a waste of time to play his sick game, it doesn't need to take years of same-old-same-old jmorris posts to realize it's futile.

              ---

              ** it's not a knee-jerk reaction in me triggered by a jmorris post, he has enough posts I consider balanced enough, now and then some which I can ever agree with (very rare, but it does happen). Even though I still have mod points now, I don't rush to bury all his comments.

              --
              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 16 2019, @11:24PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 16 2019, @11:24PM (#881341)

          So ignore him if you feel he is not worth speaking to.

          It would be a hell of a lot easier to ignore jmorris if his comments on just about anything these days wasn't pure white noise. Just sayin'.

      • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday August 16 2019, @11:00AM (1 child)

        by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday August 16 2019, @11:00AM (#880988) Journal

        he never showed any sign that an argument or citation will make him change his mind.

        Which is precisely why I do not favour publishing political stories - I have never witnessed anyone have their political views changed as a result of in intelligent debate on the internet. Those who are prepared to discuss politics usually have strong opinions and thus are the very people who will not respond to logic or reasoned debate.

        This story did not start out with politics as its basis but the comments quickly deteriorated into politically polarised claims and counterclaims. At that point, we also witness an increase in the 'Troll' moderations because anyone with politically opposed views to the reader is immediately seen as a Troll. Marking as a Troll is seen to be a simple way of suppressing views with which the reader disagrees strongly, and any hope of intelligent discussion ceases at that point. Both sides of the USA political spectrum are as deserving of free speech to present their views as the other, and both sides never listen or apply reason to alternative viewpoints so are wasting their time.

        • (Score: 3, Informative) by c0lo on Friday August 16 2019, @11:34AM

          by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Friday August 16 2019, @11:34AM (#880999) Journal

          Which is precisely why I do not favour publishing political stories

          I can understand why you don't like it, but this does not mean I accept your position - on this one, I believe we can agree to disagree in a civil way.

          I have never witnessed anyone have their political views changed as a result of in intelligent debate on the internet.

          Radically change? No chance in hell.
          Accept some merit in another position, perhaps even mellow one that I hold, even when I consider it suboptimal? It happened to me many times. It also happened the other way around, to become more entrenched in some others, based on arguments (or the lack thereof) that were presented during discussions.

          That's one of the many reasons I see the publishing of political stories as beneficial - people tire and when tired some of them may start to listen - as little chances for this to happen as it may be, if you don't publish political stories, you lose these chances.

          This story did not start out with politics as its basis but the comments quickly deteriorated into politically polarised claims and counterclaims.

          See? Seems like Soylenters need to have political "fights" here. If you don't give them a context, they'll create one anyway (so, why should I debate endlessly with you over this when it happens anyway?)

          --
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by janrinok on Friday August 16 2019, @01:14PM (3 children)

        by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday August 16 2019, @01:14PM (#881033) Journal

        extraordinary claims requires extraordinary evidence and it is the burden of the claimant to provide the evidence.

        That is absolutely correct - but you didn't ask him to provide evidence, you modded him as Troll. You weren't prepared to show that he made a mistake, you took an action (which has since been changed by others in subsequent moderations) which would have had the effect of reducing the chance of his views being seen. That doesn't seem fair to me.

        • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday August 16 2019, @01:50PM (2 children)

          by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Friday August 16 2019, @01:50PM (#881058) Journal

          That is absolutely correct - but you didn't ask him to provide evidence, you modded him as Troll.

          And rightly so, from the experience I had with his posts in the past.
          I mean, look, you know that "doing it the same and expecting different results", right? Why do you expect, nay, ask me to act in an idiotic way?

          That doesn't seem fair to me.

          Come on, mate, time for you to learn by your own direct experience.
          For 2-3 years, you fact-check every jmorris post and provide evidence every time when he's lying. And we'll discuss the matter of fairness of mod-trolling jmorris after that. Deal?

          --
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
          • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday August 16 2019, @02:08PM (1 child)

            by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday August 16 2019, @02:08PM (#881072) Journal

            So jmorris' actions have remained unchanged for 2 - 3 year, but you have admitted that you modded me Troll as well. I cannot accept your explanation as a justification for using the Troll moderation. But I suspect that we will have to agree to disagree.

            • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday August 16 2019, @03:44PM

              by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Friday August 16 2019, @03:44PM (#881135) Journal

              I cannot accept your explanation as a justification for using the Troll moderation.

              Are you sure you understood the explanation for which I modded your comment as troll?

              --
              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
      • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 16 2019, @02:25PM (2 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 16 2019, @02:25PM (#881082)

        he never showed any sign that an argument or citation will make him change his mind. A troll mod is a way to inform fellow soylenters about the danger of wasting their time too

        Ok, so because you feel you can't convert him to your side, you must take it on yourself to hide his posts so others won't see what you don't like.
        That's petty censorship. It validates my choice to read at -1 so that you and others like you can't decide what I get to see.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 16 2019, @02:34PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 16 2019, @02:34PM (#881088)

          That's petty censorship. It validates my choice to read at -1

          Conflating downvotes with censorship is so feeble-minded. The biggest suckers are always the people who think they are superior non-conformists.

        • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday August 16 2019, @03:16PM

          by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Friday August 16 2019, @03:16PM (#881122) Journal

          Ok, so because you feel you can't convert him to your side, you must take it on yourself to hide his posts so others won't see what you don't like.
          That's petty censorship.

          It would be censorship, if my actions would have the effect of hiding his post. Since I know I cannot do this, it would be stupid from me to even try.
          So, question, do you take me for a stupid?

          It validates my choice to read at -1 so that you and others like you can't decide what I get to see.

          Congrats, you discovered this weird trick... I assure you most of the Soylenters did.

          --
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 16 2019, @04:31PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 16 2019, @04:31PM (#881158)

        He really was losing his shit right before the server crashed and a lot of the more ranty comments got wiped.