The problem is one of monopoly,as usual. The truth of the matter is, this would not be a problem if, for example, the amazon and google marketplaces werent 90+% of the market in sales. Amazon...
The problem is one of monopoly,as usual.
The truth of the matter is, this would not be a problem if, for example, the amazon and google marketplaces werent 90+% of the market in sales. Amazon should have every right to say "no sex stuff on our platform" if it were subject to actual alternatives and competition. It is not. So the result is widespread cultural censorship because big tech refuses to be accountable for the entire culture which it now represents.
This is the key thing right here. The Internet's fine, it's the big players on it that are blocking people. This seems the same to me as how, pre-Internet, you had to go to niche stores to buy the...
This is the key thing right here. The Internet's fine, it's the big players on it that are blocking people. This seems the same to me as how, pre-Internet, you had to go to niche stores to buy the really good porn. Heck, you still do if you want to actually walk into a place and buy porn. The online department stores just don't want the stigma of carrying dirty books. Big deal. Sell your stuff where they don't pitch a fit. Maybe some people will try buying things from somewhere that isn't Amazon for once.
I realize they represent a monopoly in terms of market share, but more concerning to me is that they are on the verge of monopolizing access. With the end of network neutrality, our ability to...
I realize they represent a monopoly in terms of market share, but more concerning to me is that they are on the verge of monopolizing access. With the end of network neutrality, our ability to freely share information is slowly eroding. The vast majority of all data passes through google, amazon and a few other players, all arbitrated by what is now a handful of "content" providers. Its now apparent they are actually willing to restrict and conform that traffic to their liking... which is a terrifying prospect- especially considering how stifling groups such as Disney tend to be towards free thought and speech.
And while some may argue "good riddance," that is both silly and closed-minded… The internet loses much of its usefulness when it's judged on the standards of the most prude and most uptight. And, tragically, that's where we're increasingly heading.
Not that it changes the direction the internet is going or how categorically wrong the legislation is, but Violet Blue has been reinstated by Amazon:...
America's slide into democratically elected authoritarianism: a brief State of the Union. Right now in America we have legal asylum seekers being illegally detained under a bridge, a crackdown on...
America's slide into democratically elected authoritarianism: a brief State of the Union.
Right now in America we have legal asylum seekers being illegally detained under a bridge, a crackdown on sex-positive speech, a white supremacist youth movement with a near-monopoly on domestic terror, a white supremacist president, a massive corporate propaganda apparatus, a liberal class more focused on "compromise and re-unification" than standing up to those marginalized by fascist ideas, and a looming economic crisis.
Still think the 2020 election is going to solve the problem?
As someone from a country where sooo many things "get done" all the time, I'd really appreciate a govt that does nothing but fart and pick their noses in their offices. Because my observation is...
As someone from a country where sooo many things "get done" all the time, I'd really appreciate a govt that does nothing but fart and pick their noses in their offices. Because my observation is that when govts do lots of things, they are most often doing way more disgusting things anyways.
By what metrics? Also, is there historical evidence of this working in any large countries? Edit: I’d like to add that I find libertarian ideas very intriguing, but I’m really starting to question...
the best government is that which governs least.
By what metrics?
Also, is there historical evidence of this working in any large countries?
Edit: I’d like to add that I find libertarian ideas very intriguing, but I’m really starting to question their practical applications. These are honest questions.
in an optimal world that maxim would be true (because a just, egalitarian world would probably not need a state or government in the way they currently exist and presumably not a legislature since...
in an optimal world that maxim would be true (because a just, egalitarian world would probably not need a state or government in the way they currently exist and presumably not a legislature since all problems needing one would be solved), but obviously we don't live in such a world because that's utopian, so...
The problem is one of monopoly,as usual.
The truth of the matter is, this would not be a problem if, for example, the amazon and google marketplaces werent 90+% of the market in sales. Amazon should have every right to say "no sex stuff on our platform" if it were subject to actual alternatives and competition. It is not. So the result is widespread cultural censorship because big tech refuses to be accountable for the entire culture which it now represents.
This is the key thing right here. The Internet's fine, it's the big players on it that are blocking people. This seems the same to me as how, pre-Internet, you had to go to niche stores to buy the really good porn. Heck, you still do if you want to actually walk into a place and buy porn. The online department stores just don't want the stigma of carrying dirty books. Big deal. Sell your stuff where they don't pitch a fit. Maybe some people will try buying things from somewhere that isn't Amazon for once.
I realize they represent a monopoly in terms of market share, but more concerning to me is that they are on the verge of monopolizing access. With the end of network neutrality, our ability to freely share information is slowly eroding. The vast majority of all data passes through google, amazon and a few other players, all arbitrated by what is now a handful of "content" providers. Its now apparent they are actually willing to restrict and conform that traffic to their liking... which is a terrifying prospect- especially considering how stifling groups such as Disney tend to be towards free thought and speech.
I cannot say it better than Mike Masnick:
Not that it changes the direction the internet is going or how categorically wrong the legislation is, but Violet Blue has been reinstated by Amazon: https://twitter.com/violetblue/status/1113548561658966016?s=20
Amazon said: No more money for you because you talk about sex.
America's slide into democratically elected authoritarianism: a brief State of the Union.
Right now in America we have legal asylum seekers being illegally detained under a bridge, a crackdown on sex-positive speech, a white supremacist youth movement with a near-monopoly on domestic terror, a white supremacist president, a massive corporate propaganda apparatus, a liberal class more focused on "compromise and re-unification" than standing up to those marginalized by fascist ideas, and a looming economic crisis.
Still think the 2020 election is going to solve the problem?
That would certainly be a first.
As someone from a country where sooo many things "get done" all the time, I'd really appreciate a govt that does nothing but fart and pick their noses in their offices. Because my observation is that when govts do lots of things, they are most often doing way more disgusting things anyways.
Agreed, the best government is that which governs least - all power to the people and that.
This seems like a very privileged argument to have. Those that are currently in power benefit from the status-quo.
Those in power tend to benefit far more when a government enacts a lot of policies.
The government upholds the status quo. I don't see your point.
What?
Don't forget the rest of your post there, context matters.
By what metrics?
Also, is there historical evidence of this working in any large countries?
Edit: I’d like to add that I find libertarian ideas very intriguing, but I’m really starting to question their practical applications. These are honest questions.
in an optimal world that maxim would be true (because a just, egalitarian world would probably not need a state or government in the way they currently exist and presumably not a legislature since all problems needing one would be solved), but obviously we don't live in such a world because that's utopian, so...
Only if they get a supermajority in Congress, and I don't know if that's even mathematically possible with who is up for reelection in 2020.