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posted by n1 on Wednesday November 08 2017, @08:14AM   Printer-friendly
from the sad! dept.

The President of the United States of America lost the crucial ability to Tweet for an 11 minute timespan on Thursday (Nov. 2), following the temporary deactivation of his Twitter account by a Twitter employee who was being let go by the company. The incident has raised questions about the safeguards in place for high-profile Twitter users:

This is the way the world ends: not with a bang but a deleted Twitter account. At least, so it appeared for 11 minutes Thursday evening, when visitors to President Trump's personal account, @realDonaldTrump, were informed that there was no such thing.

[...] Amid a presidency that has seemed, at times, to be conducted primarily in 140-character pieces, this was a seismic event — and what was left of Twitter erupted. It was a raucous, modern-day town-square gathering of the sort not seen since ... well, since five months ago, when Mr. Trump coined a new word in the middle of the night.

[...] The answer, revealed three hours later, was something straight out of "Office Space." After saying in an initial statement that the account had been "inadvertently deactivated due to human error by a Twitter employee," Twitter announced that a rogue customer support worker had done it on his or her last day at the company.

Previously: Twitter Shadowbans Republican Frontrunner
Twitter Co-founder: I'm Sorry if We Made Trump's Presidency Possible


Similar submissions also came from martyb and Phoenix666.

Original Submission #1Original Submission #2Original Submission #3

 
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  • (Score: 5, Interesting) by DannyB on Wednesday November 08 2017, @02:36PM (14 children)

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday November 08 2017, @02:36PM (#594052) Journal

    I could argue that Twitter cutting off an individual's account is AN OPINION rather than Censorship. An enforcement of their TOS that everyone is to abide by -- even if Twitter is unable to enforce it uniformly.

    But of course, the orange jackass brings lots of traffic to Twitter. So that is the most important thing. It must not be shut down.

    --
    Don't put a mindless tool of corporations in the white house; vote ChatGPT for 2024!
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +4  
       Interesting=3, Informative=1, Total=4
    Extra 'Interesting' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   5  
  • (Score: 0, Flamebait) by khallow on Wednesday November 08 2017, @04:06PM (13 children)

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday November 08 2017, @04:06PM (#594101) Journal

    I could argue that Twitter cutting off an individual's account is AN OPINION rather than Censorship.

    And I could argue that you're a Moon Nazi coming to enslave us all for your Moon cheese mines. What you can argue is far greater than what we're going to take seriously.

    • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday November 08 2017, @04:18PM (7 children)

      by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday November 08 2017, @04:18PM (#594104) Journal

      There may be a difference in how serious we are in our arguments, and how seriously they will be taken by others.

      --
      Don't put a mindless tool of corporations in the white house; vote ChatGPT for 2024!
      • (Score: 0, Flamebait) by khallow on Wednesday November 08 2017, @04:22PM (6 children)

        by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday November 08 2017, @04:22PM (#594109) Journal
        Arguing that censorship isn't really censorship because it is an "OPINION" is Moon cheese arguability.
        • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday November 08 2017, @04:31PM (5 children)

          by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday November 08 2017, @04:31PM (#594115) Journal

          Okay. I'll just outright call it censorship, even if it is done by a private company.

          I have already stated what I think the thinking is. I have already pointed out people engage in censorship because it satisfies a short term urge. I even feel it myself, as seen by some things I said. But I also pointed out that it is ultimately futile and self defeating despite the short term satisfaction.

          --
          Don't put a mindless tool of corporations in the white house; vote ChatGPT for 2024!
          • (Score: 1, Insightful) by khallow on Wednesday November 08 2017, @05:01PM (4 children)

            by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday November 08 2017, @05:01PM (#594132) Journal
            And I agree almost fully with that. But censorship can work in the long term if there is no work around to it such as in totalitarian societies. It's not going to happen in a relatively open society like the US, but it can happen for a very long time in a far less open society like the USSR.
            • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday November 08 2017, @05:08PM (3 children)

              by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday November 08 2017, @05:08PM (#594136) Journal

              I agree that censorship can 'work' for certain values of work. Word always seems to get out eventually. Even in the most repressive regimes. I remember the Newsweek stories after Romania fell. People remember and eventually have an opportunity to tell their stories.

              --
              Don't put a mindless tool of corporations in the white house; vote ChatGPT for 2024!
              • (Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday November 08 2017, @05:27PM (2 children)

                by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday November 08 2017, @05:27PM (#594155) Journal

                I remember the Newsweek stories after Romania fell.

                Note the use of the key word, "after".

                • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday November 08 2017, @06:44PM (1 child)

                  by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday November 08 2017, @06:44PM (#594187) Journal

                  That word 'after' fits perfectly with each and every sentence I wrote after the first sentence.

                  --
                  Don't put a mindless tool of corporations in the white house; vote ChatGPT for 2024!
                  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by khallow on Wednesday November 08 2017, @07:21PM

                    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday November 08 2017, @07:21PM (#594205) Journal
                    I didn't quote those other sentences. All those stories only came out after the repressive government of Romania fell. If it took another 50 years for Romania to fall, then most of those stories would have died untold. That's the true power of censorship when it is effective.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 08 2017, @05:20PM (4 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 08 2017, @05:20PM (#594149)

      If this was some rabid sjw type you libtards would be all over "private companies can do what they want!". Hypocrites.

      • (Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday November 08 2017, @05:29PM (3 children)

        by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday November 08 2017, @05:29PM (#594157) Journal

        If this was some rabid sjw type you libtards would be all over "private companies can do what they want!".

        And you'd be eating babies. Ad hominems are a waste of your time.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 08 2017, @07:40PM (2 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 08 2017, @07:40PM (#594213)

          I used two ad hominems, one for "them" and one for "you". It is not a waste of time, it is meant to show the value of your judgments. Just because you can't fess up to being a hypocrite doesn't make my statement any less meaningful.

          Oh I'm sorry, I must have hurt your feelings. Here, let me get you a nice warm blanket by the heater, that should melt away all of your frostiness.

          • (Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday November 08 2017, @07:44PM (1 child)

            by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday November 08 2017, @07:44PM (#594216) Journal

            it is meant to show the value of your judgments

            Exactly. Waste of time as a result.

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 08 2017, @09:25PM

              by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 08 2017, @09:25PM (#594243)

              Well stop wasting your precious time before the leftists give your job to some minority! Just admit to your own hypocrisy and we can move on.