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Twitter adds label to Trump's misleading tweets about mail-in ballots:
Twitter said Tuesday that it added a label to President Donald Trump's tweets for containing "potentially misleading information about voting processes," a rare move that shows the social media company is taking a tougher stance against misinformation.
It's the first time that Twitter has displayed a label on Trump's tweets.
On Tuesday, Trump tweeted that "There is NO WAY (ZERO!) that Mail-in-Ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent," a claim that has been debunked by fact-checkers and news organizations. He continues his remarks in another tweet, stating that it will be a "Rigged election."
A label appears under both tweets that states "Get the facts about mail-in ballots." Clicking on the warning notice directs users to a page that states that fact-checkers say there isn't any evidence that mail-in ballots are linked to voter fraud. Trump also falsely states in the tweets that California will send mail-in ballots to "anyone living in the state, no matter who they are or how they got there" when only registered voters will receive ballots. States such as Oregon, Utah and Washington have long conducted elections by mail only, while states such as Nebraska allow any voter to request a ballot and vote by mail without having to provide a reason.
A Twitter spokeswoman said in a statement that the decision is in line with how the company approaches misinformation on its site, which includes adding warning notices and labels depending on the likelihood and severity of harm a tweet could cause.
Twitter's actions against Trump's tweets will also likely increase tensions between the company and conservative users, who allege that the social network suppresses their speech. Twitter has repeatedly denied those allegations. Earlier this month, Trump tweeted that the "Radical Left" is in control of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google and said his administration is working on a solution.
In two tweets, Trump accused Twitter of interfering in the 2020 US presidential election.
"Twitter is completely stifling FREE SPEECH, and I, as President, will not allow it to happen!," he tweeted.
Also at BBC News, Ars Technica, MIT Technology Review
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Thursday May 28 2020, @03:14AM (5 children)
You, sir, are a true man, gentleman, and scholar. Thank you for your kind and uplifting words. I'm genuinely honored. I think I have some great ideas for a fairly different mod system. It would be hierarchical, downmods could be appealed, 1 mod would not move your post down 1 notch, who modded who would be public, etc. Someday when I have lots of time I might just try it. :) But maybe there are better ways to spend my time than fixing slashcode.
Honestly, I don't think there are any idiots, and I respect everyone's opinions. It's the mod system abuse that's been discussed many times, including by top admins, yet it continues unabated. I wish people would behave with more self-control, politeness, etc. I was raised that way, but society in general has degraded into everyone bashing everyone. Incivility. Spread much faster than COVID-19.
Human nature being what it is, on sites like this people behave much worse than they probably (hopefully) do in real life.
I have more to say about this system, downmods, mod-bombing, etc., but I don't want to make it public. I'll say this: the admins know it's a problem, and they've had to punish (such as it is) abusers. martyb himself (I think it was him...) wrote that modding "troll" just because you disagree with someone is mod system abuse. If it was up to me, said abuser would lose mod points for 2 weeks, karma would drop way down, ...
But that said, in my possible future system the downmodder would be allowed to state his case and defend his position, and we'd go from there.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Reziac on Thursday May 28 2020, @05:45AM (2 children)
[bowing] Thank you too, kind sir.
The big reason for all mods to be anonymous is the potential for retaliatory mods. We're small enough that pretty much everyone knows everyone (it's not like Discus -- where downmods are under your own handle -- but with millions of comments, who matters?) and I think it would just be painting a target on yourself -- for downmodes OR upmods -- upmodding an unpopular position being just as likely to draw the ire of the True Believers In Contrary Things.
I think just making downmods more expensive (eg. two points each) would handle it, as best can be without unintended and perhaps even more unpleasant consequences.
Myself, I rarely downmod as it doesn't discourage idiots (shorthand for "people who believe things that are patently untrue, or who act like cunts") and I rarely find it useful; I have better things to do with my points, and I'm adept at skimming past garbage. Last time Buzzy (?) compiled mod stats, I was one of the least likely to downmod. I do sometimes upmod stuff I disagree with or even find wrongheaded, because it includes some point that deserves to be seen, or to avoid having a confusing gap in a discussion. I read here with default threshold at 0, and find a fair number of comments in the 0 rank that deserve a boost. I really like having the daily points and the ability to post and mod in the same discussion, as it produces a leveling effect (and if you think we're polarized, you should see how things are on the Green Site!! we're downright civil by comparison.)
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Thursday May 28 2020, @03:36PM (1 child)
Thank you, all great points and insight. I also rarely downmod- only if it's true troll or flamebait.
That said, I could vote in favor of some new downmod types, but before I go on with that, I'd rather have NO downmods, except troll and spam. And anyone who misuses either gets punished. As I started to write in reply to janrinock, but just don't have the heart to spend time or thought on it, societies have had to form governments, laws, courts, punishments, to keep peace and civility. Much of my life I dreamt of a fairly free, open, mostly libertarian society, but there are too many very bad people so we need prisons. I'm writing today but I'll withhold future comments here until I see some changes to mod system abuse fixes.
Btw, I have no problem with people who believe things that are patently untrue. It's all about time and a timeline- we all just write the best of our ability and knowledge, right? Like my original post that got at least 7 downmods, well, it all dovetails into a lengthy philosophical discussion about what is fact or truth.
Hate to write it, but I've had a green site login since '98 or so. Rarely used it over the years (because it was so so bad), but green site is so cleaned up now that it's invigorating. I find brilliant comments and information there. And like you, I find it easy to skim past the garbage. Frankly, it's now the civil site, and SN is frequently a trainwreck / street riot. And you can always tell by the number of comments in a story. Green got tough and it worked.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Thursday May 28 2020, @04:27PM
I must be looking at different Green articles... (I too go back to the Olden Times, being a middle-5-digiter from 1998) ...most comment chains that I peruse are loaded with vitriol of a caliber I've *never* seen here, not even from our habitually acrimonious types... and those I know from both sites are rather more bristly Over There. But I do like it better here and am rather more likely to click on and read down random articles here, as everything isn't so politically slanted here. And here I usually spend all my mod points; there I seldom do (tho there I seem to often have infinite mod points -- refills instantly after I use 'em up. Maybe it's a function of upmodding, or something.)
Had another thought relevant to the nominal topic:
Here, downmods are only done by Users. We might vehemently disagree, but downmods still reflect a broad spectrum of the community.
On the Dirty Bird, downmods (and tagging a post as Badthink or Wrong IS a downmod) are only done by the Site Authorities. Downmods are a decree from on high. (To be fair, I'd say the Bird has mobs, not communities.)
[I've had a Twatter account for about 12 years, but rarely use it, and I never just cruise new posts.]
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 28 2020, @08:32AM (1 child)
Hey don't neglect us idiots! Asshole.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Reziac on Thursday May 28 2020, @04:31PM
LOL, okay, idiot AND asshole. Happy? :)
Back when Gab had downmods, there was a friendly competition to see who could achieve the worst negative score. (I think it got down into the mid-minus-50,000 range.) I had one follower who was in on that and made him very happy with a downvote every time I saw him. :P
You just gotta know your audience.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.