Mason  🏃‍♂️ ✂️

FYI people who bomb anything or anyone should go to jail, as should their co-conspirators. But I don't think nutcases should get to drive the bus re: acceptable speech just so we can convince ourselves we're safe from them

The tricky part is, someone claiming such things is neither directly calling for murder, nor technically conspirating with anyone. So they get away. Deplatforming them is essentially the only possible way to at least slow their impact down, although I cannot really say it...

... works all that well. Actual application of libel/slander laws on the internet would be a good thing though, from my perspective. Like I said, there is a middle ground - I just don't think it is "let every nutjob have the microphone if the algorythms like them".

Out of curiosity, @webdevMason, do you believe that there is such a thing as a speech act that can only cause harm to those who hear it? I’m thinking about stuff like targeted bad-faith propaganda, for instance - the expression of which is an act of violence to the listener?

The definition of "violence" is not that unclear to me.

So you don’t believe that nonphysical violence is possible?

Criminal threats are possible, sure.

But surely you agree that there’s such a thing as harmful words, right? You just don’t like the term violence there?