24 votes

Instagram Has a Massive Harassment Problem

9 comments

  1. [6]
    Parliament
    Link
    Someone find me an example of a social media company that has done enough to protect its users from large-scale harassment. Does such a thing exist? Social media and harassment go together like...

    Someone find me an example of a social media company that has done enough to protect its users from large-scale harassment. Does such a thing exist? Social media and harassment go together like peanut butter and jelly at this point.

    17 votes
    1. [3]
      cfabbro
      Link Parent
      I mean... you're on the site of one that is absolutely going to try its damn best to do exactly that. ;) https://blog.tildes.net/announcing-tildes#we-can-do-better...

      Someone find me an example of a social media company that has done enough to protect its users from large-scale harassment.

      I mean... you're on the site of one that is absolutely going to try its damn best to do exactly that. ;)

      https://blog.tildes.net/announcing-tildes#we-can-do-better
      https://blog.tildes.net/announcing-tildes#limited-tolerance-especially-for-assholes
      https://docs.tildes.net/overall-goals
      https://docs.tildes.net/mechanics-future#trustreputation-system-for-moderation
      https://docs.tildes.net/mechanics#comment-labels
      https://docs.tildes.net/code-of-conduct

      10 votes
      1. [2]
        Parliament
        Link Parent
        True true, but the question was kinda rhetorical and mainly aimed at large, established companies. Is there anything mainstream that has had significant success mitigating harassment? You know I’m...

        True true, but the question was kinda rhetorical and mainly aimed at large, established companies. Is there anything mainstream that has had significant success mitigating harassment?

        You know I’m all about making tildes what other sites have failed trying!

        3 votes
        1. cfabbro
          Link Parent
          LOL, yeah I realized that but was answering anyways just to be a bit cheeky. Hence the winky face. ;) :P

          True true, but the question was kinda rhetorical and mainly aimed at large, established companies.

          LOL, yeah I realized that but was answering anyways just to be a bit cheeky. Hence the winky face. ;) :P

          1 vote
    2. [3]
      Comment deleted by author
      Link Parent
      1. [2]
        starchturrets
        Link Parent
        I thought MAC addresses only identified you to the router you’re connected to?

        I thought MAC addresses only identified you to the router you’re connected to?

        4 votes
        1. bme
          (edited )
          Link Parent
          In principle a MAC address is globally unique (assuming it isn't attached to a VM and is the hardware MAC from a manufacturer registered with the IEEE). This is why ipv6 addresses that derive the...

          In principle a MAC address is globally unique (assuming it isn't attached to a VM and is the hardware MAC from a manufacturer registered with the IEEE). This is why ipv6 addresses that derive the last 64bits from the MAC leak the privacy of the user and they invented a new standard for SLAAC addresses that doesn't use the MAC in a deterministic fashion. It's also why mobile phones when roaming and looking for WiFi use a randomized MAC to avoid tracking by things like smart bins etc.

          Of course, anyone with a smidgen of know how can change their MAC, and you are right that unless two people are on the same LAN segment the MAC in any given tcp packet is the MAC of the next hop router.

          I have no idea what the other person said, but figured now was my time to shine!

          5 votes
  2. balooga
    Link
    Humans can be vile. I mean, we've come a long way as a species. I don't want to downplay that. But the internet has really cast a spotlight on how much further we have to go. Before the web, we...

    Humans can be vile.

    I mean, we've come a long way as a species. I don't want to downplay that. But the internet has really cast a spotlight on how much further we have to go. Before the web, we could distance ourselves from the worst parts of humanity and convince ourselves of the narrative that the beast within had been fully civilized. Now the beast is back, parading with a megaphone, and declaring war on anyone and everyone in the name of lulzy purposeless misanthropy.

    I don't think the beast ever went away, we just settled into a false sense of security while the beast was finding its voice. I don't think this harassment crisis is a technical problem, it's a social one. It's about morals and respect. It's about teaching people not to be dicks. Technology might help solve it, but it's not the solution by itself. Because the harder you try to muzzle the beast, the madder it's going to become.

    11 votes
  3. elcuello
    Link
    If we take a positive spin on this I think we're getting closer to cutting down on social media. We just can't handle that level of freedom from so many people at once and that's just how it is....

    If we take a positive spin on this I think we're getting closer to cutting down on social media. We just can't handle that level of freedom from so many people at once and that's just how it is. It's just easier now. I was in the front when Facebook was getting big and I loved the possibilities and it seemed like the original idea of the internet was being perpetuated through it. I loved it and wanted to share everything and connect to everyone.
    As everything else with us humans it moves in waves and we are on top of a wave now. Corporations have infested every social media site with their dubious agenda and trolls thrive. I'm not that affected because I know what to look for and I've been there from the beginning but it's still tiring. I'm hopeful that when my kid gets old enough to be introduced to social media it's different and we've learned from our mistakes. I don't think we as humans have changed in that time but the way we use it and the amount of time we spent has. This is the perfect time to go outside, learn new stuff, be creative, talk to each other and teach our children how to treat other people face to face.

    3 votes
  4. unknown user
    Link
    Do not open your profile to strangers. Especially if it includes photos of you. I'm always amazed at how people are doing this as is it was the most natural of things. There are billions of...

    Do not open your profile to strangers. Especially if it includes photos of you.

    I'm always amazed at how people are doing this as is it was the most natural of things. There are billions of internet users who use thousands of languages and are from hundreds of different cultures, ideas, world views, etc., many of which are simply toxic. Once you go public, especially with your more intimate things like your body, you'll encounter one of these. Yes, there are ideals, but they are ideals, just that. We should keep in mind that in the real world one has to protect themselves from the many possible offenders. And the sort of brain dead people who go after people in onlone spaces are one of the worst kinds. These people will even troll on full-text websites like HN, subreddits, forums, even mailing lists. Yes there are rights and thing, but then there are poor souls out there and it's almost impossible to really protect yourself from, tecnically speaking.

    1 vote